The Season for food, family, friends, celebration, gratitude, and cheer is upon us!
The holidays can be a wonderful time but they also bring their own set of challenges…too much food, too many parties, too much stress, and too little time.
In addition to all of this potential activity the darkness, and cold weather can
lead to physical and emotional turmoil
and taxation that can zap our
well-being and leave us feeling more
tired, stressed, bloated, moody, and
more prone to colds and flu, and overall rundown by the time the New Year is upon us. It can be a particularly challenging time of the year to stay committed to and on track with your health and wellness routines.
Holiday Parties, Family Get Togethers and Rich Delicious Foods
Give yourself (and your gut) some extra love between the turkey, gravies, stuffing, pies, sugar cookies, hot toddies, mulled wine, and spiked eggnog this season. This doesn’t mean you have to abstain from all the wonderful holiday dishes, but it does mean that you can plan ahead and give yourself space to digest and process all these wonderful goodies comfortably!
Sugar spikes and increased alcohol consumption both tax the liver and endocrine system and increase inflammation. This can lead to an increase in chronic body aches and pains, restless sleep and insomnia, upset digestion and lingering bloating, and GI disruptions - including diarrhea and constipation as well as heightened feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression and even cause flares in autoimmune and fibromyalgia symptoms.
An Ounce of Preparation and Planning Goes A Long Way and Keeps You Feeling Like Your Best Self!
Give your digestive system a break with an overnight 12-hour fast
This isn’t nearly as difficult as it sounds — a typical overnight 12-hour fast runs from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., 6-8 hours of which you’ll likely be asleep! This gives your digestive system a break and allows your body to focus on detoxification and restoration during this time when your liver is most active — while you’re sleeping.
When you have celebrated to your heart's content, but maybe your digestion isn't as happy....it's time for some additional support.
Add Dandelion Root, Ginger, or Cinnamon Tea
Dandelion root tea thins and stimulates bile flow and is our personal favorite liver detox herb. A mug of hot dandelion root tea is perfect during the cold winter months. Adding this to your daily routine or after a day full of fun and celebration is an incredibly simple way to boost your liver health and keep inflammation down.
Ginger and Cinnamon Teas have anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, help to promote digestion, and ease stomach discomfort. Ginger is an amazing spice to reduce nausea and heartburn while cinnamon can help to improve sensitivity to insulin and support better blood sugar control. They are both wonderful herbs to prevent illness and improve immune defenses.
While the above teas are great at prevention and a first line of relief, sometimes we need something stronger….When you eat foods that you shouldn't you need to calm, soothe, and restore the digestive system. You will want to have Firefly’s premium medicinal herbal blend on hand - Restore, Restore Plus, and Renew are traditional Chinese medicinal powerhouses to ease digestive and inflammatory symptoms. (Schedule a Consultation to find out which one is right for you!!)
Restore, Restore Plus, and Renew
This is where science meets art using the best quality herbs on Earth! These premium
herbal pills are hand-rolled and preservative-free AND help absolve you of your dietary sins! (How can you not love these!)
These formulas were designed to deal with gastrointestinal complaints stemming from modern dietary practices which lead to issues of phlegm, mucus, inflammation, and food stagnation.
This may feel like:
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, heartburn, abdominal pain or cramping, abdominal discomfort, bloating, food sensitivities, indigestion, and hangover…they are basically designed for restoring and resetting the digestion of those on the Standard American Diet. (Think, too much of a good thing!)
The herbal formulations are crafted to work to stimulate an increase in digestive enzymes and increase the absorption of cholesterol. They also help break down proteins, fats, and sugars in the body and contain herbs that kill pathogens like E. coli, salmonella, candida, and more, all while helping to protect the lining of the intestines. These traditional blends also take into account autoimmune conditions and reactive immune responses and help to calm flares for folks with food sensitivities and/or leaky gut issues. They are a must-have for any and all digestive issues!
We want you to go into the holiday season confident, knowledgeable, and prepared
to tackle anything that (well-intentioned) holiday merriment may throw your way, even if
that means taking the time to fortify yourself at the start, or taking a pause and getting back on track after a detour or two … either way, we at Firefly are there for you and are cheering you on so you can truly enjoy yourself and all of the special moments that the season brings.
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