Survival Of The Fittest: Keep your body in top form this festival season!

You know what they say: “it’s a marathon – not a sprint.”

This quote can very well apply to how ravers should handle their bodies during the notorious festival season. Week in, week out, for the entire weekend, ravers enjoy partying harder than Kate Moss during her coke-bender days. “Where is the afterparty?” is the most said phrase during the final hour of the festival, followed by “Take a half.”

For the first few weekends, embarking on a marathon of speed-taking is all fun and games, however by the end of the festive season you’ll more or less be left feeling washed up, exhausted and mentally ‘lost.’ Must I stress again: sustaining your body and mind throughout the summer is a marathon, not a sprint – which is why party-goers need to take care of themselves to ensure that they can keep doing the things they enjoy.

Alright, so I’m very fascinated by the ins and outs of natural medicine; call me a hippy, but there’s numerous remedies that I’d swear by. By taking a ‘holistic’ approach to health, individuals can ensure that all dimensions (emotional, physical, mental, spiritual) are aligned and in this article I’m going to speak about a few natural therapies that’ll keep you strong and healthy throughout the season.

Afterparties are fun AF, but don’t make them a weekly thing

I think the majority of ravers can very well understand the dreaded feeling when the festival is coming to an end, but you aren’t quite ready to go back home yet. This, ladies and gentlemen, is where the term ‘afterparty’ came from and has become one of the most infamous activities in party-culture. We’ve all heard wild tales about monster after-parties that last for the following two days, but have you ever wondered what exactly this does to your body? Any half-wit knows that this isn’t healthy and if done on a weekly basis, can be extremely detrimental to your health.

Going for days running on drugs and alcohol alone can call for some serious neurotoxicity, and considering we live in an era where we are unsure about the long-term effects of taking a buttload of drugs every single weekend, it’s a hell of a lot safer to skip the afterparty every once in a while.

On the topic of drugs…

This may sound like a broken record, but moderation is the key. Need I say more? No, not really.

The best natural supplements to take during festival season

Spirulina – Some of you know Spirulina as that ugly green shit, but it’s actually one of the most nutrient-dense foods to exist. It contains numerous important vitamins and minerals, as well as holding strong detoxing agents in it too. Spirulina is great at removing heavy metals from the body and it also has muscle and endurance benefits. Traditionally sold as powder, Spirulina also comes in pill-form, but you have to ensure that you take it three times per day to realise its full benefits.

Colloidal silver – I tried and tested this one over the summer last year and in turn, I had an incredibly strong immune system. I didn’t get a cold or flu for a whole year – enough said, right?

Ginseng – This herb is great to take as it benefits cognitive function, energy levels, immune system, lowering blood sugar levels and much more. It can also help reduce stress and promote relaxation.

Magnesium – Did you know that drinking alcohol depletes your body’s magnesium stores? Not to mention, it’s extremely common to have magnesium deficiency in general, so if you’re partying hard then you can be left feeling extra drained afterwards. It’s advised to take magnesium supplements, or better yet, find it in spinach, pumpkin seeds, almonds, black beans, avocado, bananas and dark chocolate.

In terms of taking supplements, it’s important to remain consistent – so don’t head to your natural grocer and buy ten different types of remedies, just start off with one or two as you’ll be more likely to stick to it.

Sleep is sacred

Need I say more? Getting enough zzz’s during the festival season may be tough, but it’s crucial in ensuring that you’re able to sustain yourself without becoming burnt-out. If you’ve had a heavy party on Saturday, make sure you try to catch up the following nights.

‘Zen out’ every once in a while

In amongst all the partying, it’s important to take some time for yourself away from the noise to reflect and ‘zen out’ a little. Take a walk on the beach, go for a run or just sit in the garden (without your phone) and soak up the serenity. It’s relaxing, gets your hands away from a device and can be emotionally grounding.

Keep dem feels in check

If you’re aiming for optimum wellbeing, something to keep in mind is keeping your ‘feels’ in check. By this, I mean that if you’re beginning to feel extra sensitive or more crabby than usual, then try to assess what the trigger is. Perhaps you need more sleep, or perhaps you need to lay off the casual Wednesday night piss-up.

Alright party-people, we hope that you all learnt something today about staying happy and healthy this silly season. For more information, the internet is a vast resource, so use it to find some techniques and remedies that’ll suit you!