HEALTHY CHRISTMAS IN 5 STEPS

The Christmas season is perhaps the hardest to stay healthy throughout. There are work parties, functions, family gatherings, and then Christmas day itself. But it doesn’t need to be a compromise between healthy living and enjoying yourself. You can do both! Here’s how you can enjoy yourself and have a healthy Christmas in 5 steps.

1. EAT LESS - NOT NONE!

We don’t mean eat less in general here — although that’s always good advice. No, what we mean here is don’t feel like you need to cut out all of the special foods that come out around Christmastime. Some people tell you to skip the pudding, others say you don’t need that special dessert. If you can completely abstain, that’s great, and more power to you.

But as we’ve discussed in other articles, sometimes the best cure for a craving is to indulge in small amounts. Have a smaller slice of pie than you normally would. Pour a little less gravy or special holiday sauce on your meal. Enjoy yourself, just don’t overdo it.

2. ENJOY THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

If you’re in the Northern hemisphere then you’ve got a beautiful winter wonderland to play in. If you’re below the equator, great, it’s summer time! Take advantage of the outdoors this holiday season.

Physical activity is part of a healthy life, and a key step to a healthy Christmas. Go skiing or ice-skating if you’ve got the ice to enjoy. Some places will even let you cut down your own Christmas tree — an excellent workout.

For those below the equator, take an early morning jog. Take advantage of that early sunrise and the longer days to go outside and play and move.

There’s always something to do and enjoy outdoors. Just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean it’s time to get lazy!

3. CONCENTRATE ON ACTIVITIES, NOT FOOD

Christmas is about more than just huge family feasts. There are plenty of other holiday activities to enjoy. Put together a family photo album to show relatives. Make some presents, packages, cards, or decorations with the kids.

Engaging in festive activities with the family will help keep your mind off food. This in turn will make it a lot easier to not overindulge. Some of the activities might seem childish or twee, but it’s Christmas! And if doing something childish helps you have a healthy Christmas, isn’t that a present all in itself?

4. PREPARE HEALTHY MEALS

One of the reasons it’s so easy to lose track of healthy eating over the holidays is people are very busy. Outside of Christmas day there’s not a lot of time to set aside to make a proper meal. Junk food consumption goes up and bellies go out.

So during the hectic Christmas season, spend some time on the weekends to prepare some big, easy to make healthy meals you can store in the freezer. An entire week’s worth of lunches can be made out of a single meal if you plan it properly.

With a little forward thinking, you can prepare for the season’s rush and have a healthy Christmas time.

5. MEDITATE

It’s the end of the year. There are deadlines. Presents to buy. Things to do. It can be very easy to get overwhelmed during the holiday season. This overwhelm leads to stress, which in turn leads to overindulging in feel-good holiday foods. So we need something to beat the overwhelm and maintain our calm.

Enter meditation. We’ve got lots of articles on mindful meditation that you should look at. Meditating at home, on walks; anywhere, really! We cannot overstate how helpful it is to be able to clear your head, particularly during the busiest time of the year.

So whether you’re stuck in an office for days, or just feeling the pressure of needing to get everything organised for the big day, always take a few moments to take care of yourself. You’ll feel much better and have a healthy, happy, uplifting Christmas you won’t forget.

And there you have it. Five simple suggestions for a healthy Christmas. No strict diets, no cutting out food. Just take it easy, eat in moderation, keep yourself occupied and enjoy this wonderful time of year.