Ditch the hens and turtle doves
There are better things your modern True Love can bring you for the Twelve Days of Christmas
The merry festive chant The Twelve Days of Christmas lists an eclectic mix of religious allusions as suitable presents for the period between Christmas Day and Twelfth Night – January 6. But today’s family doesn’t have much use for the Maids a-Milking or the Lords a-Leaping of 18th century Britain, so I’ve come up with a much more useful version which combines complementary nutrition, herbal supplements and physical exercise.
My Twelve Days of Christmas are also more relevant to the run up to Christmas, not the run down afterwards.
On the first day of Christmas my True Love gave to me: golden linseeds and a small seed grinder. Linseeds are a much overlooked food with a wonderful nutty flavour. Two teaspoons daily supply an appreciable amount of Omega-3; useful in cases of high cholesterol, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and constipation. The best way to incorporate them into your diet is to grind them freshly before sprinkling them on cereal, yoghurt or salads.
On the second day of Christmas, my True Love suggested preparing for the festivities by taking two capsules of Milk Thistle daily. Milk Thistle is renowned as a liver support herb and can be traced back over 2,000 years. It’s particularly useful for alcohol-related liver problems and, in the Ripple Creek* Milk Thistle supplement, the herb is formulated with artichoke and turmeric, both effective for digestive problems. Start taking two Ripple Creek capsules daily with food and, when the festivities rev up, increase this dose to two capsules twice daily, the additional two taken at bedtime.
On the third day, my True Love introduced three antioxidants into my diet: the selenium, zinc and indium in Tigon’s Indium E* supplement. Zinc combats colds and infections, selenium helps protect against free radicals – the beasties responsible for some cancers – and indium is rated for its anti-ageing properties and for joint pains, digestive difficulties, unhealthy circulation and insomnia.
On the fourth day, my True Love reminded me to drink at least four pints of water daily to combat dehydration. Keep topping up with water to avoid headaches and energy lows.
On the fifth day my True Love sang loudly ‘Five fruit n’veg’ portions for essential nutrients the body requires to stay fit and well. According to research from Cornell University, one apple a day may cut breast cancer risk by 17 per cent in six months. Overdose on ‘cancer-proofing’ cruciferous veggies like cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli – the latter is an excellent source of calcium. Women eating 400mg of calcium reduce their colon cancer risk by 26 per cent. Research also shows that a further daily 800mg of calcium supplement halves the colon cancer risk.
On the sixth day, my True Love expects that my immune system will be struggling. Six drops of medicinal Oil of Oregano* is the answer – a maintenance dose that ensures coughs and sneezes stay at bay. If you do get an infection, either bacterial or viral, up the dose to six capsules every 24 hours, taken with food at regular intervals. There are six drops of oregano oil in each capsule of Oreganol 73* while the Superstrength Oreganol* liquid is an excellent way of treating to fungal toenails.
On the seventh day of Christmas my True Love brings to me a new range of luxurious organic toiletries from France and now available in Cyprus – GamARde. No toxins, no inessential ingredients, just pure products for today’s family. Choose from shampoos, sunscreens and deodorants. There’s even a kids’ range.
By the eighth day, the Ayurvedic formula in Liv.52 will be useful, particularly for gastric and liver function, as the supplement contains eight herbs known to facilitate rapid elimination of toxic by-products from alcohol metabolism. (Local stockists info from [email protected]).
On the ninth day of Christmas, the nine active probiotic strains in HealthBac* will be needed to put back the good flora in the intestinal tract. Over indulgence in sugary foods, alcohol and coffee all reduce the colonies of good bacteria that every gastric tract needs to fight infections like cystitis and gastroenteritis. Only HealthBac has nine different strains, all of which are resistant to stomach acid. Take it last thing at night for a perky morning start.
The tenth day is the one when 10 minutes of extra exercise will be a real benefit: try skipping, or a brisk walk after lunch.
On the eleventh day of Christmas I can think of nothing better than eleven hours of ‘me-time’ – relaxation of any sort that takes your mind off the stress of Christmas.
Finally, on the twelfth day, Vitamin B12 will help with incipient ‘January Blues’ caused by dark days and limited sunshine. I believe Vitamin B is best taken in its full complex form, so Viridian Nutrition’s B complex with extra VitB12 is the bee’s knees, as they say. Find it mail-order at Naturally Health Foods – 00 44 1264 3323 75.
And the song goes thus:
On the twelfth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me:
Twelve Bs a buzzing,
Eleven hours relaxing,
Ten minutes skipping,
Nine probiotic strains;
Eight ayurvedic herbs,
Seven de-luxe beauty aids,
Six drops of oregano,
Five fruit and veg …
Four pints of water,
Three antioxidants,
Two Milk Thistles
and golden linseeds with a seed mill.
Supplements* for Days 2, 3, 6, and 9 are available from Tigon UK on 00 44 1664 485001 or www.oliveleaf.co.uk.
