5 Tips to Stay Healthy(ish) This Christmas

Christmas is only a matter of sleeps away, which means Mariah Carey is

following you everywhere, it’s acceptable to each chocolate for breakfast, and there are endless supplies of pies and chocolate tins everywhere you go (and you always end up eating some).

While there’s no doubt that the festive season is great fun, if we’re being honest – it’s also full of stress and excess.

You’re trying to get everything sorted in time for Christmas Day, as well as be on top form for all of your friends and families’ celebrations, all at the same time as eating copious amounts of platters of nibbles and maybe even enjoying more drinks than you usually would.

While you don’t want to turn into Scrooge over Christmas, we wanted to write this to let you know there’s a middle ground between over-doing it at all of your Christmas parties and replacing all chocolate with vegetables instead.

Even if it’s simply factoring in a 20 minute afternoon walk each day, focusing on more protein, and choosing a good quality wine or gin over a big glass of Baileys – there are plenty of ways to keep healthy and not push to the side all of the hard work that you’ve done leading up to the Christmas period.

Here are five tips to help you do just that:

Switch things up in the kitchen

There’s a handful of easy swaps that can taper the excess indulging and keep you feeling healthy – why not try sweet potatoes instead of your usual spuds? You can roast them or turn them into a delicious mash. Plus, they’re high in fiber, potassium and vitamin A – just a handful of essential nutrients a lot of us miss out on.

When it comes to enjoying a nice drink, think about switching from heavy, creamy drinks to a good quality white tequila with ice and fresh lime, or a nice glass of wine.

There’s plenty of ways to swap foods for tasty, healthy options without them being ‘boring.’

Eat More Citrus

We recommend beginning and ending each day with a cup of water and lemon. In my fridge, I always keep a fresh jug of water with sliced up lemon – this is a great way to get the body ready in the morning and for a good detox at the end of the day.

And if you’re feeling under the weather (because who doesn’t suffer from a cold this time of year?) add a teaspoon of honey to some hot water with lemon to chase the winter bugs away.

Look After Yourself

We’re all aware of the importance of exercise and a healthy, balanced diet – but this time of year, it can be easy to let those good habits slip.

If you’ve already established a routine, do your best to stick to it. And even if that goes out the window, give yourself at least 10 minutes of ‘me time’ a day, so you don’t always feel like you’re running around trying to get things done.

Bring a Healthy Option

This one is especially for you if you’ve got plenty of Holiday parties to go to, and if you’ve been asked to bring a dish along with you, look up a healthy recipe or a healthy alternative to a Christmas dish online for everyone to enjoy.

Holiday parties and buffets don’t have to be full of unhealthy options!

And our final tip for today…

Take Some Time Out

Seriously, do it. You’re likely rushing around all day, every day at the moment, so it’s important to make yourself a hot drink and put your feet up for a moment.

You could find some time to play a fun family board game, read a book, or watch your favorite show.

Taking some quality time out of your busy schedule this time of year is essential to de-stress.

There you have it, 5 simple ways to not get as stressed and stay healthy this time of year.

Have a wonderful Holiday Season!

#ActifyPT #holidays #healthylifestyle