Christmas is only one day of the year, yet by the time we reach the special occasion the stress from work and any associated deadlines, the social events and peer pressure to attend, and any family commitments can all take their toll, so it’s important to keep yourself healthy!
Outside of stress relief from exercise, and most importantly rest and nourishment for your mind, nutrition is a great place to start. It is important to remember that many lifestyle habits are connected, and some of these go astray when busy periods like Christmas pop up. Whether it's the quality of your sleep or the way you manage stress, all have a positive or negative affect on how you feel.
In saying this, I have compiled 6 easy to follow tips to keep your overall lifestyle in balance while enjoying the occasion. These can be applied to any special occasion too.
1. Avoid Hunger
Cravings! Cravings! Cravings! Bah hum bug! There can be a tendency to eat less during the day if you are going out for a hearty Christmas lunch or dinner. This is to ensure you can finish the courses you are about to treat yourself with. However, this can make it harder for you to moderate what you eat if you let yourself get too hungry.
Aim to eat regular meals and choose lighter meals or smaller portions. Some simple meals to eat either side of a Christmas lunch/dinner are:
A mixed salad with grilled chicken or tuna
Egg on toast with spinach and avocado
Oats, fruit and natural yoghurt
Fruit salad with nuts and natural yoghurt.
If you don't feel up for a meal, try some healthy snack options like:
Fresh fruit
Chopped vegetables with hummus
Handful of nuts and seeds
Natural yoghurt
Whole grain bread with tomato.
Protein Shake with peanutt butter
These and other meals/snacks are available in my nutrition section.
2. Change up your drinks
Whether you drink alcohol or not is your personal choice. If you choose to drink alcohol remember to keep it within the recommended amount. Heavy or binge drinking increases the risk of heart disease, even in people who don't usually drink much. Also, who wants to feel deathly ill from alcohol poisoning over the holidays? Or staying in bed all day hungover?
Make sure you're hydrated before you start drinking alcohol. Remember to rehydrate before you go to sleep with at least a glass of water consumed and have a glass by up bedside when you wake up.
Alternate alcohol with non-alcoholic drinks to moderate how much you're drinking at any one time. Remember, there is no requirement to drink alcohol at social events and it's ok to choose non-alcoholic - don't give in to peer pressure. We are adults, we have the ability to say: 'No, thank you.'
3. Safeguard your food
Falling ill from Christmas celebrations is no one's idea of a good holiday. Each year around 100,000 cases from food poisoning occur from food eaten at home.
The risk increases across the winter months. Even if you may celebrate Christmas in warmer climates such as the southern hemisphere, bugs thrive in warm conditions. To avoid getting yourself sick, follow these 3 C's:
Clean
Before preparing food wash your hands, chopping boards and all utensils.
Use hot soapy water to kill bacteria and preferably let them air dry, not with a towel.
Cook
When cooking food, especially chicken and mince, make sure the juices run clear once cooked.
If you reheat food, reheat until it's steaming.
Chill
Keep raw and cooked food separate in the fridge.
Don't leave food sitting out on the bench.
Put cooked meat in the fridge as soon as possible to stop bacteria growing.
4. Manage the busy times
Making healthy food choices can be hard when you are busy. Often what we eat and whether we get in some physical activity are the first things we push to the side when there is less time. Keeping your active lifestyle up is always important, but there is also a very strong link between the food consumption and mental health Preparing food in advance means you don’t have to make those extra decisions around what to eat when the days are busy. Taking one to two hours each week to meal prep can be vital. As the old saying goes:
"If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail."
5. Rest Up
There's more than enough to manage during December and January with celebrations: kids are finishing up school, work winding up for the year (or maybe you work during the entire time), time with friends, the family coming together, and any potential cross country/continent travelling.
Sleep can be one thing we skimp on to fit more into the day. Sleep helps the body rest, restore and recover. Try aim for a minimum of 6 hours a night (more if possible). Even quick naps during the day are appropriate to give yourself balance.
6. Enjoy the social time
If there is one thing 2020 and 2o21 has taught us, it's that life can be turned completely upside down out of nowhere. The power, and importance, of social connection can not be understated. Social anxiety has increased massively worldwide, it has been a surreal time for everyone. With all the uncertainty, everyone needs some time to rest and relax.
Give yourself some time to switch off from the news, social media or extra content online to be present with those who are around you. Allow yourself to enjoy the social time with your friends.
I wish you well this season, go and enjoy it.