Christmas is almost upon us!
Personally, I can’t wait to relax, indulge, be with family and get some restful time to myself, go for some long walks in London whilst it’s all peaceful and quiet, and have a few well-deserved lie-ins!
Many people worry about overeating, overindulging, and then putting on weight over the holidays.
So, in today’s blog post, I’m sharing my most practical advice for moving through the festive period with balance.
Firstly, I’m going to say don’t beat yourself up for overeating or overindulging! Easier said than done when it’s a source of stress I know, but the truth is almost everyone does it to some extent, including the people who have a healthy appetite and relationship towards food and their body!
However, there are things you can do to better manage cravings, your mood and to lessen your chance of over-indulgence. These tips apply at any time of the year but they’re particularly useful over the holiday period when people’s normal routines often fall by the wayside …
Don’t skip breakfast and go straight for the chocolate!
Make sure you eat a good filling breakfast soon after waking so that your blood sugar will be stable – You’ll be less likely to crave sugars and carbohydrates as the day goes on.
Consume protein in the morning
The traditional breakfast of scrambled eggs and smoked salmon is perfect and not only is it nutritious, but it will also make you feel full and satisfied for longer.
Drink lots of water to keep yourself hydrated
Staying hydrated with water will also help your body flush out all the toxins from the rich food and drink, plus it will boost your metabolism. However, try not to drink a lot of water just before or after a big meal as this will dilute your digestive enzymes making you feel (even more) bloated.
Create a balanced plate
Aim to fill your plate with some sort of veg/salad with every meal in addition to the not so ‘healthy’ foods or the foods you’re more concerned about.
Eat slowly and enjoy what you’re eating
We tend to eat quickly when we’re stressed about what we’re eating. So, be conscious of eating/chewing slowly, taking smaller bites, and really focusing on enjoying the flavors of the food – you likely find you don’t need to eat so much.
Don’t skip meals
Unless you’re so full from a big Christmas lunch you really can’t face any evening meal! But I’d still suggest a light snack in the evening to keep blood sugars stable through the night.
Aim to eat 2-3 decent-sized meals
There’s often a lot of grazing over the festive period, but if that’s all you do you won’t feel satisfied but you also won’t feel hungry for a decent meal. I recommend starting each day with a good breakfast, even if it’s an indulgent one, and aiming to have at least one other main meal depending on the size and timing. Then freely graze in between if you like.
Get some movement
I don’t necessarily mean proper workouts but gentle walks in the fresh air will help with your mood, digestion, detoxification, and appetite control.
Enjoy the indulgence
Balance in life is healthy, if we’re always restricting ourselves, it’s unhealthy and sets us up to potentially binge or act out in some other way because we’re going against our body’s desires. I believe occasional indulgence is good for our well-being if we can fully let ourselves enjoy it for what it is.
So, this Christmas holiday period, I encourage you to give yourself permission, with the knowledge that it’s good for you, to have and enjoy the foods that you love … whilst also following the tips above.
Lastly, for those of you who lead a busy, pressured lifestyle, consciously use this time to wind down. Literally imagine your nervous system slowly releasing, unraveling, and softening.
Purposely slow everything down – your movement, your speech, your breath, your day, this will help you replenish and recharge so that you can start the new year with energy and enthusiasm.
Remember that stress is a cycle of expansion and contraction, so use the festive break intentionally as your ‘contraction’ resting phase of the cycle, then you’ll be more than ready to move back into ‘expansion’ in January.
This is my final post of the year, the next one will be Friday, January 6th. Wishing you and your family a wonderful festive period and here’s to a happy and healthy 2023!
Kate x
