Merry Christmas and watch out!

Christmas is upon us and there will be the endless rounds of visits, food and more food! I have been told that when you visit someone, you must partake of whatever is offered, be it a drink or a piece of cake. If you refuse to do so, you do it at your own peril. An old friend said that it is a belief that misfortune would befall that person if he leaves without taking a drink or whatever was offered. I guess it is only polite to take that drink, even if you don’t finish it, so as not to hurt the host’s feelings.

Coming back to Christmas, many homes have “open houses” so that friends and neighbours can share the goodwill and enjoy the food.

We have Malaysianised all our festivals such that the food is no longer special or specific to the occasion. I remember that Christmas in the UK is largely a home celebration with immediate family members dining on roast turkey, Christmas pudding, mince pies and drinking eggnog. There is also the rich fruit cake redolent with brandy. Yummy, the very thought of it makes me drool! There are mistletoes hung up and of course the red holly berries and leaves, and Christmas trees with presents beneath its branches. Red poinsettas are also in bloom. One tradition is that if you are standing under the mistletoe, you get kissed!

In Malaysia, it is celebrated on a grander scale, with hotels and restaurants offering special Christmas dinners. Those who have open houses will have a mixture of Malaysian food and cakes. The rich fruit cake is offered in some homes.

What is certain is that most of us, going on our rounds of open houses, will overeat, even though we remind ourselves that we mustn’t eat too much so as to reserve some space in our stomachs for the next house visit.

Then comes payday! A couple of days later, we find our tummies bloating. There is an uncomfortable sensation and a clogged up feeling. Ha! This is it! The overeating for the last couple of days has burdened our digestive system and it is telling us that we’ve got to do something about it.

So what does one do? Go on a water fast or fruit only diet? I guess we have to do what it takes to relieve us of that horrible bloat and a congested colon. If you want to know more about decongesting and detox, please go to my other website http://www.peggy-chan.com

Here's wishing everyone a Merry Christmas! Enjoy but don't overdo it!