Christmas Holidays – It’s nearing that time of year where your regular healthy diet regime gets thrown out the door to feast with friends, family and work colleagues! No matter how good your intentions are heading into the silly season, it can be a really difficult task to stay on track. We have hand picked our top tips to maintaining a healthy diet over the Christmas Holidays!
1. When you’re told not to bring anything… don’t take a box of favourites!
When the temptation is there, it makes it even more difficult to stick to your regular healthy diet. Instead of taking an unhealthy plate of food to functions, take a fruit platter or a healthy option.
2. Avoid drinking excess alcohol during Christmas holidays
Alcoholic drinks are made through the process of fermenting or distilling starch and sugar. Alcohol also reduces the amount of fat your body burns. Think of it like this: When you consume alcohol, your body focuses on breaking down the alcohol rather than burning fat. No matter how hard you try to have a healthy diet over this period, excess intake of alcohol can undo all of your good work.
During the Christmas period, there is more often than not a delicious display of food and also alcoholic beverages on offer at many festive events. Offer to be designated driver for a few events. This means you have to stick to your plan of limiting alcohol intake, and also save money on cab fares at the same time. Your passengers should help you avoid alcohol, too!
Other ideas to limit alcohol intake:
- Set a budget for drinks, and don’t exceed it!
- Keep track of standard drinks consumed, and avoid filling up a half empty glass. This can make alcohol consumption hard to track
- Choose a low alcohol option
- Drink water in between beverages
- Try not to get into ‘rounds’ with people
3. Don’t skip breakfast
Have a healthy meal to start the day during Christmas holidays to ensure you still get some goodness into your diet. By having a wholesome breakfast every morning, snacking will be less likely to occur! Try adding fruit to your breakfast when you can to get extra nutrients into your body.
4. Continue your exercise regime! Or stick to it as much as you can. You’ll feel better for it.
Weeknight gatherings and events during the Christmas period are sure to put you off your game, and ruin your otherwise regular exercise regime. You may wake up feeling tired and unmotivated to get to the gym, or walk the dogs but it’s important to recognise this and try to compromise with yourself to keep moving. It may be that you stay in bed for an extra 15 minutes and take the shorter walking route, or a later gym class, but staying active will maintain physical and mental health during a busy period.
It will also make getting back into routine after Christmas way easier!
5. Practise mindful eating
Mindful eating is derived from Buddhism, and allows your body and mind to focus on your experiences!
When it comes to mindful eating, the core focus involves eating slowly, appreciating the food you’re consuming and, most importantly, eating with purpose – to maintain overall health and wellbeing. Changing the way you view food could be the core ingredient to maintaining a healthy diet, not just at Christmas time but all year round.
If you would like to learn more about mindful eating, visit Healthline for a beginners guide.
6. Choose your treats wisely
Save indulging for the treats that you really love!!!!! What’s your Achilles heel? It might be Christmas pudding, shortbread or festive chocolates. Choose wisely, focussing on your favourite rather than everything!
We can also guarantee all of your favourite treats will taste better if you hold off on the mediocre ones.
7. Take your Christmas holidays recovery seriously!
As soon as Christmas holidays are over and you’re back in the routine of work, getting kids to school and exercise, make sure your healthy eating picks back up.