Self-care isn’t just about popping on a hydrating mask; it’s about tuning into what you need to create a more well-balanced you.
Coming out of the festive season doesn’t just mean you may have been partying hard, burning the candle at both ends, and indulging in seasonal goodies. For many, it also means the end of a stressful period. The list is endless from worrying about presents, and entertaining the in-laws to trying to get that last bit of work done in the office before closing for the holidays, there is always something to keep us up at night.
So maybe this year’s New Year’s resolution shouldn’t just be about cutting back on alcohol or losing a dress size. Maybe what we need to focus on is holistic self-care, treating our entire being from the inside out.
True self-care means learning to create more balance in your life. Taking time out to eat nutritionally balanced meals, exercising regularly, getting a full 7-8 hours of sleep, and most importantly giving our minds and bodies the rest, it deserves. Taking self-care one step further by following a holistic path can have many added benefits. Holistic self-care tends to have a domino effect as making just a few key changes can have a positive trickle on other areas.
Creating this balance means you are most likely to achieve your other goals automatically without stressing over it, for example losing a dress size as a consequence of a more nutritionally balanced diet and a regular exercise routine. Other benefits usually seen are the release of endorphins aka your happy hormones, stronger immune systems, clearer, glowing skin and much more.
To me, a large part of holistic living and self-care is opting for natural, chemical-free ingredients in my meals and daily life and using ancient tried and tested methods to improve overall health and balance.
One of the many rituals I practice as a part of my daily holistic lifestyle is to begin every morning with a mug of hot water on an empty tummy instead of the popular option of coffee or tea. This is an ancient ritual popular in Japan and China, and many ancient texts recommend this practice. Two to three times a week I add a quarter teaspoon of organic turmeric powder to my water. The water should be hot but comfortable to consume, not so hot that it burns.
There are many benefits to starting your day with hot water here are some of them.
- A study done in 2016 showed that drinking hot water may aid better digestion, which means better bowel movements, and reduced constipation. This in turn can help improve other problems such as haemorrhoids and bloating. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27684632/
- It is believed that raising the body’s temperature it can cause sweating which expels toxins and aids detoxification.
- Research done in 2019 has shown that drinking hot or cold water can improve central nervous system activity and mood. It showed that consuming water helped boost brain activity during demanding activity and helped to reduce anxiety. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-52775-5
- 5 Weight loss aid, a study done in 2003 showed that drinking 500ml of warm water increased the metabolic rate by 30%.
Look out for my next blog when I share the benefits of regularly including turmeric in your diet.
