How to stay healthy in the party season

You are the social butterfly of the season. You swig champagne with the girls, warble carols at your niece’s Christmas fair, sink shots with the boss at the Christmas do and maybe sneak a kiss with that cute guy from accounts. Juggling all these social engagements over the festive season can be a little overwhelming. So here are our tips to keep you feeling fresh.

Before the party…

Sleep

To ensure you can be the life and soul of every party this season, naturopathy expert Dave Gibson advises that you stock up on sleep. With a whirlwind of upcoming social engagements it is important that you start the festive season right. Your tolerance to alcohol is lower when you are tired, as your poor, overworked liver isn’t able to fully rest and recover. Ensure that you get enough sleep, ideally around eight hours each night, in the weeks leading up to party season.

Cut back of coffee

Now, I know lots of you will shudder at the thought of cutting back on the caffeine. Surely this advice is counterintuitive, you need lots of good strong coffee to get you through, no? Well David warns that caffeine also puts a strain on your liver, which needs to be in tiptop shape to cope with all those festive tipples. But this doesn’t mean cold turkey (unless it’s in Boxing Day sandwiches) just try to avoid caffeine after 3pm on days you are partying.

Get it flowing

We are not talking about your moves on the dance floor. Get your blood flowing and stimulate your lymph nodes with a little dry brushing before the party. A good dry brush before you wash will not only leave your skin glowing, it is also believed to help the body flush out toxins.

Carb up

So often we see women starve themselves the day of a big event in order to cut a svelte silhouette in their party dress. This is the worst thing you can do. It is so important to eat a proper meal before heading out and drinking alcohol. High protein foods such as chicken or fish teamed with denser carbs (such as potatoes or pasta) will slow your body’s absorption of alcohol. Meaning you can party till dawn. If you keep hydrated throughout the night, with the occasional glass of water in between your alcoholic beverages, you will wake up the next morning feeling fresher.

After the party…

Hungry and hungover?

We have all woken up after a heavy night craving carb-loaded junk food in a quest to perk up. David tells us: ‘being sleep deprived sends a signal to our body that we are in a state of famine.’ Our body craves all this naughty food, but what it really needs isn’t a Big Mac meal and a cookie, but sleep. If you can, try to hit snooze and sneak a few extra hours in bed the morning after. If not, turn to protein-rich foods – such as smoked salmon and scrambled eggs – to make you feel better and curb those cravings.

Get a helping hand

A heavy party season takes its toll on the best of us and can wreak havoc with your gut. David recommends providing a little helping hard during this time of year in the form of supplements. A good quality mixed strain probiotic or a milk thistle supplement will support you body and help combat some of that overindulgence.

Fuel up

Your body needs all the help it can get, and one of the best ways to support it through this party season is by eating right. Stock up on veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale and everyone’s festive favourite the Brussels sprouts, to help restore normal liver function. Boost lagging energy with foods rich in vitamin D and omega-3, found in oily fish.

Stop sickness

No one wants to miss all the festive fun because of an illness. Garlic may not get you many kisses under the mistletoe, but it has powerful antibacterial properties that can help you fight that cold. Try adding some fiery ginger to your meals or brewing a lemon and ginger tea – a warming winter drink that will ward of unwanted illnesses.