12 days of health and wellness

The festive season is often busy, and if you’re anything like me, you tend to fall out of your regular routine and give in to all the temptations (don’t worry, you deserve it!). Here are 12 steps to be done over 12 days, to gently get you back on track and ready for 2024.

Start with a good night’s sleep. Think of your time before bed as a way of unwinding and soothing the mind – much like a child’s bedtime! Switch your mobile to ‘Night Shift’, to minimise blue light, and avoid screens altogether two hours before bed. Drink Sing Me To Sleep Tea – CG’s completely 100% natural, loose-leaf herbal tea containing lavender, hops, valerian, and chamomile – and reserve a cup in case you wake at night.
Consider a social media break. All the Insta-worthy photos of families in matching pyjamas, the perfect ‘must-do’ Christmassy outings and immaculate Christmas decor can feel overwhelming. Several studies show that social media use can negatively affect your emotional and mental well-being – if this is you at this time of year, take a break, remove some pressure and delete the apps for a short period.
Stretch! Feeling bloated? Try yoga! Yoga is well known for how it benefits the mind and body, but did you know it can also have a positive impact on your gut health and digestion? Check out Jenni’s post, Reduce digestive discomfort with yoga, for recommended poses and stretches.
Blow away the cobwebs and get outdoors! Research shows that being outside and in nature boosts your immune system,¹ increases your microbiome diversity,² reduces stress levels³ and improves digestion.⁴
Combat post-festivities fatigue with Siberian Ginseng. Siberian Ginseng, or eleuthero, boosts energy levels and contains compounds known to help overcome exhaustion and prevent its side effects. One study concluded: “The eleutherosides possess the potent abilities to alleviate fatigue both in physical and mental fatigue.”⁵
Pamper yourself with CG skincare products. The celebrations are coming to a close and after all the sugar, bucks fizz and possibly a sprinkling of stress, your skin likely needs some TLC. Indulge in an evening of pampering with natural, probiotic skincare. I’d recommend the Calm-Down Kefir Lotion and Soap, both made with lavender essential oil. Find out why your skin needs probiotic skincare here.
Take synbiotics and get gut-healthy in 2024! Scientists have recently defined synbiotics as “a mixture of probiotics and prebiotics that beneficially affects the host by improving the survival and activity of beneficial microorganisms in the gut”.⁶ Synbiotics have been associated with various health benefits, including improved gut health, enhanced immune function, and reduced inflammation. The combination of Chuckling Goat’s Probiotic Kefir and Complete Prebiotic creates a powerful, chemical-free synbiotic, contained in its own food matrix.
Back to work? Drink Get Me Through The Day Tea. This loose-leaf tea contains rosemary, vervain, peppermint and mugwort, designed to energise, uplift and improve focus. The perfect caffeine-free boost you need to help you power through your working day.
Use up the leftovers and cook a nutritious meal. Pop any leftover meat and veggies into a big pan with water and seasonings, and enjoy a tryptophan-rich ‘cawl‘. It’s the perfect gut-healthy, comfort food for all the family to enjoy – and only uses one pan! What’s not to love?
Take down the decorations and freshen up your home. There’s something about a clear space, isn’t there?! Take down the tree, lights and other decorations and give your home a little spruce with a Natural Clean Essential Oil all-purpose cleaner – read how to make it here.
Take a microbiome test to see what’s happening inside your gut and tackle any possible pathogens. Your results are accompanied by a free 30-minute consultation with a trained Nutritional Therapist who will explain the results to you, answer all your questions and create a Personalised Action Plan, to help you begin improving your gut health immediately. You can find more information about our test, developed alongside Cambridge University, here.
Banish the January blues and boost your mood! Walking, listening to music, eating tryptophan-rich foods and smiling are all quick and easy ways to help you feel brighter and more positive. Read more tips here.

We hope you enjoy all that the festive season has to offer – sugar and champers included 😉 – and that these steps help you start the new year feeling happy and healthy!

Any questions? Contact one of our Nutritional Therapists via live chat, weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm.