We all love the Christmas season but it’s no secret that it is not always easy to keep healthy over the festive period. We always eat too much and many end up putting on weight, we end up over indulging in drinks and treats.
While it can be challenging to stay healthy and on track with your health and fitness goals this Holiday season, here are some tips that make it easier to stay healthy and on track this year.
1. Drink more water
Stay hydrated. Did you know that many people mistake thirst for hunger; when truly hydrated you won’t have false hunger and you will be more in touch with your natural hunger patterns. Honor your hunger cues. Eat when you are hungry. You have heard that before but sometimes can be challenging to get in sink with your physical hunger. Drink a big glass of water before each meal. It will help you calm down, slow down, eat slower and get more in tune with your true hunger.
As an added benefit keeping your body hydrated will also have a direct impact on your skin – dehydrated body means dry, itchy skin while maintaining proper hydration will keep your skin smooth, supple and wrinkle free. I am on for that!
But how much water should I drink every day? At a minimum you want to drink half of your body weight (in pounds) in ounces of water. Let's say you weight 200 lbs, then your minimum water intake goals is 100 onz. of water.
How am I going to drink that much water? Here are a few tips that can come handy:
Carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go
Use a straw! It's amazing how just by making this little change you will find yourself drinking more.
Play with the temperature of your water. Find out what works best for you. For me iced water in the summer and room temperature in the winter is the way to go.
Drink a glass of water before every meal. This is a way to stack habits. If you just focus on this, you will be drinking 3-4 more glasses every day.
Add flavor to your water by adding herbs and/or fruits
Make yourself a decaf tea (yes that water counts too!)
Have other tips to drink more water? please share on the comments below.
2. Start your day with a healthy breakfast.
Always start your day with some healthy food – Whatever you think will keep you going for a few hours – whether it’s smoothie, whole grains bread (unprocessed is best), eggs, or a meal replacement shake Greek yogurt with some fresh food. I have been into protein mug cakes lately – I make them a couple of times a week. Here is a simple recipe you can try.
For me is key to include both protein and fiber filled carbohydrates on my breakfast. In fact, protein should be present in every meal. Protein helps us stay full, maintain muscle mass and did you know we burn more calories when digesting protein than any other macro-nutrient?
Other health benefits of starting your day with a healthy and consistent breakfast– if we are going through busy times more than ever we need to fuel our bodies with the right nutrients. Setting a healthy intention each morning by eating a nutritious breakfast will set us off in the right direction of making healthier choices throughout the day and will get our body ready for action. No artificial sugars added will mean that you will be less tired throughout the day.
3. Take some “me-time”
Be totally selfish, carve away time each day that is all about YOU. Set an appointment with yourself, for yourself. Read a book, go for a walk, exercise, do some yoga, meditate or for the ultimate luxury detox – take a long detox bath.
Now I am sure you are all thinking "That will be nice, but I don't have time". Here is the thing: you are right. The day only has 24hrs and you might have filled it out with busy work, chores, etc. None of us has the power to add hours to our day, but we all have the power to make better choices on how we use the time we have. Make the time! Start with 5-10 minutes. I am sure you can make 5-10 minutes in your busy schedule. Maybe that means scrolling less on your phone, or skipping mindlessly switching channels on your TV.
4. Be prepared
One of the challenges over this time of the year is that the number of eating opportunities and choices we are faced with exponentially increase. The key to face these increased number of eating opportunities and choices is to be prepared. But you might be thinking how? Here are some ideas:
If you know you will be attending an event, bring a veggie platter with you so you have a go-to healthy option to go to in the event there are no healthy options available.
Going out to a restaurant? check the menu in advance and decide what you will order ahead of time.
Take snacks with you to work. One of my favorite snacks to bring with me anywhere I go is Built bars. (Use code 2BHEALTHYFORLIFE for extra 10% off)
Stock up on lots of veggies, lean proteins and fiber filled carbs when going to the grocery store. The more healthy, clean, nutrition dense foods you have in your fridge and pantry, the best choices you will make.
Have other ideas or ways that you personally prepare yourself? share on the comments below this blog post, would love to hear and we can all learn form each other.
5. Eat Mindfully
Get your strategies in place to cope with festive temptation and have a happy, healthy Christmas.
Plan ahead: Eating out later? Plan a day of smaller meals beforehand & avoid between-meal treats.
Chocolate / treat boxes: Never have more than one box of chocolates / treats open at a time, keep unopened boxes out of sight. Out of sight, out of mind.
Buffet event:
Do not hover by the buffet table.
