So December is now upon us and I often get asked how to keep on track with healthy eating during the prolonged festive season. The party season seems to start earlier every year and more social events are in the calendar. Now I’m not one to miss a party and like to let my hair down but how do we do that sensibly so that our bodies can cope with the Party Season.
Here are my 5 top tips
1. Plan Your Food
The best way to keep on track with healthy food at this time of year is to plan, plan, plan ahead!! Here are some ideas to think about:
🎄Do a freezer top up before the festive season really gets underway. Do a couple of batch cooks and portion up to freeze so you have some healthy meals ready to go when life gets hectic. Single portions are a good idea as you never know how many will be around to eat if your family like is anything like mine!
🎄Write a meal plan for Christmas week and prepare meals ahead when you can or plan to use some of your freezer stocks to take off the pressure and be able to enjoy sociable time with family and friends.
🎄When eating out look at the menu in advance. This give you the opportunity to study it more closely in your own time and choose wisely helping you to keep on track. Having 2 courses instead of 3 and avoiding the free (or sometimes not so free) bread basket and asking for some olives or nuts instead is also a good plan.
🎄If you are going to a party with a buffet, the best plan is to eat before you go and don’t stand next to the buffet table!
🎄Don’t let a hangover catch you out. Make some ‘morning after’ breakfasts to have in the freezer ready to go like a vegetable frittata or may be make some overnight oats before you go out. Stocking up coconut water to help rehydrate you is also a good plan.
2. Stay Hydrated
At this time of year many of us drink more alcohol, tea and coffee as we are socialising. We are out of our normal routine and spend more time sedentary in centrally heated houses. These things can contribute to becoming dehydrated, so we need to pay special attention to this.
Here are some ideas which might help;
🎄Start the day with a cup of hot water and lemon or apple cider vinegar.
🎄Buy a new flavour of herbal tea you want to try. I’m lucky enough to have been bought a tea pigs advent calendar and cant wait to get into that.
🎄Filling up a water bottle in the morning and aim to refill at lunchtime and dinner time so it is empty before bed.
🎄Drink some coconut water which is full of electrolytes helping to balance fluids in the body.
3. Get a Good Nights Sleep
Don’t let sleep fall too far down the priority list! If and when you have a late night try and compensate with some early nights and a lie in or even an afternoon nap!! I know that is not always possible especially with kids to entertain or work to do but remember your body needs this time to recover, repair and detox. Be kind to yourself this Christmas time.
4. Don’t Forget to Move
During the festive season it is easy to be out of your routine and hard to stick with your normal exercise regime, whether it be yoga, pilates, the gym, a run, a bike ride, a swim etc….. It is still important to remember to move!
Ideas:
🎄Go for a walk with family or friends or just take yourself off to get some space and fresh air.
🎄If you can’t get to the gym go for a jog or do a youtube video, try Popsugar
🎄Run about with the kids in the garden or the park
🎄Try something new to you, go for a swim, a bike ride or a run….
5. Mindful Drinking
If you enjoy a drink then party season can often be difficult to manage and easy to get carried away. Be mindful of this and plan for the odd big nights and be moderate on others. On the big nights still be mindful:
🎄Eat well before the party
🎄Try to stick to the same drink
🎄Choosing colourless spirits is often the better option
🎄Drink water as well as alcohol.
🎄Take water to have by you bed
Enjoying the Festive Season, spending time with family and friends. Relax and have fun but don’t derail completely and overindulge. Following these tips will help you body deal with any overload. To help you get back on track in the new year why not book onto my workshop in January or purchase a place as a Christmas present for someone.
Simple Meals for Better Health – Eating for Inflammation
Inflammation is the route cause of many chronic disease and in this workshop we will teach you which nutrients you need (and what to avoid) to manage inflammation long term and how to incorporate them into delicious dishes.
Thursday January 30th and February 7th in Marlow and January 24th and February 5th in Kingston. Click here to book.
