Tips To Stay Healthy Over The Festive Period

We are coming into my favourite time of the year! Having get togethers and spending lots of time with friends and family, indulging in lots of good food and attending parties which sometimes means drinking more alcohol than you would normally consume. Whilst the festive season is lots of fun it can also derail all the hard work you have put into achieving your health goals through the year. 

Here are a few tips to help you have fun but still maintain some healthy habits.

Think Before You Eat

Christmas is a time of plenty, and with chocolates, mince pies and fruit cake wherever you look, it would be rather Scrooge-like to suggest that you don’t eat any treats over the festive period! But rather than mindlessly popping whatever is in front of you in your mouth, spend a moment thinking about whether you really want it, or are just eating it because it’s there. You definitely don’t need to deprive yourself though!

Know what you’re drinking

Raising a glass goes hand-in-hand with the holidays, but can quickly sabotage plans for healthy holiday living. Cocktails often contain hidden calories, can cause us to overeat and make it harder to be active the next day.

To stay on track while enjoying some holiday cheer, familiarize yourself with actual serving sizes for beverages, and follow each alcoholic drink with a glass of water. 

Don’t Sit Down All Day

We know it’s very easy to laze about when you are on holiday, after all you need some rest and relaxation as well. However try to pick yourself up off the couch and go for a walk, especially after a big meal. Or take the kids to go and ride their bikes or scooters!

Stick with a routine

Interruptions to routine make it easy to abandon all good intentions. It’s hard to regain healthy behaviours once we’ve taken a hiatus and enjoyed the good life.

Stick with a few elements of your routine to make getting back into the swing of things easier after the holidays.

Finally, cut yourself some slack! It is the holidays and you are allowed to eat treats and indulge in a few things you wouldn’t normally eat or drink. Just make sure you have a plan to regain control the next day. 

Happy holidays!