We could be oh so wellness-warrior and warn against any kind of ‘fun’ that involves late nights, alcoholic beverages and not-so-nourishing foods.
But we’re not going to. Because really all we want for you dearest Eve fam is to be happy and live your best life - and celebrating with friends and family is a huge part of that, especially after a tough year.
However, no one feels all that great when the see-saw of balance tips too far in the other direction. So here are our top tips for being a little silly, without completely sabotaging your health goals at the same time.
We’d go so far as calling them ‘life hacks’, if you will.
1. GIVE YOUR LIVER WHAT IT NEEDS
Believe it or not, the liver doesn’t just hang out between spicy margaritas, waiting to work its magic.
It’s generally pretty flat out as it is, dealing with anything and everything that might harm us and keeping blood sugars, nutrients and amino acids in check (thanks liver!).
Perhaps this is the most obvious tip, but if we’re going to have a little fun and make our liver work overtime in the process, the least we can do is give it what it needs to do its job.
To give your liver a helping hand:
- Eat plenty of cruciferous vegetables, which are particularly rich in a liver-loving phytonutrient called Diindolylmethane (DIM).
- Don’t skimp on protein - the liver relies on the availability of certain amino acids to do its job.
- Top up your nutrient stores with a quality multivitamin. Alcohol depletes the same nutrients that the liver relies on to function optimally, such as iodine, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin B9 (folate), and vitamin D.
2. EAT BLOOD SUGAR BALANCING MEALS PRE-FUN
As most of us have likely experienced at some stage or another, alcohol and an empty stomach don’t go all that well together.
While it’s important to eat nourishing, balanced meals all of the time, it’s even more important before a night of fun.
Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach doesn’t just make you sillier faster, it’s also bad news for your gut health, and can increase intestinal permeability, or ‘leaky gut.’ Over time, this can feel like food sensitivities, bloating, gas, skin issues, brain fog and sugar cravings.
The food you eat doesn’t literally absorb alcohol, but it does slow down the rate at which your body absorbs it into your bloodstream, and minimises damage to the gut lining.
A serving of fibre-rich carbohydrates, quality protein, leafy greens and healthy fats will do the trick nicely.
3. HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE
Alcohol is actually diuretic by nature, which means it speeds up the rate at which your kidneys and bladder expel water from the body.
On top of that, when you’re having a few drinks, you’re generally not taking in a lot of water at the same time, thereby creating the perfect recipe for dehydration and the splitting headache that comes with it.
To help minimise the damage, make sure to drink plenty of water during the day before an evening of festivities, and try drinking one glass of water in between each drink.
If things ever do get a bit dire the next day, try taking in some electrolytes along with plenty of water and thank us later.
4. GET YOUR SWEAT ON
While your liver and kidneys are the MVP’s of detoxification, your skin can lend a helping hand when the load becomes more than these two organs can handle.
This is why after a particularly big night on the silly juice, you might feel as though you’re overheating, or even wake up with the sweats as your pores come to the party.
If you’re indulging a little more during this time of year, make sure to sweat a few times a week to help support your detox pathways, and leave you feeling cleansed and refreshed too.
Some of our favourite ways to get a sweat on are infrared saunas, heated vinyasa yoga or HIIT training (if your hormones are up to it). Sweating through exercise has the added benefit of getting your blood flowing and lymphatic system moving too - winning!
5. SLEEP IN, YOU HAVE OUR PERMISSION
This time of year can be full on, and as much as we wish they were sometimes, end of year festivities aren’t typically held over brunch…
At this time of year, social occasions = late nights, which aren’t always easy to make up for (especially if you have wee ones that like to rise with the sun, are we right?).
However, sleep deprivation increases stress hormones in the body, which can quickly kick our sex hormones out of balance unless we’re compensating elsewhere.
Our advice? Catch up on missed sleep whenever you can at this time of the year. Whether it’s skipping the early morning gym class for an extra hour in bed, or an afternoon nap on the weekend. It’s not lazy, it’s looking after yourself.
MOST IMPORTANTLY: RELAX, THIS IS JUST ONE TIME OF THE YEAR
Above all else, relax - this is just one time of the year.
At the end of the day, stressing about eating cake, having a glass of bubbles or ‘falling off the wagon’ is still stress, which isn’t great for your hormones either.
Life is all about balance, and while we love sharing tips and tricks to help you look after the beautiful body of yours, we certainly aren’t the fun police.
Treasure this special time with your loved ones.
Eve x