Christmas is a time filled with fun, family and of course, food. Take a minute and think about how much you ate last year at Christmas lunch – did you have to undo a notch on your belt? How were you feeling getting ready for Christmas day? Stressed? Here are a few ways to make sure you have a wonderful, healthy Christmas!
Keep Active. Food and the Christmas season go hand-in-hand. This is the time of year where you’re going to be consuming more calories than usual (and you’re probably not even going to realise it!)
It’s important to keep up your exercise routine. This can be tough during Christmas, because we all just want to kick back and spend quality time with family and friends. Here are a couple workout plans that can be done in minutes, in your own home, without disrupting your holiday plans.
You can also involve your loved ones involved with this great family exercise plan.
If you don’t stay active, you’re not going to burn the excess calories that you are taking in; your metabolism will also slow down, leading to weight gain and loss in muscle mass.
Accommodate the family. Do you have family and friends coming to stay with you – yes? Make sure the rooms are clean and sorted before they arrive. It’s also a good idea to have some extra clothes available for them in case their luggage is misplaced.
Plan your Christmas meal ahead of time. The bottom line is: leaving everything to the last minute = STRESS and this is exactly what you don’t need. So, here is your action plan:
- Buy your main course foods and ingredients as early in the month as possible. The meats can be frozen and you’ll avoid the grocery store madness.
- If you have a family member or friend who is either very picky about what they eat or can’t eat certain foods, discuss your Christmas menu with them and decide on alternative options, if needed.
- If you’re trying to lose or maintain your body weight, remember that it’s all about portion size. This doesn’t mean that you can’t eat any of the delicious food, but you’ll have to monitor your intake, and stay active.
Watch your alcohol consumption and don’t drive if you’re over the limit.
Besides packing in extra calories, which can lead to weight gain, excessive alcohol consumption has other potentially devastating effects on your body, including liver and kidney damage.
If you’re planning to drive after a wonderful night filled with family, fun, food and drinks, DON’T. This time of year, police are on the lookout for drunk drivers. The best way to make sure that you are under limit is to only have a couple of drinks and have a glass of water between each one.
It’s also a good idea to by a personal breathalyser to keep in your car. It’s essential that you know your Blood Alcohol Level before you get behind the wheel!
And there you have it! From all of us at Hello Doctor, we wish you all the best over the festive season.