While the holiday season may not seem like the ideal time to focus on staying in shape, it actually is. For those who follow these simple guidelines, keeping the pounds at bay over the holidays will be a cinch.
For a happy body, hydration is essential.
Staying properly hydrated is essential for maintaining a healthy mind and body, but during the Christmas season, when we’re likely to be consuming more alcohol, experiencing more stress, and staying up late, it becomes even more critical. In order to keep our systems running smoothly, drinking enough water throughout the day can reduce the urge to snack and improve our quality of sleep at night. As an added bonus, it’s good for your digestive system, which may be struggling to keep up with the extra gastric demands of Yule.
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Try to intake a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you consume during the holidays. By requesting a double measure of tonic or lemonade per shot, you can extend the length of your spirit-based drinks and increase your fluid intake. When you’re at home, keep a water jug with a few slices of lime in the fridge to help you stay hydrated. Consume more water-rich fruits and vegetables, such as grapes and watermelon.
It’s Time to Get Greener!
Eat a lot of leafy greens to keep your weight in check. Include them in your meals whenever possible, or order dishes that feature them when you’re out to eat. Foods such as spinach, chard, kale, and broccoli are packed with nutrients and fiber that help you feel energetic for longer, which means you’re less likely to snack on the mince pies and another festive buffet fare that is all over the place at this time of year.
There are numerous B vitamins in leafy greens, which aid in digestion and aid weight loss by increasing metabolism and promoting calorie burning.
When it comes to taking in leafy greens into your home cooking, think outside the box. There is no need to boil spinach; it can instead be wilted in butter and garlic and served as a side dish or even added to a pasta bake. In the oven, salt and pepper can be added to kale so that it can be enjoyed as an appetizer while watching a classic Christmas movie.
Stay Active
During the holidays, it can be tempting to curl up in front of the television with a blanket and a chocolate tin conveyor belt rolling across our laps. It’s a given that Christmas should feature some of this. Even so, if we want to maintain our desired levels of fitness, we’ll need to get up off the couch and make some movement. The key is to find ways to make this as pleasurable as possible for ourselves.
When planning a family meal at a pub in the next village, consider including a walk as part of the activity if it is an option. Participate if the kids have a new video game that requires movement. Try some online yoga or aerobics as a family, or just a five-minute workout with hand weights a few times a day to your favorite holiday tunes. It may come as a surprise to you, but staying active throughout the holiday season can help you avoid packing on the pounds.
Maintain a Regular Schedule
Holidays are the perfect time for throwing routine out the window and chowing down on whatever we feel like eating whenever the mood strikes us. However, if you stick to a regular routine, you’ll reap the benefits. The four mince pies and the pack of chocolate coins you ate for breakfast aren’t going to cut it. If you’re going to eat breakfast, make sure it’s a nutritious one: eggs scrambled with smoked salmon or slices of mango, pineapple, and papaya in Greek yogurt are both delicious options.
The more you follow a routine, the more you’ll be able to keep track of how much food and calories you consume each day. It is common for us to eat more than we realize when we snack on a few tasty morsels. Of course, you can indulge as much as you want on Christmas Day itself, but otherwise, following to a regular eating schedule will help you stay in shape during the rest of the holiday season.
Slim Down While You doze out
Our bodies release hormones that affect our hunger when we don’t get enough quality sleep, making us more inclined to overindulge in high-fat foods and other comfort foods. Disturbed sleep can be a problem during the holidays because of the high levels of stress, the number of functions we attend, and the disruptions to our normal sleep schedules.
Make sure you don’t accept too many invitations in order to avoid this. Put on a mask and take a deep bath at least once a week for some much-needed self-care. Forget about the fact that you still haven’t found a gift for your dad, and the dog has desecrated the spare bed that was supposed to be used by your brother and his wife for the night of Boxing Day.
A nightly routine of meditation, lavender mist on your pillow, and reading a few pages of your book can help your body prepare for sleep and help you get a good night’s rest. If you do this every night, your brain will learn that sleep is imminent, and it will become much easier for you to drift off to sleep.
Remember to have a good time!
Over the Christmas season, staying fit and healthy will pay off in terms of the amount of energy you have to participate in all of the festivities. Keep your hair down, but don’t forget to. Don’t be really hard on yourself if, on your wedding day, you drank a little more wine than usual or couldn’t resist a few pigs in blankets despite your best efforts. We can’t have good health without being happy, and having fun with those we care about is a great way to do that.
