We all love Christmas time, and whether you’re planning to spend time with the family, or get out and about with friends, it’s very easy to overindulge in some of life’s festive treats.
With this in mind however, here are a few tips and ideas on how to enjoy Christmas this year while maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle over the holiday season.
Keep drinking water throughout the festive period
Whether you’re looking to curb overindulgence, or keep yourself hydrated while enjoying a few alcoholic drinks, water is crucial for a healthy diet throughout the Christmas season.
For those wanting to control calories, not only does water help keep hunger at bay, but if you choose it over a calorific beverage, you’re selecting the best possible option for your body, as you can see below:
- One pint of water: 0 calories
- One cappuccino: 74 calories
- One can of Coca Cola: 138 calories
- One pint of semi-skimmed milk: 260 calories
- One pint of lager: 180 calories
- One 250ml glass of wine: 228 calories
- One glass of prosecco: 80 calories
If you’re looking to drink more water, try and have at least one glass with every meal, or keep a reusable water bottle with you in the car, or in your handbag. Using a water bottle, it is also easy to measure exactly how much you are drinking per day.
Keep track of what you eat
By keeping track of what you eat on a daily basis, you can identify habits that are both good and bad.
As you can imagine, there are a range of different ways to keep track of what you eat.
From writing notes on a piece of paper, through to tracking intake on a website or app, you can review the times you eat, the kind of food you eat, portion sizes, and the nutrients you are enjoying.
For those interested, you can download the MyNetDiary app, which helps you create a food journal, while providing important nutritional stats and information.
Otherwise, NHS Direct Wales has this very nice printable table that you can use if you prefer to work by hand.
Christmas breakfast is still important
If you have a penchant to munch on a couple of mince pies, or mine through a box of Celebrations throughout Christmas Day morning, you can keep your snacking desires at bay by enjoying a healthy Christmas Day breakfast.
A breakfast that makes the most of wholegrain carbs, at least 13 to 20 grams of protein, and 10 to 15 grams of healthy fats, should be enough to take you through until lunch time.
The BBC Good Food site offers a great selection of delicious breakfast recipes which you can enjoy on Christmas morning and beyond.
10 minute exercise routines work a wonder
Believe it or not, most people will consume around 6,000 calories on Christmas Day according to The Independent, so if you do find that you’ve overindulged, a simple 10-minute exercise routine throughout the following days can help you burn away some of those extra calories.
From rocket jumps, through to squats and burpees, you can feel great in both body and mind with just a quick 10-minute workout in your living room.
Check out this Live Well guide by the NHS on ideas for a 10-minute exercise routine.