My Top Tips for a Happy & Healthy Christmas (Including indulging all you want!)
If your goal is to stay fit and healthy through this festive period there are a few small things you can do to help! Such as, eat slowly and enjoy every mouthful, when your mindful of what you're eating you are less likely to over do it. If you are able to choose your food, don't deny yourself anything but allow the proportions of healthy food to be bigger than the unhealthy options.
So check out my top tips for a happy & healthy Christmas which are my essential guide that I follow during this festive period
1. RELAX
‘Tis the season to be jolly’ but sometimes jolly is the last thing on our minds with overspending, cooking, cleaning, so much TV to watch, endless ‘to do’ lists and visitors we could do without. In a survey by Sainsbury’s, 37% of Brits said cooking and entertaining for guests was the most stressful part of celebrating Christmas. Wanting everything to look as sparkly and fun-filled as all those festive TV ads can put us under enormous pressure.
So try to go into the day with a flexible mindset towards things you can't control, people will be late, the dog doesn't want to wear his jumper, their are out of your control, let them go. If you do find yourself getting worked up, focus on your breathing when you for five breaths to bring you back to the present to relax.
2. START WITH GIN *COUGH* I MEAN GYM
If you are off work or out of the usual routine, I recommend getting you're workout done as soon as you wake up & before you start the rest of your day. Then it doesn't matter where the day takes you as you have done your workout and already you are ahead! If you're like me who loves to dance then pop onto the facebook group (GROUP - FitMiss with Nicky) and dance along to your favorite routines with me! I certainly will be dancing daily, preparing new routines for the new year EEEP!
3. SEEFOOD - Christmas is a time of plenty, and with chocolates, mince pies and cheese straws wherever you look, it would be rather Scrooge-like to suggest that you don’t eat any treats over the festive period! But rather than mindlessly popping whatever is in front of you in your mouth, spend a moment thinking about whether you really want it, or are just eating it because it’s there.
4. TREAT YOURSELF WISELY
With the rise of sweet advent calender's giving you a choc every day, the temptation to treat yourself every day of December is high! It is one day and generally speaking isn't Grandmas huge Christmas Lunch on the 25th December that will contribute to weight gain, its all the snacks leading up to this day and finishing off all your foodie gifts before January that has the lasting affect. So try to eat as normal as possible throughout December, but don't deny yourself anything, just have a smaller portion of it compared to large portion of healthier food. Life is a balance.
5. FEELING LIKE THE GRINCH?
Each year there seems to be an increasingly large build up of expectations and pressure, with all those cosy adverts, songs and films. Lovely as these are, they can leave us with an impression of what Christmas “should” look like and if our life doesn’t match up, we feel we’re failing in some way.
Take a moment to focus on what matters. Decide what Christmas means to you. If it’s doing special things with your family/friends, then make the most of it, go ice-skating, have an old fashioned games night. You’ll never regret spending time with loved ones.
6. DRINK LOTS
I am of course talking about water, not wine! A day spent rushing around combined with alcohol is a recipe for headaches. And this year lets try and do without it! Even mild dehydration can lead to a headache and combined with the diuretic effects of alcohol, makes maintaining your fluid intake so important. Teas and coffee will count towards your fluid intake, but they shouldn't make up your full quota. I always struggle to drink enough when I'm busy I just totally forget, so I'll bring a large bottle of water with me throughout the day to remind me to keep sipping.
7. KEEP MOVING
I know every Christmas special of every program will be showing at some point during the day, but try to avoid the urge to spend the day sat down. Encourage the whole family to get out for a walk at some point – ideally, after dinner to help digestion. The more activity, the better, so take along any new outdoor gifts, like bikes, scooters, footballs.
8. DAMAGE CONTROL
Don't be tempted to skip meals so you can save up calories for drinking. Alcohol is basically pure sugar and is full of empty calories, so avoiding proper meals to compensate for a booze splurge means you're losing out on valuable nutrients, just when your body needs them to help it detoxify. So beat the hangover by eating nutritious food and drinking plenty of water before and after the night.
9. ENJOY IT
Everyone has different expectations of Christmas, some prefer a quieter day just taking it slow, other love the hustle & bustle of having 12 over for lunch. There is no right or wrong way to do it. So whatever you do, enjoy it!
