Christmas means many different things to different people. For some it is a time to get together with family, enjoy a holiday, have a rest, recharge energies, look back over the past year and plan for the future. These are very positive and need no medical suggestions at all.
Sometimes though, Christmas seems to "go wrong". We build high expectations of this festival and then try to cram it all into one or a few days and try to please everybody. Inevitably then, there are problems.
Often we find our diet changes dramatically at Christmas. We eat more, more often and more richly than normally - and so our digestive systems suffer under the onslaught.
Many of us drink much more alcohol at Christmas time during parties and celebrations. We would be well advised to drink a glass of water for every glass of alcohol and to eat proper meals too.
If we are feeling nauseous, bilious, with our food laying like a heavy weight in our stomach, a bad headache, hiccoughing, maybe even vomiting then we need to consult our homeopath.
Many women suffer with cystitis or thrush at holiday time and these conditions too can be linked to a change in diet. If affected it is important to drink plenty of fluid, mainly water, to stop all alcohol, and to reduce drastically the intake of sugar in the form of glucose or sucrose. Your homeopath may also be able to help.
In overheated rooms with friends and family gathering from different places, the bugs they bring together have an ideal environment to breed! This sometimes means we exchange coughs and colds at Christmas as well as presents!
Christmas can be a very happy and positive time. Sometimes though, it can emphasise loneliness, or bring back past griefs and sadness. It can be a time of great emotional tension. This is when Rescue Remedy is so helpful - every home should have some. The Bach Flower Rescue Remedy helps soothe us emotionally when we are tense, frightened, shocked or traumatised.
By preparing for Christmas homoeopathically, you can quickly deal with simple medical problems. Remedies are available at most pharmacies and health food stores. Information about Homoeopathy and remedies is also available in leaflets and books and on this website.
Homoeopathic remedies should be treated with respect. They should be kept away from risk of contamination by strong smells (such as perfume, TCP etc.) direct sunlight and electromagnetic fields (such as mobile phones).
When taking a remedy by mouth the tablets should not be touched but tipped into the lid of the pot then into the mouth and sucked. Ideally the remedy should be taken away from food and drink.
Dosage should reflect how acute the symptoms are and the remedy should be stopped as soon as the person is well again. If at any time you feel out of your depth or feel the symptoms are not responding quickly enough to the remedies then seek professional medical advice.
If Christmas is stressful for you then consider a personal Bach Flower mix to help balance those emotions. You can choose the remedies and order a mix on this website - go to the Bach Flower Remedies section at the top of this page.
As you review this year and look forward to the next, maybe one of your resolutions could be to really look after yourself and to live healthily?
I wish you all a very happy, healthy and peaceful Christmas and New Year.