It’s a shocking fact that 64% of the UK adult population is overweight and this is set to increase unless education is at the forefront with regards to the importance of a healthy lifestyle including a healthy mindset.
It’s all well and good starting a detox in January but to return to old habits by February isn’t going to give any long term health benefits… Being fit and healthy is about the choices you make for a lifetime and doesn’t have a start or end date.
So how can you make this Christmas the healthiest one yet?
Just follow my Top Ten Tips I’ve set out below and you wont go far wrong
- Have a good breakfast, making it the most nutritious meal of the day. It should contain a good portion of protein (eggs, meat, fish), good fats (oily fish, avocado, coconut oil) and some green veg to keep your insulin levels steady. EG Smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and spinach
- Drink plenty of water, especially if alcohol is on the cards later on.
- Listen to your body and stop eating when you’re full. Don’t rush your food down and try to chew it thoroughly.
- Remove the temptation of chocs and sweets by putting them away. Leaving them on the table to been seen every time you walk past is no help at all to your willpower! You’re just going to nag yourself to eat it until you give in.
- Exercise. Even if it’s only 10 minutes a day. Some form of physical activity will release endorphins to keep your mood happy and energy good.
- Reduce your caffeine intake. Try to limit it to 2 beverages per day. Replace your hot drink fix with an alternative like hot water with a slice of lemon.
- Avoid fizzy drinks, they have no nutritional value at all… (Even the calorie free and no sugar ones)
- Make your own sweet treats from raw ingredients. (That way you know what’s in them and there’s no transfats) There are tonnes of quick no bake recipes online – a few of my favourites are Jamie Olivers vegan chocolate fudge bars and Madeline Shaw’s peanut butter brownie cake. Infact one of the best ways to enjoy chocolate guilt free is to switch to Dark. It may taste bitter to begin but trust me you will get used to it. I eat 85% dark now and enjoy it much more than milk chocolate.
- Ask Santa for an activity tracker. It’s a great way to see your activity levels and gives you the motivation to keep active daily.
- Get some good quality sleep. The duration you sleep for isn’t necessarily the best, it’s the quality of sleep you get. (Most activity trackers now have this function to monitor the depth of sleep – double bonus!)
Lastly, don’t beat yourself up about the little indulgences that are inevitable this time of year. If you follow the 80/20 rule and eat well 80% of the time you’ll get away with the remaining 20%.
