3 Christmassy things that are good for you

We usually think of Christmas with all its extravagance, as an unhealthy time of year. Fortunately, there are 3 things most of us do at Christmas that can be very good for us indeed, so make the most of these...

Take a holiday and do exactly what you blooming well like

There is a syndrome in Chinese medicine called Liver Qi Stagnation that contributes to all sorts of issues from headaches to tight shoulders, irritability, IBS and irregular periods. A leading cause of this syndrome is doing stuff you don’t want to do, like working in a job you don’t enjoy. One of the best self-treatments for Liver Qi Stagnation is to not give a toss (seriously), so just hang loose this Christmas, take time off, and do whatever you blooming well please!

Eat Christmassy food

Chinese medicine is big on dietary advice and like good old Hippocrates, it recommends using food as medicine. Eating appropriately for each season is a great way to help your body deal with the challenges the weather throws at it. In winter, we’re advised to eat warming foods and spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. Chestnuts and walnuts are also just the thing in midwinter, so tuck right into the Christmassy grub.

Snooze in that armchair

As well as adjusting our eating habits to suit the season, we should also adjust our activities. Midwinter is the time to replenish and store energy, to save more Qi than we spend. In particular, we should conserve a type of energy called Jing. A lovely way to do this is to take a nap in the afternoon, so feel free to succumb to the armchair when it calls your name so sweetly.