Surviving Christmas – The Healthy Way
Christmas can be a challenging time for those whom are food conscious, on a health kick, or trying to lose those extra kilos.
I must admit, its one of the most daunting times for someone whom is trying to eat healthy – especially with a full social calendar:
- Work Christmas party
- Multiple catch ups with friends
- Family dinners
- Christmas – which is usually a full breakfast, lunch and dinner – which doesn’t seem to have any time separating the food that is on offer
- Boxing day events
- New Years Eve party’s
Not only is the food and drink usually vastly different in type and volume from the day to day – it also feels never ending!
All of these events may also drastically limit your normal exercise routine – it can be a recipe for disaster!
Here is the top 10 ways to survive the Christmas period.
- Limit your alcohol consumption – alcohol is a high octane preferential fuel for the body – when it is free flowing, all those fats and carbs are not being used – and unfortunately stored as fat! So reduce the volume, or reduce the events where you have alcohol – save it for the office Christmas party, Christmas day and New Years!
- Make a better choice – Aim for every second event to be a normal volume and food choices – don’t overload your plate!
- Stay away from temptation – move all of the table snacks out of arms reach, or simply sit/stand somewhere else – how many times have we all said “I keep eating it just because its there”
- Have a healthy Christmas lunch – aim to reduce high Glycemic Index (simple) carbs – you can have a roast without potato!
- Back off on the deserts – we don’t generally have 4 different types of deserts on regular days or events, so why do it at Christmas. Put only one person in charge of brining dessert – it will save you having to try all 4 varieties of Christmas puddings and cakes!
- Cut down on the fats – to easy fill up on the good stuff and reduce your fat intake – simply fill your plate with vegetables or salad, and only leave a little bit of room for meat (most of us generally put meat on our plates first – often over filling beyond a normal portion).
- Start an active family tradition – most of us are on holidays – so instead of using that time to sit around and feast, how about spend some time with your family going for walks, building snowmen, and having fun in the outdoors.
- Get your body working – small amounts of activity have a large impact on our health – such as 10 mins of walking after each main meal can reduce your blood sugar levels by approx 15% – so instead of eating and drinking your whole way through Christmas day – take a moment between each meal to play with the kids, have a family game of football, or a quick walk around the block – every bit counts!
- Get support – if you are trying to improve your health or lose weight, and find it difficult to abstain from the delightful temptations – talk to your family and friends – I’m sure many of them are in the same position – if you all are on the same page, there would be less likelihood for the host to go crazy with the catering (thinking that’s what everyone wants!)
- Enjoy yourself – at the end of the day – be okay with allowing a bit of indulgence – the 7 days from Christmas to the New Year is only 1.9% of the total days in a calendar year – they are not going to cause any harm by enjoying yourself a bit more than normal!
I hope these 10 tips will help you have a healthy holiday period – and if not – just enjoy yourself – the silly season will be over before you know it!
Have fun in your health journey, and remember to stay true to yourself.
Authentic Health and Fitness.
Posted in: Nutrition, Weight loss