Yes it's hard to believe but it is that time of year again.
Whether it be a work Christmas party, Chanukah, Christmas or new years
festivities there is always a reason for too much food and drink. If you don’t
want to end up with those extra kilos once January hits or can’t stand the
aftermath of these festivities but also don’t want to miss out this is the
article for you. Have a read of my 5 top tips for getting through this time of
year without doing too much damage to your body or waistline.
1.
Hydrate- this is the most important thing I can emphasis e. Dehydration makes you feel hungry so you will eat more, while
drinking a glass of water before a big meal means you will feel full quicker.
If you are drinking alcohol you need to hydrate so you don’t feel terrible the
next day! Alternate one alcoholic drink for one glass of water. This will keep
you hydrated while reducing the number of alcoholic drinks you will consume.
The body needs extra hydration at time when there is so much sugar and alcohol
intake. Keeping hydrated will make sure your body can work properly to detoxify
the load placed on our bodies this time of year.
2.
Have a snack before you go out. If you don’t
want to over-indulge then don’t turn up for a big meal starving. Having a small
healthy snack before you go out means you will not eat as much of the bad stuff
when you are out. A few nuts, a smoothie or some yogurt are great snacks to
fill your belly a little so you still have space for something yummy but not so
much that you will feel ill later. This is one of the best ways to prevent
stacking on the kilos this time of year.
3.
Opt for the healthy option. There is always
something healthy at the table but our eyes tend to wonder to the unhealthy
option. Try making the majority of your meal something healthy with just a
small serving of the naughty treat. For example fill your plate up with salad
so there is only a small space left for pie or whatever else you love to
indulge in. For dessert have fruit with a small piece of cake. If you fill up
on the healthy stuff you wont have much space in your tummy for a huge serving
of the bad stuff but you also won’t feel like you are missing out.
4.
Have a milk thistle supplement. Milk thistle or
St Mary’s thistle is a particular herb that helps the liver detoxify waste.
This time of year with all the extra indulgences and drinks it is important to
give your liver a helping hand. This will rid your body of all these toxins you
are consuming so they are not stored to play havoc at a later date. Milk
thistle will reduce bloating and hangovers too. I often recommend taking the
supplement daily for the whole month of December with an extra dose on those
days of indulgence.
5.
Digestive enzymes. Our body naturally produces
enzymes to break down our food. However, sometimes when we overeat our body is
not able to produce enough of these enzymes to digest all that we have shoveling into our bellies. That is why after a big meal we often feel
bloated, lethargic and unwell. The great thing is that these enzymes are
available as a supplement so you can help your body out by taking some
digestive enzymes with your meal. This will enable your body to properly break
down and digest your big meal so it doesn’t just remain sitting in your gut
fermenting. Goodbye overfull, sick feeling :)
But most of all don't forget to enjoy this special time of year xx
