Vital: The Hogmanay Survival Guide
YOU’VE survived dancing on the desks at the office party, stuffing yourself like a turkey, entertaining the family and drinking the house dry. And there’s still the Hogmanay celebrations to get through.You’d rather crawl under your duvet and emergerefreshed in 2005, but there’s no let up to the round of parties.SASHA MANSWORTH presents the Top 10 tips on how to enjoy the remaining festivities and pamper yourself when the post-party blues hit.
DRINK
CHOOSE the right drink. Try not to make the whole season a booze- fest.
An alcohol-free day every third will let your system recover.
If you want to prevent a hangover have water or non-fizzy soft drinks between alcoholic drinks. Make the booze a cranberry, grapefruit and vodka mix. Cranberry is great for the urinary tract, grapefruit is rich in good enzymes for the stomach and vitaminC, and vodka is low in sugar.
EAT WELL
IF you’ve pigged out at the party buffet table then try to give your system a bit of a rest before New Year.
Try natural pick-me-ups such as vegetable juice – buy organic or squeeze yourself. Eat light meals after a major blowout to help your digestive system recover. Include nutrient-rich fish or chicken, vegetables and rice.
Dr Deborah McManners, author of The Holistic Doctor, said: ‘A perfect pick-me-up is vegetable juice. Too much sugar or erratic eating will play havoc with energy levels.’
Boots Energy Boost has B vitamins to help the body release energy from food and maintain the nervous system.
SPA
WHAT better way to boost your body during the party season than with a spa treatment?
The Finders Dead Sea Inch Wrap at Stobo Castle, Peeblesshire, is designed to detox, reduce cellulite and improve skin tone. It’s perfect to accompany a diet as there is the added benefit of inch loss. It costs pounds 69 for one hour and 50 minutes. Tel:01721 760344.
Late nights and alcohol contribute to less than dewy skin. Edinburgh spa Zen Lifestyle offers The Elemis Visible Brilliance facial, costing pounds 70. Tel: 0131 226 6777.
ZAP THE HANGOVER
THE headache we associate with a hangover is the result of dehydration. To avoid a banging head and reaching for the aspirin, drink a pint of water before you go to bed, when you get up and every hour during the day.
If you’re still feeling queasy, have lots of vitamin C packed freshly-squeezed orange juice.
‘Chew crystallised ginger to beat nausea,’ advises Victoria Nixon, author of Supermodels Diet Secrets (Piatkus, pounds 7.99). Also try RU-21 (pounds 4.99), Boots and Boots Re-energise Effervescent Peach & Passionfruit flavour (pounds 5.49).
DETOX YOUR liver will be working overtime to rid the body of all the toxins that have built up through over-indulging.
‘Chew fennel seeds or brew fennel tea to detoxify and cleanse your liver,’ says Susan Clark, author of What Really Works In Natural Health (Bantam Press, pounds 10.99).
Vital micro-nutrients can be lost at this time. Cellfood Concentrate delivers oxygen, minerals, enzymes and amino acids, supercharging the body. It costs pounds 19.99 for 30ml bottle, from www.heavenearth.co.uk or 0870 240 8272.
PAMPER FEET
BOOTS Total Pampering Ultimate Foot Care Regime (pounds 8.99) includes Instant Revival Foot Fizz which kick-starts your footcare revival, Instant Hydration Foot Butter with exotic shea butter formulation for a massive moisture boost and Prepare to BareFoot Polish – which smoothes those tootsies, on show again over Hogmanay. Foot patches which draw out toxins from the body while you sleep are being launched on the high street.
They are based on the principles of reflexology – an alternative therapy which believes all organs of the body can be represented on the soles of the feet. In Japan, about 1.5million of the patches are sold monthly.
Miranda Egmore, spokeswoman for Simply Detox patches, said: ‘As you sleep, the toxins are drawn out onto the patches, which look like teabags, and the removal of toxins turn the bags slimy.’
The patches will cost pounds 17.99.
HANGOVER BLUES
SCRUB away hangover blues – indulge yourself in a hot tub with a handful of re-energising Nirvana Spa Sea Salt Scrub, pounds 7.95 (Asda). Or try Superdrug Vitamin E Body Scrub, pounds 4, for a more gentle exfoliator.
Boost your mood with the thoughts of summer hols by using the pungent Boots Mediterranean Creamy Body Scrub, pounds 5.
Or try Tesco Spa Global Retreats Moroccan Sugar Scrub, pounds 4, which leaves skin feeling soft and hydrated and smells good enough to eat.
BLITZ BLOATING
IF too many mince pies have taken their toll and you’re feeling bloated, there are plenty of natural remedies available.
Naturopath Jan de Vries says:’Take 15 drops of flower remedy centaurium twice a day to support your digestive system.’ An alternative is the Cynara Artichoke (available from Boots, priced pounds 9.95 for 30 capsules) which promotes bile production. Andif your digestive system is not in its usual rhythm try Califig (pounds 2.55 for 55ml from chemists).
SLEEP
LAY off the booze and get a good sleep.One too many alcoholic drinks disrupt the natural sleep patterns. Homeopathic remedies can help. A combination of avena sativa, valerian and passiflora remedies are said to help relax the body into a deep sleep. Try Sleep Combination, pounds 3.50 for 100, from Helios Remedies on 020 7379 7434.
COBWEBS
BLOW away the cobwebs. Make the most of your free time between Christmas and New Year by going for a long walk in the country or along a beach.Fresh air will clear your head and exercise releases endorphins and feel-good hormones to boost your mood.