Nutrition Mission December 09 Newsletter

Here at Nutrition Mission we enjoy the odd tipple, especially during the Christmas and New Year period.

Here are our top tips for enjoying a few drinks and minimising the after effects:

Be aware of how much you're drinking by finishing one drink before you have your glass topped up. It's very easy at dinner parties to lose track of what you're drinking especially when you have a generous host that will keep topping up your glass!

Make sure that you drink around 2 litres of water a day, every day. This means that you'll be hydrated. When you're drinking make sure that you drink plenty of water between alcoholic drinks to maintain your hydration levels. Alcohol has a diuretic effect on the body meaning that you can be left dehydrated. It is a lack of hydration in the body that causes your brain to shrink and your head to throb. Hangovers are a symptom of dehydration and toxicity.

Don't take painkillers to ease your hangover the day after. They do nothing to help with the alcohol in your system, will add to the workload on your liver and may irritate the mucous membranes in your digestive tract. Drink plenty of water to make sure that you get re-hydrated, take 1000mg of recommended vitamin C in the morning and again at lunch time. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant and will help to rid the body of free radicals, these are highly unstable molecules that react with other molecules and set off a process called oxidation. Oxidation leads to inflammation which is the basis of nearly all diseased states. Also, take a recommended magnesium supplement which will help to reduce muscular tension. The herb Silybum Marianum, commonly known as Milk Thistle, is clinically proven to support the liver and it's detoxification pathways. Please contact us at info@NutritionMission.co.uk for our recommended supplements. Nettle and dandelion tea are particularly good for detoxification. Rooibos tea is free of caffeine, so not adding to the toxic load, and full of wonderful antioxidants.

Regular drinking increases your risk of cancer. There is no recognised safe lower limit of this. Alcohol acts on hormonal pathways to increase the production of oestrogen in both men and women. Oestrogen has been shown to increase the growth of cancer. When our body breaks down alcohol a chemical called acetaldehyde is produced. This is a known carcinogen which damages DNA and it is DNA damage that underpins the development of cancers.

Because of the diuretic effects of alcohol there are considerable losses of vitamins and minerals so always ensure that you are eating a healthy, balanced diet during the festive season. A healthy, balanced diet will also make sure that your liver is supported in order to process the additional toxins that are going into your system and will also make sure that your digestive tract is functioning well in order to eliminate these extra toxins so that they're not left in the system as free radicals causing damage. Please contact your nearest Nutrition Mission therapist for personal advice on eating healthily during the festive season and beyond at info@NutritionMission.co.uk.

Have a lie in the morning after a heavy night before. Alcohol affects the quality of sleep as it disrupts the body's circadian rhythm and hangovers are so much worse when you're tired!

After the fun and overindulgence of the festive season let us help with your January detoxification. If you book an appointment with one of our qualified nutritional therapists before December 31st you will receive a �10.00 discount off your initial consultation.

Merry Christmas and A Happy, Healthy New Year!