Staying healthy over the holidays
It's that time of year, the Christmas season - full of treats, drinks, and more desserts!
However, do you want help to stick to your goals and not get to January wondering what happened and how to get back to where you were before December?
Here are a few simple steps to help you enjoy the holiday season while not getting to January 1 feeling like all your health goals and hard work have been thrown out the window.
1. Choose your treats:
Be intentional about choosing what desserts or treats you want to eat so you don’t get taken away with eating everything and anything.
2. Stay active:
Continue to take walks and maybe use the extra time off to do some extra activity like a bike ride, playing soccer with the kids or doing a morning YouTube workout.
3. Don’t skip breakfast:
Having a well-balanced filling breakfast sets you up for better-balanced blood sugar and appetite regulation throughout the day and means you are less likely to be hungry later at night or at a dinner event and eat a lot more.
4. Embrace eating in when not at events:
Adding in takeaways and lots of packaged foods on days at home not only affects your wallet but also means you eat more/ have more calories than if you had made a home-cooked meal.
5. Eat a high-fibre light meal before going to events:
When you go hungry to social events you are more likely to override your logical brain and eat far more of the food than you would have usually.
6. Get enough sleep:
6 to 8 hours of sleep every night promotes better mood, appetite regulation and less craving for high-energy snacking to keep you going. Exercise and more movement are much more likely when you have had a good sleep.
So, as we go into the Silly Season, remember you don’t have to be silly with your health and perhaps take a break and make some plans to prioritise how you feel going into the New Year.
This article was written by Geena-Rose Burton, ELIA Lifestyle Medicine Centre’s Health Coach and Registered Nurse.
Call us on (02) 9480 6140 to book a consultation with any of the ELIA Lifestyle Medicine Centre’s team of clinicians.
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