Shop the blazer dress online here before it sells out again (two in one, it acts as a coat and a dress) / Hair colour & cut by Sassoon and blow dry by Show Beauty in Nottinghill.
As most of you will know if you’ve ever read the health and fitness section of my blog, I’m a lover of all things balanced, things in moderation and eating well and moving more. I am not, ever, someone who condones deprivation, diets in any form or calorie counting. I get that some things work for different people, but I’m all about balance and moderation. One thing I’m not too good at, and vow to be better at in 2018, is keeping a routine and looking after my health in other ways, e.g., my immune system and my wellbeing. Today’s blog post is all about gut health and the immune system as it’s the time of the year where partying late, having no sleep and drinking a little too much can take it’s toll. Now, I’m NEVER going to be here to make you feel guilty for enjoying your wine, cheese or life, so instead, I thought I’d do a little list of ways you can be kinder to your immune system this winter and still enjoy the festivities so you don’t crash and burn by the time January comes around! This is in partnership with Bimuno.
Enjoying the festive season is key, I’m already sick of seeing emails telling people to ‘blitz the fat’ and telling people how many calories are in their Christmas dinners, who cares?! If you can’t enjoy your food at Christmas then when can you? Christmas is however a period in the year where people’s immune system can start to feel the strain and I don’t want you to get ill, Christmas is about relaxing. It’s weird though, sometimes relaxing too much almost makes me feel like everything hits me at once and then I get ill! Late nights socialising, the indulgent eating and drinking, the Christmas parties – it all takes its toll yet do people do anything about it? I definitely don’t. I party on through. I need to sleep more, drink more fluids and definitely stop hammering my immune system. I hope a few of these tips will help!
I’ve partnered with Bimuno to bring you some statistics about feeling run down over the festive period. They found that:
40% of people admit to feeling tired and run-down over Christmas. Excess eating (43%), rich food (34%), stress of shopping (33%), the change in weather (30%) and drinking alcohol (29%) are the top five causes. I know that I feel tired and run down because I actually stay up too late, drink a little too much and introduce my body to foods I don’t usually eat. It’s totally worth it to have a fun time, but we don’t want to get run down.
Now, as you know, I do not believe in telling people to give up food. I most definitely have an intolerance to something but I’m not sure what it is as food diaries haven’t helped me, apparently 7% of people avoid festive food they LOVE for fear of the digestive repercussions and 12% of the UK avoid sprouts due to digestive discomfort – this is followed by Christmas pudding, egg nog, mulled wine and mince piece. 25% of 25-34 year olds avoid cheese and biscuits. Now, I’m not about deprivation so mince pies and mulled wine are firmly on my list still, particularly tonight on New Years Eve. I wanted to give you some top tips to try and help you feel fabulous this festive season, gut wise, mind wise and immune system wise too, meaning you can have your cake and eat it too and step into January feeling amazing.
Enjoying the festive season is key, I’m already sick of seeing emails telling people to ‘blitz the fat’ and telling people how many calories are in their Christmas dinners, who cares?! If you can’t enjoy your food at Christmas then when can you? Christmas is however a period in the year where people’s immune system can start to feel the strain and I don’t want you to get ill, Christmas is about relaxing. It’s weird though, sometimes relaxing too much almost makes me feel like everything hits me at once and then I get ill! Late nights socialising, the indulgent eating and drinking, the Christmas parties – it all takes its toll yet do people do anything about it? I definitely don’t. I party on through. I need to sleep more, drink more fluids and definitely stop hammering my immune system. I hope a few of these tips will help!
I’ve partnered with Bimuno to bring you some statistics about feeling run down over the festive period. They found that:
40% of people admit to feeling tired and run-down over Christmas. Excess eating (43%), rich food (34%), stress of shopping (33%), the change in weather (30%) and drinking alcohol (29%) are the top five causes. I know that I feel tired and run down because I actually stay up too late, drink a little too much and introduce my body to foods I don’t usually eat. It’s totally worth it to have a fun time, but we don’t want to get run down.
