Christmas is only 1 week away, and for many, that means the celebrations have begun – whether it be for work Christmas parties, family and friend gatherings, or maybe even a holiday. At such a busy time of the year, it can be really hard to know how to make healthy choices whilst still allowing yourself to enjoy in all the festivities.
So, here are my top tips to get the balance right this year:
1. Eat normally around any Christmas/holiday events
Don’t restrict your food beforehand to “make room” for the festive meal, or try to “compensate” afterwards for having eaten more than you had planned. Restricting beforehand is likely to result in you feeling even hungrier and eating more of the festive meal offerings than you would have otherwise. Restricting your food afterwards may also set up an unhealthy cycle of restricting and overeating, which is likely to result in poorer food choices overall.
2. Include foods from the 5 food groups
Where possible, include foods that fit into one or more of the 5 food groups (fruit, vegetables, meat and alternatives, dairy and alternatives, and wholegrains). This will help to ensure you are still fuelling your body well, even if eaten alongside the more indulgent foods.
3. Listen to your body
If there is a lot of yummy food on offer, it can be hard to resist trying everything. To avoid ending up feeling uncomfortably full later, check in with your body’s hunger and fullness cues regularly, and pause to consider “what is my body telling me it would like to have?”.
4. Engage in some regular enjoyable movement
Choose a form of movement that brings you joy, whether it be jumping on a trampoline, hula hooping, swimming, walking, playing tennis or tossing a frisbee, and make it a regular part of your festive season. Not only will it bring a smile to your face, but your mind and body will also benefit. And just remember, exercise should not be a way to compensate for food choices.
For some additional useful information, you may like to read some of my other blog articles, such as:
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