Ready, steady, December…
Christmas is around the corner and what better way to start the Festive cheer than by preparing your home, body, and mind for all things Christmassy.
From decluttering your home to preparing your body for the festive Christmas food, I hope you find my simple steps below to getting ready for the festivity that December brings super helpful:
1.Clear out/declutter
With Christmas comes presents and with presents comes more “stuff” to store around your home. First things first, I love to take time in November to start clearing out what we, as a family, don’t need.
It could be as simple as going through your pantry and throwing away expired food items or having a look at your kitchen cupboards. Are there things in there you haven’t used in the last 6 months? Donate them to charity or give them away.
Go through your clothing cupboards too. As a rule of thumb, if you haven’t worn them in the past 6-8 months, consider passing those clothing items on or donating them to a local charity.
Decluttering has proven to have beneficial effects on your mind and happiness levels.
Some amazing KZN-based non-profit organizations that you can donate your unwanted items to:
- Domino Foundation
- Nation Changers
- Your local SPCA
- iThemba Lethu
2. Toy Dump
If you have little kids, you may have accumulated lots of toys.
Studies show that children do not need an excess of toys to keep them entertained. In fact, quite the contradictory. The less toys, the more creativity. The simpler the toy, the more the child requires putting their imagination to use.
Go through your children’s playroom or bedroom and be intentional with clearing out toys. This is also an amazing opportunity to teach our children about the gift of giving to those less fortunate than us.
3. Eat Clean
I love to give my body the nourishment it deserves in November and enter December with a strong healthy gut microbiome.
December is my favourite time of the year as we spend quality time with loved ones and enjoy the festive season. There is no better time to have ample energy to do the things we love and be with those we love instead of entering December exhausted and tired.
Our gut microbiome is home to trillions of bacteria and 70% of our immune system comes from the proper functioning of our gut flora. Put simply, the health of our gut microbiome directly impacts our energy levels, sleep patterns, health, and immunity. Eating clean is the best way to help our gut microbiome flourish and thrive which leads to nourished body’s and a happier, healthier you.
My simple tips to eating clean this November:
- Drink up!
Stay hydrated. Infuse your water with lemon as lemon is a natural anti-inflammatory and cleanses our bodies beautifully. Make sure your water is filtered.
- Eat loads of fresh fruit and vegetables
Make these food items the foundation of your diet every day. The more fruit and vegetables you can eat, the better!
- Avoid Processed food
I encourage you to eat natural food. Stay away from anything that is processed. If it comes from the ground, it’s good for you. Think sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli, oranges, berries, fresh herbs and spices, pumpkin, egg plant and more!
- Limit sugar
I know this is a hard one but before December hits, try stay away from sugar.
Sugar compromises our immune systems bringing with it sickness, fatigue, mood swings and irritability. If you must have sugar, try our Lean Suga over at The Harvest Table. It’s designed with your health in mind. You can bag yours here.
- Limit dairy
Dairy produces an inflammatory response in our bodies leading to sickness and disease. According to T. Colin Campbell PhD (the lead scientist on The China Study), there are certain proteins in cow’s milk which are similar to the proteins found in our bodies. When we ingest diary, our bodies view the proteins as a similar but foreign protein and literally “attack” the cow’s milk proteins, causing an immune response. Put simply, our bodies produce antibodies to kill the cow’s milk protein which produces inflammation. Inflammation causes sickness and disease.
Swap out your regular cow’s milk with the Buttanut Plant-based milk found on The Harvest Table’s online store. If you love your morning cup of coffee, you can also try our Collagen Creamer. It’s the perfect addition to your morning cup of coffee.