Now, as you know, I do not believe in telling people to give up food. I most definitely have an intolerance to something but I’m not sure what it is as food diaries haven’t helped me, apparently 7% of people avoid festive food they LOVE for fear of the digestive repercussions and 12% of the UK avoid sprouts due to digestive discomfort – this is followed by Christmas pudding, egg nog, mulled wine and mince piece. 25% of 25-34 year olds avoid cheese and biscuits. Now, I’m not about deprivation so mince pies and mulled wine are firmly on my list still, particularly tonight on New Years Eve. I wanted to give you some top tips to try and help you feel fabulous this festive season, gut wise, mind wise and immune system wise too, meaning you can have your cake and eat it too and step into January feeling amazing.
So, here are some top tips to try counteract how you feel from Dr Ayan Panja and yours truly.
Eat more whole foods - a variety of fruit and vegetables, pulses, nuts and wholegrains feed healthy bacteria in your gut. (If your diet is low in fibre, a sudden increase can cause wind and bloating. Minimise this by making gradual changes and drink extra water). I really try to drink water but just need to ensure I’m drinking more. I try to always have a bottle or glass next to me and then I can see how much I’m drinking and it acts as a reminder too. I get my wholegrains in my shred dies for breakfast which may not be the best for me so I’m going to try sprinkling bran on my oats instead! I do try and snack on nuts and weirdly, my favourite side dish is broccoli!
Avoid antibiotics if possible, but if you really need them, make sure you eat lots of foods that boost your microbes afterwards like fermented cheese and live yoghurt. This is something I always forget to do but apparently live yoghurt is so good for a healthy gut.
Have a run of sugar and alcohol free days in the run up to the festive season. I know in January I’ll be doing dry January! I’m quite good with alcohol though and only drank on the 22nd December for my birthday and haven’t actually had any drinks over the festive period as I’m not a big drinker, but if you do like to have a drink, then go for it, it’s just meant to be really good to do a few free days beforehand and obviously doing something like dry Jan for a good cause is good for a good cause and your body too.
Manage your stress. Exercise, meditation, mindfulness can all help. I actually think the festive period can be quite stressful as it’s so jam packed with plans, new people, old faces and indulgent food so I’ve still been going to the gym just for my mind plus, it’s the only two weeks of the year where I’m properly at home so it means I can be back in my David Lloyd gym with a proper routine. People think I’m crazy for working out over Christmas but it’s about what works for you and going to the gym manages my stress so much, even if I can just do a little home workout. Another thing? Me time and having a bath, nothing makes me feel better. Give me all the Jo Malone candles and Molton Brown bath salts and I feel like a new woman.
Make life easier. We know it’s a hectic period so make healthier living a little easier and take a daily supplement. There are lots of good options available, including Bimuno which promotes the growth of ‘good’ bacteria in your gut and is something I’d highly recommend as I can struggle so badly with certain foods. Bimuno is a daily supplement that naturally feeds and stimulates the growth of preferred bacteria in the gut which helps to maintain immune health and support your natural systems, it contains a unique galacto-oligosaccharide that naturally feeds and stimulates the growth of preferred bacteria in the gut, helping to maintain a good balance between the various types of bacteria present – this balance is important in maintaining health and wellness. It was actually my Mum who recommended me starting to take ‘good bacteria’ a long time ago as our family always struggle with tummies!
Sleep - Sleep is so incredibly important and people seem to forget just how important it is to go to bed early or, have a lie in. Sleep is good for everything from weight loss, to your mind and more. I vow to sleep more in 2018! It means I’ll be more energised.
So there we have it, a few top tips to helping your immune system and body and mind over this festive season, so what will I be doing? Sleeping more, eating more greens and veggies and drinking more water! What will you be doing in the run up to January to make yourself feel better but ensure you still enjoyed the festive period? No guilt, just enjoyment and happy memories I hope.
Thanks so much for reading!
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*This post was sponsored by Bimuno but as always is my honest opinion.
Lots of love, Em x
*This post was sponsored by Bimuno but as always is my honest opinion.
Lots of love, Em x
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