The Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years blitz may be fun and merry, but it can take a toll on our face, health and figure. We all have a tendency to go for holiday indulgences: the immoderate eating, imbibing and sleep loss brought on by all those holiday gatherings. While the fun may be great, it also brings out indigestion, gas, bloating, headaches and puffy, swollen eyes.

Here’s what you can do to combat holiday indulgences:

Restore Hydration. Salty foods are responsible for fluid retention and inflammation that contributes to indigestion and swelling; those created with refined sugar induce spikes in blood sugar and, thus, cravings; and alcohol and caffeine cause dehydration. Alcohol actually dehydrates the blood. For your body’s nourishment system to work, toxins must be flushed from your blood, cells and tissues. The natural amount of 8 glasses of water a day isn’t sufficient to detoxify. In order to make pure your body while likewise reestablishing fundamental vitamins and minerals, we suggest that you include, for at least four days, unsweetened fruit juices in the morning and vegetable juices in the afternoon along with your regular diet.

Morning Lemon Detox. For the first two days, in the morning before you consume or drink anything, have 1 cup hot water combined with the juice of one-half lemon, 1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper and one tablespoonful maple syrup. Lemons are packed with bioflavonoids, which act as excellent detoxifiers. Cayenne pepper is an anti-inflammatory. Maple syrup lends sweetness.

Fruit Smoothie Tonic. About one-half an hour after having your hot water and lemon, blend up a purifying smoothy of fruit and ground flax seeds. Good options are apples, berries, peaches, pears, kiwis, pineapple and oranges.  Add a tablespoonful of flax seeds and half a teaspoon of fresh or ground ginger. Do not add protein powder or yoghurt in your smoothie.

Breakfast, Optional. Make a very simple breakfast only if you feel hungry. Ideal choices are yogurt, a protein powder shake, eggs, or oatmeal. For lunch have a low-fat meat like fish or chicken and a big salad with olive oil and lemon.

Juice It Up. Later in the mid-afternoon, try vegetable juices made with carrots, beets, celery, cucumber, parsley and spinach. If it’s accessible, wheat grass juice is a superb cleanser. At dinner, cook up a detoxifying soup with a moderate amount of meat or tofu, along with noodles or rice. Make the soup broth from real vegetables, not a mix or can.

Here’s an excellent article about how to cure bloating.