24 Healthy Holiday Habits
Christmas is not the time to start a new health and fitness regime. That said, it doesn't have to be the time to let all of your good work and healthy behaviour go to waste.
Make use of our helpful tips and facts to see you through to Christmas with limited skin, weight and liver complaints. Plus, plenty of ways to stop you from getting caught up in the hype and help you stay sane and relaxed.
Stay Present - stop looking forward to the next thing, slow down and enjoy right now. Disconnect from your screens to reconnect with the people that really matter in your life.
Stay hydrated - wines, festive cocktails and too much tea and coffee cause chronic dehydration. Drink a glass of water when you wake up, drink water between each wine. If you find it hard to drink plain water add a slice of lemon or a cold herbal tea infusion to your drink bottle or flavour your water with a smart energy sachet to help wake up your brain.
Spend more time being than doing. Schedule 10 minutes for yourself each day to reduce festive friction and give your adrenals a break. Try the calming effects of box breathing - breathe in for 4 seconds, pause for 4 seconds, breathe out for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds then repeat up to 10 times.
Nobobdy likes to be overworked at Christmas so don’t force your digestive system to work extra shifts. Plan ahead! If you’re going to be eating more than usual start your day with a glass of water and herbal teas. Charge up your digestive system by exercising before breakfast.
Keep ahead of your Christmas wellbeing with the basic 80/20 rule. It helps you to balance your food intake, eat in moderation and occasionally indulge. Pack as much nutrition into your diet by eating real foods and staying away from processed chemical laden foods.
Consume consciously - digestion starts in your brain; seeing and smelling food releases the correct enzymes for digestion, chewing your food properly then allows you to savour tastes whilst reducing the workload on your stomach. Put your cutlery down between bites as this forces you to slow down.
Move your lymphatic system. It’s your body’s waste removal system and requires movement to eliminate toxins. Short burts of jumping, dancing and power walking or inclue dry skin brushing, massage or a relaxing Epsom Salt bath.
Get outside - go for long walks with the family, a friend, your dog or simply on your own. Soak up the beauty of nature and notice how much more calm you feel.
Practice daily gratitude. Leave a notepad by your bed and write three different things every day that you’re grateful for - it can be as simple as being grateful for someone else making you a cuppa. Aim for 21 consistent days and discover the happiness advantage.
Give more than you expect to receive - do something for a friend, help a stranger, volunteer, make a present, complete random acts of kindness or take time to genuinely thank someone. Happiness is a choice and is the best gift you can give others because it’s contagious.
For those occasional hangovers eat asaparagus to help alleviate cellular toxicity, strawberries to reduce the impact of alcohol on the stomach’s membrane and hommus as it contains B6 which helps reduce hangovers.
Pine scented candles can help to curb your sugar cravings. Plus they add a nice Christmassy smell.
Red puffy skin? Avoid coffee which causes inflammation when drunk first thing. Try starting your day with a smart energy drink that wakes up your body and brain and doesn’t give you a caffeine crash.
Cover up with sunscreen before you go outside and be sure to moisturise morning and night. Good skin hygeine can help give you a good holiday glow.
Exercising your pelvis oxidises fat in your abs - in other words, it makes your tum disappear. Work it by raising one foot a few inches off the ground while standing in line for lunch.
Add leafy greens to your Christmas meal for an extra hit of B vitamin folate, found to reduce headaches and migraines.
Rejoice! Go for the Turkey on Christmas Day. Turkey has fewer calories per ounce of any animal protein plus it contains the amino acid leucine, which may preserve muscle mass.
Don’t go Christmas shopping when you’re hungry. You’re more prone to impulse buying.
Christmas tends to be a time when people spend more money than they can afford. Avoid adding financial stress to your burden this Christmas time by making a budget and sticking to it.
Decide which Christmas activities and traditions are most significant to you. Only participate in those activities that have significance for you and decline the activities which cause stress or are insignificant for you.
Boundaries are essential to healthy relationships and a healthy life. Understand and communicate your limits to your loved ones to avoid feeling resentment this festive season.
Christmas is full of temptations but try to enjoy everything in moderation. Overindulgence is often a result of people trying to improve their mood but you may be left with feelings of guilt and shame afterwards.
Just because it is Christmas, does not mean the attitudes or behaviours of relatives and friends will change. Accept this and plan how you will respond to help keep things positive and productive.
Practice Self Compassion - Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful and being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. Be kind to yourself this Christmas and know that imperfections are OK.
Amid all the flurry of Christmas, taking time out to remember a few simple ways to protect your wellbeing can make all the difference. But, most importantly, no matter what happens my wish is that you have a Merry Christmas!