We know how challenging it can be to stay on track with all of the seasonal temptations this time of year. Christmas and other holiday feasts with family, end-of-year get-togethers with coworkers, and endless parties can play havoc on your health, leaving your liver pleading for help. With the New Year right around the corner, it’s a great time to rid your body of toxins from the overindulgences of the festive season.
Water
Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink up. Many people—especially during the winter—forget to drink enough water. Lots of water will help cleanse your system and flush away toxins. Plus, it can lift your mood, as well as improve brain functionality.
Exercise
Why wait until your New Year’s resolution to get back into (or start) a great workout routine? Whatever you prefer—be it swimming, walking, running, or a gym workout—find a way to get moving. It will help you get rid of those holiday toxins. This is also the ideal time of year to mix it up a bit with some classes you have never tried before, like Zumba, dancing, kickboxing, aerobics, yoga, or Pilates.
Eat Antioxidant-Rich Foods
Make a conscious effort to include antioxidant-rich foods into your daily meal plan. Tomatoes, grapes, avocado, pomegranates, broccoli, beets, and a wide variety of berries, are all high in antioxidants. They help to get rid of environmental toxins, and restore your auto-immune system to its healthiest.
Consume More Fruits and Vegetables
Do you get in at least five fruit and vegetable servings each day? If you don’t, it is a good idea to step up your intake of these sometimes neglected, but essential food items. Fruits and vegetables have an alkalizing effect on the body, helping to maintain balance and provide you with the necessary vitamins and minerals.
Use Panax Ginseng
Using Panax ginseng will lighten the toxic load, and give your body a chance to recharge and revitalize itself. This wonder root has been shown to play a crucial role in the regulation of proper liver function. In fact, it has been found to help with liver tissue regeneration and have protective activity on liver cells. The benefits of adding Panax ginseng to your diet also include higher levels of energy (useful when you want to get working out), a boosted immune system, better sleep and concentration (needed so you can get through your work that has piled up over the holiday break), lower cholesterol levels, and more balanced blood sugar levels (necessary for losing some of that extra seasonal weight).
From all of us at Bing Han, here's wishing you all a healthy, happy, and toxin-free 2016!
Dr. Melissa Carr is a registered Dr. of Traditional Chinese Medicine, caring for patients in an integrative medicine clinic in Vancouver.