Be bold in what you stand for and careful what you fall for.
So how did you make it through the first December weekend, did you fly through or eat your way through! This Christmas don't let your thighs bear the brunt of the mince pies!
Make December about moderation rather than strict diets and guilt when you give in to temptation. With wise choices and small changes to your lifestyle, it's possible to enjoy the festive season and still feel food.
Christmas dinner is full of goodness, leafy greens such as kale and sprouts are winters ultimate veggies, packed with vitamin B and magnesium, which helps with stress. Eat these and your energy levels will always be high. Turkey is high in vitamin B and magnesium as well as tryptophan, which is a natural sedative. It's a good choice if your eating out a lot over Christmas and like fish it's lighter than most of the rich dishes on Christmas menus.
Try not to stray too far from your routine so as well as not having too many 3 course meals, it's important not to skip breakfast to try and counteract the overindulgence of the night before, instead have a smoothie this will help maintain your blood sugar levels and ensure you have a steady flow of energy coming in.
December is about damage control which of course is easier said than done, the odd chocolate is always within reach around this time of year and just a couple can play havoc on your blood sugar levels. They'll give you a sugar high for an hour or so, but then you crash feeling even more exhausted, better slow release festive foods include nuts, especially almonds (high in magnesium) dates and liquorice. Of course that's not going to make it any easier to resist the chocolate orange! You could try mantras or affirmations to remind you of your goal, "just one slice of cake" or post it notes stuck around the house reminding you of your hard work and plans.
Booze! Oh dear now there's a toughie - have a sip then put the glass down. Use smaller wine glasses, don't buy rounds when you’re out. If you don't want to drink have soda water with a slice of lemon people then think your drinking and won't pressure you!
If you do drink too much try and avoid the following mornings fry up, this will slow down your already sluggish liver, instead drink hot lemon and honey (lemon to aid the liver, honey to give you a dose of sodium, potassium and fructose) adding Ginger to soothe an acidic stomach. Milk thistle tablets taken before a night our and the morning after will help your liver too. And get active as soon as possible as exercise forces your body to sweat out the toxins and aids lymphatic drainage to flush out more toxins. Go for a good brisk walk, put yourself first, give yourself a bit of time and you will be more energised and patient because your not running on empty.
Christmas can be an emotional time, we think we're showing love by going that extra mile but this can be taxing so realise you don't need to do it all to have a wonderful Christmas. Buy Aunt Bessie roasters no one will know nor care! Plus they taste great.
Most importantly enjoy yourself - its only once a year! It's not what you do over Christmas that decides your weight it's what you do the rest of the year!
And go treat yourself to something shiny, the outer sparkle helps the inner sparkle shine through ‘-)
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