Today, let me give some tips for thriving in the festive season because, let’s face it, it’s like 9 days to Christmas. It’s coming up quickly!
End-of-year celebrations, festive celebrations, Christmas lunches and dinners are coming up in the next few days. I’m sure there’s already been some work for Christmas parties or gathering with friends.
I want to give 6 tips for thriving in the festive season so that you don’t feel like you are under the weather, sluggish, or bloated.
Let’s dive in and let’s have a look at 6 tips I’ve got for you to thrive in this festive season:
- Offset indulgent meals
Let’s face it; there are indulgent meals at Christmas and NewYears’ celebrations. Foods that you probably don’t eat the rest of the year. (I know that is the case for me.)
If you have a Christmas party, make sure you eat healthy for the rest of the day.
Use salad, vegetables and fruits to give you nutrition for the rest of the day that you are not indulging. This will help to supply nutrients and support gut flora to help manage the effects of the indulgent foods.
When you are eating celebratory meals, add salads and green leafy vegetables to the Christmas lunch/dinner. The salad can help to add nutrition to your Christmas meal and provide fibre to help reduce the sugar load of the meal.
I also recommend selecting smaller portion sizes. This will help reduce calories from the rich meals. This also means you can try more types of options in the meal😊
- Continue to exercise
Find a physical activity you love that you can keep going with during the festival. Exercise/Activity – no matter what type – will help to burn the extra calories of food and drink being consumed during the Festive Season.
For instance, I did have some food that I would never normally have a couple of nights ago, and the next day, I worked out to offset those extra calories that I had taken in that night before.
So find an activity that you love to do, It may be walking, swimming, or even having some time with your kids.
Enjoy some more activity, so you can expend energy to offset the extra calories, something that you love to do, that you can keep going through the festive season and maybe even through into the new year so you can continue it into 2023.
- Choose your Alcohol
In Australia, alcohol is part of socialising.
There are a few clean alcohol types as options. Some of the options include Gin and Tonic and Vodka, lime and soda.
Generally, I recommend the vodka, lime and soda to many of my clients because you can drop the vodka and keep having lime and soda, and your taste buds and those around you won’t notice the difference.
If you are enjoying a white wine, mix it with some soda water because it will decrease the alcohol content, the calories and help with your hydration.
If you are into beers, try a low-carb, low-alcohol beer. This will help to reduce the waistline and the next day’s hangover.
But my big tip for when you’re drinking alcohol is to go one to one. What do I mean by that? Have one alcoholic drink and then a large glass of filtered water. Or one alcoholic drink and two glasses of water is even better! This process helps reduce the amount of alcohol consumed, reduces empty calories and keeps your body hydrated.
- Allow time to recover with sleep
If you are having late nights due to social or family functions, then allow yourself time to catch up with sleep.
Also be aware that rich foods and alcohol can interrupt quality sleep and you may need to allow extra time to compensate.
This will help to prevent starting the New Year tired and drained.
- Enlist digestive helpers
Indulgent, rich meals and overeating can be demanding on the digestive system. As a result, you may feel bloated and sluggish when your body cannot digest the meal correctly.
Supplements like digestive enzymes and liver support supplements can help support the digestive system digest the Christmas cheer.
Digestive Support enzymes and herbal formulations can be purchased from health food shops and pharmacies.
Many herbs can help support digestion, and liver detoxification, including Schisandra, Dandelion, Milk Thistle, Globe Artichoke, Turmeric and Black pepper, lemons and limes. If you’re looking for a herbal formulation, remember always to get advice from a qualified herbalist for your specific circumstances
- Set a goal to restart healthy eating again
Each year I see clients in the New Year saying they are struggling to get back on track with their health after the Festive Season.
My tip is to set a date to restart eating healthy again. Set a definite date to continue health-giving routines, like healthy eating, exercise and staying hydrated. Tell your family of trusted friends about your goal date so that they can help. Be definite about this date. Write it in your diary, calendar or on the fridge.
These are my 6 tips to help you thrive through the Festive Season and helping to start the New Year the right way.
Enjoy your festive season!
If you want some help structuring healthy eating and healthy meal ideas, then I have the 28-day Easy healthy Family Meal program. It’s 28 days of Family recipes and meal plans, including all the snacks and drinks as well!