Make your selection then step away from the table. Think about what you’re putting on your plate – start filling half of your plate with veggies, then look for your favorite protein choice and finally add some carbs. I recommend you pick one carb, the one that you believe you will enjoy most. Serve just a little bit of that, knowing you can always go for seconds later.
Choose a the smallest sized plate available. Again, you can go for seconds later.
At work: If everyone brings in Christmas goodies to share, make your contribution brining a veggie or fruit platter. Everyone will appreciate you for bringing a fresh, healthy options and you will have always an option to go-to.
At the supermarket: Make a shopping list and stick to it and avoid the aisles of temptation
Eat Mindfully. Slow down, savor and enjoy every bite.
6. Drink in Moderation
Party season is well and truly upon us and, for the majority, that will mean a lot of eating celebrating and – you guessed it – drinking.
And although there’s no reason you should be feeling guilty about over-indulging this Christmas (after all, a bit of a blowout every once in a while is actually good for you) it’s likely that back-to-back Christmas events will leave you feeling less than fresh before Christmas has even arrived.
So, while I’m never going to say a Christmas bender is ‘healthy’, here are a few healthy habits that could help offset some of alcohol’s collateral damage and ensure you make it to the 25th December in one piece…
Have a goal. This could be stopping drinking at a certain point in the night or aiming to only have alcohol at the weekend.
Eat something. Food can slow down the rate that alcohol is absorbed into your system and you will avoid binging on alcohol. Before going out, eat a healthy meal with carbohydrate content to help prepare your stomach like a nice whole meal chicken wrap.
Downsize the supersize glasses. Opt for a small (125ml) glass rather than a large (250ml) one for wine.
Stop the top-ups. Stop topping up your glass before its empty. This can help you to keep track of how much you’ve had!
After each glass of mulled wine have a glass of water to keep from getting dehydrated.
After a long night out have a rehydration sachet mixed with 250ml of water before going to bed.
7. Stop Multi – tasking and breathe
Stop doing 10 things at once. If you feel stressed go slowly. End one thing and then start the next. You do not have to decorate the tree, tell a joke and cook dinner at once. Find moments in which your digital devices are secondary and give them a little break too. Find a few moments to just be still and breathe. Concentrate on the people that surround you in real life during Christmas time. Of course you do not have do completely abandon your phone, but maybe you can compromise on certain times to check your emails or the social web. Also the switch to flight mode is an easy option that gives you some off-time here and there.
8. Have a mindful Christmas
Christmas is one of the happiest times of year but with all the planning, spending & socialising – it can also be one of the most stressful .Here are some tips on relaxing techniques:
Try mindful eating: You may find yourself constantly on your feet during the countdown to Christmas -Take regular breaks & tuck into your favorite healthy snacks to lower your stress levels.
Practice ‘letting go’ Most of us find big crowds stressful, I know I do, the key to staying calm is to “let go” of any judgmental thoughts that pop into your head while you’re out and about. Like, “I can’t stand crowds”, by being aware of the negative thoughts, you’ll stop them spiraling out of control.
Deal with difficult emotions head on. Spending too much time with tricky in-laws, parents or siblings can bring all sorts of difficult emotions to the surface. Is your mother-in-law interfering again? Or is your dad being overbearing? Identify any troublesome emotions by saying, “I have a sense of anger arising”, or “I can sense irritation.” This will help stop difficult emotions from going unchecked and a heated argument escalating.”
Breathe: Navigating the manic Christmas crowds can quickly raise your stress levels. When you feel your heart-rate start to rise, breathe slowly. Get into the zone by focusing on your breathing. You’ll soon feel calm and collected, even in the midst of all the festive shopping frenzy.
Listen to music that calms you down – it will help deal with traffic and all the Christmas shopping stress 🙂
9. Fit some movement in
If you manage to find 30 minutes in a day to exercise and move your body it will make you feel so much better. Even if you go for a 30 minute power walk after dinner or download an app and do some scheduled workouts found on it at least you get moving 🙂 Endorphins are the best and most underrated natural anti depressant in the world.
10. Get your 5 a day
Let’s be honest, most of us get through the entire Christmas period eating no more veggies than any traces of veggies in your party dishes, but not even close to enough. At this time of late nights, overindulging and partying, it’s more important than ever to get your vitamins and minerals, to help you stay in good health. Ensure that your Christmas shopping list enables you to fill up your fridge with lots of veggies and get your recommended daily portions of fruit and vegetables.
As we approach 2023, I am determined to focus on my health, wellbeing and energy make them my priority in 2023.
Let's make 2023 our healthiest year yet!
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