Your Wellness Action Plan To Counteract Holiday Excess

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. A time for second and third helpings and glass upon glass of mulled cider. Unfortunately, that also means food comas, bloating, skin breakouts, and that general “bleh” feeling you get from overindulgence. With a little maintenance, though, you won’t have to go into detox mode immediately after ringing in 2018…

Balance your blood sugar

When you eat a large, rich meal with lots of carbohydrates, your body creates an insulin spike to break down the sugars. This causes more tryptophan to enter your brain—the precursor to a serotonin boost, followed by a melatonin crash, otherwise known as a “food coma”. At this point what you really want to do is take a nap, but if you can haul yourself up and out the door for a post-meal walk, studies show your blood sugar is reduced for up to 24 hours, and you burn more calories.

Tackle inflammation

Feel like you get more breakouts around the holidays? It’s not your imagination. From the burden excess alcohol puts on the body’s detox system, to your uncharacteristically high candy intake, this time of year just isn’t conducive to a clear complexion. To curb pimples, take an omega-3 supplement like fish oil, and start each day with an inflammation-fighting elixir made of turmeric, lemon, honey, cayenne pepper and hot water.

Support your digestion

There’s a reason the holiday uniform consists mainly of stretchy pants. The smorgasbord of pies, prosecco and chocolatey treats can send your digestive system totally haywire. Make sure you’re taking a stomach acid-resistant pro-biotic to give your gut a good foundation for absorption, drink plenty of water, and try some gentle twists, which work to massage your digestive organs. Lie down on your back, soles of your feet on the floor, then drop your knees to the right, pause for a few breaths and repeat on the left.

Don’t neglect the veggies

Let’s be real—a plate full of sautéed greens just doesn’t call your name like roasted meats with buttery mashed potatoes. If fruit and vegetables are an afterthought for you at this time of year, invest in a good powdered greens supplement and use it every day. One scoop contains the antioxidant equivalent of up to 12 servings of vegetables, and works out at around the same price as a latte from a good coffee shop.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.