Tuesday's Change Week 49 - Water, Water Everywhere!

Some of you may have seen one of my first Tuesday's Change posts (Are you taking the Piss? which you can read here) about how important Hydration is on a day to day level. You can tell how hydrated you are by looking at the colour of your urine and the post goes into more detail on this. We are all different and our bodies all operate differently and so the '8 glasses of water a day' rule is good but not suitable for all.

So as 'Silly Season' is in full swing and there will be countless nights out eating bad food and drinking more booze than needed here is a great top tip to prevent that dreaded hangover the next day. This recently saved me on my first of the Christmas parties this season that I attended. There were welcome drinks, then wine at the table and then cost price booze after at the bar. It should have been a recipe for disaster. A day spent in bed eating foods in rotation of sweet and salty and eating until I feel worse (am I the only one who does this?!).

However, I went out with the intention to have a great time, dance all night with my girls and enjoy the free booze on offer without getting 'off my face' as we say in my native Cork. And I succeeded! I felt silly and giggly and danced all night without taking off my shoes (a massive achievement for me!) just by drinking a few glasses of water in between each drink. There was water at the table during the meal and I had every second glass here, then when we got to dancing I ordered two large glasses of water from the bar and left them on our table to again sip in between each wine.

All the symptoms of a hangover are due to dehydration and toxicity so you can at least try and help along the dehydration part before it even happens. It will lessen the headache, the nausea, the furry mouth and the tiredness.

I was delighted with myself the next day. It's not often I get the balance right but this time it worked! I was feeling fresh and slightly tired but no fuzzy mouth, no headache and no feeling that I needed to wear clothes that don't touch my body because everything hurts! I was able to go and enjoy brunch with friends (unlike my dear friend Mrs L who was not feeling in the best of form. We forgive her!) and make the most of my Sunday off. I still was lazy and ate too much food but I got to enjoy doing it instead of it being a necessity due to my hangover.

So that is this week's Tuesday's Change. When boozing this festive season try alternating every second drink with a glass ofwater. You will thank me in the morning!

If you want to see some of my other tips for battling the hangover then check out my other posts here:

Oil Pulling

Smoothie to re-energise and replenish lost vitamins

Just Breathe - settle the Fear!

Fresh Air - Clear the head!

Chocolate Pancakes - have a nice but healthy breakfast

Body Brushing - get that drink outta ya!

Cold Shower - get the detoxing going

Try this drink to help nausea

So enjoy your nights out, treat yourself and have a good time with your friends, just like everything in life do it in moderation, do it the most healthy way possible and make use of the next day!

Tuesday's Change Week 48 - Cold and Flu Season

So Halloween is over and 'Silly Season' has finally begun. It's a time when we all eat and drink too much, have too many late nights, the weather gets suddenly cold and we spend way too much money leading to stress and feeling worn out. Saying all that it's what makes the festive season what it is and we probably wouldn't change it even if we could!

But there is a way we can try and lessen the effects of the season. Keeping your immunity boosted is the easiest way but you need to put in the ground work well in advance to keep those dreaded colds and flus at bay.

This is my go to trick when I feel a cold coming on. I try and battle it head on before it develops into a full blown illness that leaves me missing a Christmas party, work do or even worse the Christmas Markets here in Germany!

Ginger is a natural antibacterial and antiviral so regardless of the cold or flu this should help to boost the immunity and attack the nasty bug before it can take hold. Garlic is similar and can be added to foods easily, providing you aren't planning on getting too close to anyone underneath the mistletoe! Ginger also tastes nicer in a hot drink and so I tend to add garlic to food and ginger to my drinks.

I take about 2 inches of fresh ginger, peel it and grate it into a bowl.
Fill the bowl with freshly boiled water and allow the ginger to stew for at least 5-10 minutes. The longer the better.
If you don't like the bits then feel free to sieve out the ginger.
This makes a 'cordial' of sorts and I place this in a sealed jar or jug to be used throughout the day.
To make a nice tea that will help clear your cold/flu in no time follow the instructions below:

- Add some of the cordial made above to a mug, about 5 tablespoons, or the more the better!
- Add boiling water, a squeeze of fresh lemon, or a slice, a sprinkle of cinnamon (optional) and a teaspoon of honey (optional).
- Mix well and enjoy.

I try and drink this at least 3 times a day if I feel any sort of illness coming on. Even from the first sip you can feel your head clear and the fuzziness lift. Not to mention it tastes nice!

You can read more about the benefits of ginger here.
This will not only fight colds and flus it will also help relieve bloating and digestive pain from over indulgence on food, help ease nausea from a hangover and warm you right up on those cold winter days. The benefits really are endless.

So that is it my Jeanies. This week try and drink a cup of this tea at least once a day and stave off that dreaded illness of the festive season. You won't regret adding this to your routine and you can make it easy and hassle free by preparing the cordial in advance and even adding the honey, cinnamon and lemon to it also. This way even if you are out and about you can ask for hot water and make your own!