Tips for a Happy Healthy Christmas!

The festive season can be a very tempting time and we can find ourselves over indulging when it comes to food and drink. Note the all important emphasis on over indulging, because an occasional indulgence is fine as long as we get back on track again afterwards. Here are my top tips for having a happy healthy Christmas.

Diet Tips for a Healthy Happy Christmas!

1. Stay hydrated: Water is your number one friend over the festive season. Drink at least 2L a day to support the liver and kidneys as they work hard to detoxify the body. If you are going to drink alcohol, then drink a glass of water between every glass of alcohol. Start the day with a nice big glass and make sure there is water on the dinner table.
2. Start the day with a good protein packed breakfast: This will stabilise blood sugar, and reduce the temptation to launch into unhealthy ways for the rest of the day. See it as the strong foundation to begin your day with. Have a read of my blog on the importance of beginning your day with protein.
3. Eat your sprouts! And lots of other cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage. This amazing group of vegetables produce enzymes that support alcohol detoxification in the liver.

Life Style Tips for a Healthy Happy Christmas!

1. Practice Hara hachi bu: This is a Japanese term for eating until you are 80% full. It will reduce the likelihood of overeating and creating that ‘stuffed’ feeling. Slowing down the pace at which you eat will give the body time to register the sensation of fullness.
2. Don’t go out hungry! Eat a healthy snack with protein before dinner out/cocktails etc. This will prevent you from being ravenous and pouncing on anything you are offered, healthy or not!
3. Always accompany alcohol with food: When we drink on an empty stomach, alcohol passes quickly into the small intestine. Here it is absorbed into the bloodstream, intensifying all the side effects of drinking. When there is food in your stomach before drinking, alcohol is absorbed more slowly, reducing its effect.
4. Have some non-alcoholic drinks to hand: elderflower cordial and sparking water, kombucha, non-alcoholic beer and botanical gins etc.
5. Rest your digestive system: Allow yourself an overnight fast of 12 hours or longer and leave 4 hours between meals. This allows the digestive system time to fully process the food and drink and to rest.
6. Keep moving! Avoid becoming a couch potato. Stay active with walking, running, dancing or whatever it is that you like to do and that brings you joy.

Above all, apply the 80:20 rule: If you stick to a healthy balanced diet most of the time, then all is not lost if you over indulge occasionally. Don’t be despondent and think that if you’ve slipped once, there is no point in continuing with your healthy ways. Just getting back on track is a great way to maintain positive dietary changes.