It’s the eve of the race that stops the nation here in Australia. Yes, Melbourne Cup Day is nearly here.
It’s a day of exceptions.
- Horses not expected to win can win
- People who don’t usually bet on horses are more likely than not to have a flutter
- People who don’t usually imbibe might have a glass to join the celebrations
- People not prone to taking sickies might be tempted by the social festivities on offer elsewhere
If you are one of the majority of Australians planning on celebrating the occasion in some way, today’s post is for you. Hopefully I can stop you going off the rails and keep you on track, without wagging a finger and being a spoil sport. Life’s about balance, so enjoy safely — and our tips will help with the moderation side of things.
Hydrate
Start your morning on the right foot and hydrate first thing then continue to keep up your quota of water. If you are having a tipple during the afternoon, be sure to alternate with a large glass or two of H2O and imbibe responsibly in moderation.
Energise
It can be a long day, and you’ll likely be on your feet chatting and socialising for much of it. Boost your antioxidants in the morning with your favourite source. Mine is Young Living NingXia Red® because it saves me chopping and juicing, it packs a big punch with bioavailable antioxidants, it doesn’t spike my blood sugar levels and it’s enhanced with essential oils to help absorption and give an extra zing.
To revive your energy throughout the day, put a touch of genuine therapeutic-quality peppermint essential oil* on your tongue. It will also keep your breath minty fresh. Note from an old hand: if you overdo it, it might make your eyes water — literally! (It’s the high natural menthol content that does that.) There’s probably enough peppermint oil loitering on the dripolator to do the trick. Touch the edge of the dripolator with your finger and dab that on your tongue. If needs be, tilt just enough to get a drop started then try again.
*IMPORTANT CAUTION: Young Living essential oils are the only ones we would ever consider for ingestion. And only those which state on the bottle they can be used that way. Why? Because Young Living sets the standard for purity and authenticity – essential to the safe ingestion of essential oils appropriate for such use. Young Living carefully monitors the production of its oils from beginning to end through its unique Seed to Seal® process, ensuring the purity of each essential oil and protecting nature’s living energy in every bottle.
Opt for healthful snacks
Choose fresh, colourful and steamed finger food over deep fried. If you’re throwing a party or taking a platter to work, consider these options:
Chicken finger sandwiches shred fresh free range/organic barbecue or roast chicken, place in a bowl with finely chopped shallots, slivered macadamia nuts lightly toasted under the griller or in a non-stick pan, and add just enough plain organic Greek yoghurt to bind it all generously then a dash of dried cayenne pepper. Optional: add a couple of drops of authentic lemon essential oil*. Combine well and generously spread between fresh slices of your favourite bread. Chop off the crusts to be a little bit posh.
Roast vegetable sliders use small, soft grain buns (check the ‘bake at home’ section of your market/deli); chargrill capsicums, zucchini, eggplant and roast sweet pumpkin, spoon a little pesto on the underside of one bun, add a dob of quality tomato relish or onion marmalade on the other; slice and layer the vegetables and some crumbled marinated feta between the bun halves before securing with toothpicks.
Raw sweet treats to round off festivities: Raw Nutty Sesame Balls and Choc-Peppermint Truffle Balls
Skip the alcohol with mocktails and lemonade
Homemade lemonade combine 2-5 drops pure lemon or lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) essential oil* (adjust to taste), 4 tbsp honey/agave (less if you can), 4 cups (one litre) purified water or sparkling mineral water, a drop of natural pink food colouring. For presentation flair: add a drop of natural pink food colouring to half the jugs to make pink lemonade.
Frosted Strawberry Lemonade prepare mix as above and muddle in frozen strawberries and crushed ice immediately before serving
Chocolate Coconut Kiss combine coconut milk, cocoa powder, milk of your choice, almond extract and a drop of ocotea essential oil* (known by native Ecuadorians as false vanilla or false cinnamon and also studied for supporting blood sugar balance)
Virgin Hibiscus Cosmopolitan combine hibiscus tea with agave or honey, fresh lime juice, coconut water, a drop of lemon or lemon myrtle essential oil*, sparkling natural mineral water.
Relieve high heel fatigue
Smooth a drop of peppermint essential oil onto tired feet and calves, and apply a drop of lavender to blisters.
Keep the betting flutters in check
It’s easy to get carried away with the occasion. Young Living Grounding™ has a stabilising influence and keeps one grounded in order to cope constructively with reality. It includes Ylang ylang and angelica which smell beautiful, so it could be a great natural perfume choice on the day.
If you do have a small wager, apply a couple of drops of Young Living Abundance™ to the soles of your feet to enhance your frequency of prosperity — I don’t guarantee you’ll pick winners, but getting your prosperity on never hurts.
If you like to be led by intuition when making your picks, Inspiration™ will put you in a receptive state. Or if rationality is more your bag, Clarity™ is a no-brainer (so to speak).
Winding down
All that fun and frivolity can lead to a touch of hyperactivity, so if you need some help when your head hits the pillow at the end of a long social day, lavender or RutaVala™ can ease the way and you’ll find more tips here.
This will also connect you up with The Good Oil Team for our personal support and coaching. We'd love to help you on your journey to vibrant well-being the natural way!
Any questions? Please get in touch via our Contact page.
