The festive season is well and truly upon us, it is such an exciting time of year to get together with family and friends to celebrate Christmas, 2016 and to welcome the New Year – 2017! I truly love getting into the Christmas spirit and all of the socializing and parties that come with it. It can however be quite hard to stay healthy during the festive season which seems to be an on-going, month long celebration!
Holidays are centered around food and drink whether it’s your office party, family dinner or a big blow out with friends. I have put together my top tips on staying healthy this holiday season –
- Drink water– First keep your body hydrated by consuming a lot of water each day. I like to aim for a minimum of 3 litres of water to ensure my body is alert and to help flush out any toxins. Try and drink a big glass of water before every meal too, it will prevent you from reaching for seconds (and thirds)! If it helps, add lemon and ginger to your water to make it easier to consume.
- Control your alcohol intake– It is a given that we will all be drinking more alcohol than usual however if you can try and limit how much you consume by having a glass of water or even a mocktail in between each alcoholic drink you will notice a big difference for not only how you feel the next day but how many calories you have also managed to skip out on. Also try and opt for healthier beverages. Try to skip out on any spirits that are mixed with fizzy drinks as these are packed full of sugar!
- Keep your gut healthy– Most of our immune system is located in our gut, so try and keep your gut healthy by taking a probiotic each morning and eating gut friendly foods such as kefir, good quality Greek yoghurt, sauerkraut, pickles and
- Be smart about exercise and try and get it done in the morning– Start your day off healthy by getting your workout done in the morning – that way you can guarantee it is done for the day and it will prevent you from making excuses to not find the time in the afternoon. If it helps to stay motivated then get a friend involved and lock in a session together a few times a week. Don’t stop exercising because it’s the holiday season, your body (and waistline) will thank you for keeping up the fitness even if it is just 20 minutes HIIT on your bedroom floor! Something is better than nothing!
- Eat lots of vegetables– Try and keep your vegetable and fruit intake high to nourish your body. When serving yourself up, make sure to start with the healthy options first and pack lots of vegetables onto your dish. This way you will know you are fueling your body with the good stuff and you may even be too full for cake, ice-cream and chocolate. Also try and sit as far away from the buffet table as possible to prevent you from being tempted to go for more!
- Take a break& get a good nights sleep – The holiday season can be super exciting and exhausting at the same time. Remember to take a step back or even have a power nap if your body needs it. It is crucial to listen to your body and remember it is ok to say no to attending social gatherings if you really need some time out. Make sure you are getting adequate amounts of sleep each night as sleep plays a vital role in good health and wellbeing!
Let me know how you all get on with these tips, I hope they have helped you and provided you with some good advice during this demanding yet exciting time of year. The most important thing is to make sure you enjoy your time with family and friends and not to worry if you have had a big blow out, start each day as a new day and cherish the memories you will create over the next month…
I hope you all have a joyous filled season!
L Xx
