This time of year can cause lots of stress on the body either due to too much alcohol and unhealthy eating or increased levels of mental stress and depression or both. Paradoxically, the joyous times can remind us of our losses, the people we miss and our regrets. I'd like to propose this year is done differently with a list of simple strategies to keep your liver, mind, bowels and hormones more balanced.

1. Drink lemon / mint with water / mineral water before and instead of or in between alcoholic beverages. This hydrates and reduces the effects of alcohol.
2. Enjoy some early morning exercise. Walk along the beach or park, swim in the ocean, dance in your living room. Exercise will give you more joy as it increases your natural free serotonin.
3. Eat more salads. The temptations of fried or sweet foods are definitely here but instead fill up on fresh, crispy, mineral dense salads. Enjoy the freshness hydrate and replenish you.
4. Have less and Enjoy. Less fried and less sugar and less bread. Request a smaller serving and enjoy it presently. Really taste the sweetness so the enjoyment of the foods gets the digestive juices flowing, thus breaking it down and causing less damage to the body. Eat it slowly, small amounts at a time, mindfully notice the sensations it's doing to your mouth and your body. Enjoy.
5. Spend time with positive people. Your family and friends may be far away and lots memories may surge. It's healthy to grieve and feel what ever is going on for you but it is important that you increase the love around you. Make the effort to see kind people. Steer away from negativity and give yourself some space to feel love and joy.
6. Breathe. Breathing increases relaxation, supports the detoxification pathways, helps the lymphatic system, heart health and improves posture to name only a few. Just spend 3 times a day taking 10 long deep breaths slowly in and out and enjoy the benefits.
7. Laugh lots. See the humour in situations that would normally upset you. Smile, feel joy and spread peace to others. Smile at a stranger. Smile when you are running late. Smile in traffic. Smile at the end of year dead line. Smile at the mess. Smile at the future. Smile at the past. Smile at the unknown.

Finally, take great care of yourself always. You are more important than you realise.

Lots of love,

Alicia xo