If you're like most people, the holidays are a time when self discipline and healthy routines are tossed to the wind and you allow yourself to indulge with friends and family, albeit sometimes too much!
Most likely, you have some regrets and are now dealing with the puffiness in your face, hands, feet and general overall bloating. You may have put on a couple of pounds during the holidays but good news...some of this bloating is water weight incurred from extra salt and alcohol intake.
After a night out of drinking, you might notice puffiness in your face. This happens because alcohol dehydrates the body. When your body is dehydrated it wants to hold onto fluid. Another main reason for your face, hands, feet and overall general swelling is due to the high content of salt in your body from those holiday dips, cheese logs and treats! The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day moving toward an ideal limit of no more than 1,500 mg per day for most adults. Imagine my chagrin when I realized the large 100% beef Jacklink sticks I was munching on at 2-3 a day for protein with low carbs had around 750 mg of sodium each?! (Another story for another day!)
When you couple these two together, salt and alcohol, you create the perfect storm for bloating and puffiness! But, there are some simple, fast and effective things you can do to remedy this! First and foremost - get hydrated - drink pure water. Half of your body weight in ounces is the recommended intake for a normal, healthy person. Secondly, lower your salt intake as well as eat whole foods that you prepare yourself at home. Processed foods are loaded with sodium and preservatives such as msg. Lastly, get your lymphatic system moving and push all that accumulated fluid and those toxins out of your system. Do some jumping on a re-bounder, go for a swim, do some dry skin brushing and for huge results - go get a Manual Lymphatic Drainage massage. If you're not familiar with MLD, it is a gentle massage that encourages excess fluid towards your internal drains , where the filtered lymph will be dumped into the blood stream to be eliminated through your kidneys and bladder. If you're not sure where to get a lymphatic massage, try going to your search engine and typing in "Vodder Certified MLD Therapist near me". Ask if they are trained in neck, face and head MLD as well as full body. They will get your swelling down in rapid fashion! Implementing these simple disciplines should get you back on track to feeling yourself in no time!