The countdown to Christmas has started! Who doesn’t need that break / wants to make the most of this festive season?
But how many of us find ourselves simultaneously excited, and yet perhaps unsure of how to keep healthy during the Christmas break, while still enjoying those special moments?How many of us are also working on our health journey?
This is in fact a question our nutritional therapist, Angela, is getting a lot from her clients, as they meet up to discuss next steps ahead of the festive season.
Angela’s answers are of course tailored to each client’s specific requirements, but she would love to share her 5 easy tips to keep healthy during the Christmas break without losing the sparkle!
1. Don’t Skip Breakfast!
This might be the time for parties, late dinners, a bit more alcohol than usual, or just lots to do in the morning as we frantically get the day perfectly organised for our family and guests… but a balanced breakfast does remain important. Why? Because it will support our adrenals, get our digestion started and key nutrients will also help our liver detoxification process.
What is a balanced breakfast? The key is to ensure your breakfast has a good balance between proteins and carbs, while also allowing for antioxidant rich fruit and vegetables.
2. Too Full From Dinner?
Is there anything better than dining with family and friends during the Christmas season? That can in fact be too nice and indulging, so let’s watch our tummy in the morning. If you are skipping breakfast because you are still full from dinner, or you wake up in an odd mood, it might be a sign you have eaten too much or have not digested well.
It is always a good idea to start a heavy meal with some bitter greens. They will stimulate enzyme production and bile flow, promoting digestion and better absorption of food. Their high fibre content also helps eliminate waste and promote a healthy metabolism.
Bring on the rocket, radicchio, watercress, mizuna, amaranth…!
3. Get cosy but active…
We probably all can’t wait to put our feet up and we should all put the breaks on to a certain extent. But let’s not forget we might be eating and drinking a bit more than we would normally, so it is a good idea to keep as mobile as possible. Without going crazy, where you can squeeze in that lovely walk, that nurturing yoga session, or just use the free time while cooking to do some squats or other easy exercises in the kitchen. Ever heard of the 5 minutes kitchen workout from Dr Chatterjee?
4. What’s in the glass?
Staying hydrated is just as important as keeping ourselves fed.
Every cell inside our body needs water to function, amazing eh? So the aim is to keep up our 2L water goal, ensuring we have enough water between alcoholic beverages. It is amazing the difference it makes to being able to detoxify alcohol!
And don’t forget that herbal teas count towards your water intake. How about a fresh peppermint tea after dinner to ease digestion?
5. Don’t lose sight of your end goal!
Whether it is weight loss, hormonal support, glucose balance or something else, all those health goals have one common denominator; they require you to be happy, on board and motivated.
Don’t let one overindulging event define your whole journey. If you fall, just stand up, shake it off and keep going through your path. Counting your achievements might be a better approach than counting the calories in this period. Set yourself realistic goals; goals that will allow you to join in and celebrate with your loved ones, while keeping the milestones of your health journey in place.
As a Registered Nutritional Therapist, Angela supports women who struggle with hormonal and mood imbalances, fatigue, weight gain or digestive issues, whether it is due to perimenopause, menopause or other conditions. She empowers them to make the right dietary and lifestyle changes to transform their future and feel great again.
If you dream about having more energy, a stable mood, sharper brain function, deep and restful sleep, comfortable digestion without bloating, manageable PMS and being able to manage your weight, aches and pains – you’re in the right place!