Tired? Irritable? Hungover? Permanent case of bloat? `Tis the season to be jolly – jolly over-fed, jolly tired and jolly hung over.
If the seasonal spirit you enjoy is usually mixed with tonic water, then it is not surprising you feel delicate. But with a little judicious planning you can limit the damage and get through to the other end of the festivities without feeling like you need to go to bed for a week.
Not all traditional Christmas fare is unhealthy, so making wise choices will help you sail through the season feeling great.
Did you know? It is estimated that the average person eats 6000kcals on Christmas Day – about three times what we would normally… It’s no wonder that diets, detoxes and gym memberships are so popular in January.
Moderation
Keeping things in moderation is a major key to the Christmas overeating issue. It is easy to say “eat and drink in moderation”, but not quite so easy to carry out so here are some ideas for moderating what you eat this festive season.
- Use a smaller plate ~ your mind will consider it a full plate regardless of its size.
- Where there are choices, take a little of many things rather than lots of one thing. This ensures you are getting a balanced meal and not overloading on crappy food.
- For every glass of alcohol have a glass of water. Water fills you up, has no calories or side effects, is cheap and will help wash out the excesses.
- Help clear the table as soon as everyone has finished eating rather than sitting and picking at leftovers.
- Make your own mixed drinks with real fruit juice instead of canned drink.
- Don’t be afraid to take things home for later – especially fruit cake as it will keep for ages!