Beating the Christmas bloat, my lovelies

This time of year is brutal for waking up feeling like a baby beluga whale and... as if that's not bad enough in itself, you're left nursing a hangover at the same time! so not fair!!

Anyway here's my little life hacks to get you through the festive season feeling lighter (in both senses of the word)

1. Milk Thistle - the little herbal beauty packs a powerful punch! a punch to the toxins accumulating in the liver ...alcohol & hormones are just a couple of the baddies that I will draw your attention to. Anyway one of these bad gals every morning will help the liver to keep on top of herself. I like the brand Vogel, as it it a great clean product - order here

Take it with your Ayuverdic Cleanse - as below.

2. Ayuverdic cleanse - a totally simple little practice of morning gratitude to your gut & organs (most notably, but not exclusively, the liver & kidneys). Pick up a couple of packs of UNWAXED lemons & simply squeeze the whole lemon into a pint of warm water (body temperature). I find the easiest way is to use a good old fashioned lemon squeezer, my most used kitchen gadget, which has in fact travelled the world with me. This is the little wooden one I have here, which is super easy to pack too for travels

Drink the whole pint (we lose pints of water overnight, especially those of us that are having night sweats) whilst popping your Milk Thistle capsule at the same time. Easy Peasy. Drink this 30 mins prior to eating or drinking anything else, as Milk Thistle can cleanse out other chemicals too, so take it 30 mins prior to any other meds!

Following the 30 mins, have a few drops of some Echinacea Tincture (link here) just to boost your system & immunity. I only take Echinacea on a 3 month cycle through the winter to ensure that I don't overload my system & that I'm maximising the potency

3. Detox Tea - as a qualified herbalist, I only ever drink herbal teas (I sacked the caffeine over 4 years ago now & have never looked back, despite still getting a little high off a whiff of fresh coffee) & this is my go to after a late night, or a bit of over indulgence. Made with dandelion & burdock (both liver cleanses) lemon & ginger to cleanse the system, it's a sure fire way to kick start your battered system. One of my favourite brands is Yogi teas, not just because they are organic & very cleverly blended to ancient herbal recipes ...but that you also get a little Yogi message on each tea tag! A little cup of mindfullness is just lush. Here's a great detox blend here

4. Body brushing!! get those lymphs going!! I practice hydrotherapy in the shower every morning (great to beat those hot flushes too!) so whilst you're having your morning spruce up get that body brush out & get those lymphatic fluids moving! I find the ones with the bamboo handles & soft bristles to be the most effective & easy to use

5. Time out! - snuggle up warm in front of the fire & dip into this great guide to a herbal life ...it's really simple to grow & use your own herbs. Grow yourslef into a little powerhouse over the festives ready to hit the New Year grounded & well

You can buy it here