As 2018 draws to a close the excitement for the festive season is building. Some of us are already dreaming about the days spent lazing on the beach (or already there), planning the traditional Christmas feast we have every year, the gifts, decadence and time well spent with family and friends. The end of the year has this sort of power over most of us where almost anything gets the response “I’ll deal with its next year”, the exhaustion from the year catches up to us and as we start to wind down and relax -naturally, things like eating healthy, sleeping well and exercising take a back seat to all the festivities and celebration. But what if there was a way to enjoy the festive season and still stay on track with our lasting lifestyle goals? Of course, balance is so important in life and we all deserve a rest and to enjoy ourselves after this year but being a bit more mindful of our actions during this time might actually reduce how much we’ll have to “sort out” and “deal with” next year when it comes to our mental and physical wellbeing. This is why this month we’ll be giving some tips on how to stay on track during the festive season:
1. Plan some active activities: We are so fortunate to be living in this beautiful country and to have the most wonderful weather over our festive season – why not take advantage of that? Plan to do some hikes in a nature reserve, go swimming, try some mountain biking or challenge yourself with something new like rock climbing. Being in nature and the outdoors can have a very restorative effect on humans. While holidays are about rest, they are also about feeding your soul to feel truly recuperated. What better way to do that than by enjoying the view after a long hike or climb? 2. Balance indulgence with healthy eating: For most of us one of the great things about the festive season is all the wonderful food and meals we get to share with our loved ones. The chocolate brownies, roast lamb, glazed gammon, potatoes and all the things covered in cheese are some of the best things about the holidays! Just because we indulge over the holidays doesn’t mean we should stop being mindful of our eating completely. Try to keep meals (aside from the celebratory feasts) simple, fresh and healthy. On days where you know you will be having a decadent meal – don’t skip the meals before! Sometimes we believe its best to “save ourselves” for the big meal later, but this just makes us ravenous and more likely to overeat by the time we do finally eat. Rather enjoy light healthy foods as meals before the big one to avoid this. This will still allow you to enjoy your meal, and by all means try everything, but just reduce the amount that you eat at that time. 3. Make some substitutions here and there for healthier options: Try to swap out some ingredients and dishes for more healthy alternatives where you can. Incorporate fruit-based desserts like homemade sorbet, fruit salad or even pavlova over the chocolate smothered cakes. Try adding some hidden vegetables to your regularly energy dense dishes. For example, finely chopped broccoli is hardly detectable in a potato bake but adds more nutrition and fibre to the dish. Give the whole grain pastas and other starchy foods a try. Instead of potato crisps try substituting these for vegetable crisps instead (beetroot, butternut or sweet potato). Try lower alcohol beers and beverages rather than your regular choice. Give the darker chocolate varieties a try this year. Substitute wherever you can so you can still enjoy but still make better food choices as you go. 4. Plan just a bit Take a moment to plan your meals as best you can, this will help prevent the fast food and convenience food monkeys from getting a hold of you. Our schedules often differ in the holidays so we tend not to plan our meals as we would regularly, sometimes even just as a result of wanting a break away from cooking and the desire to live spontaneously during the holiday season. However, just taking a moment to plan the meals for the holiday can actually eliminate some stress. If you don’t intend on cooking then rather research some healthy food restaurants and cafes to try over the season so that you don’t land up at the first burger joint you find. Plan your activities as well, committing to activities like a hike with family or friends on a particular day often makes us more likely to follow through with it. You know you won’t be sorry afterwards! 5. Don’t forget about snacking! As our schedule goes out the window over the festivities, we often find our regular meal structure does too. Try your best not to forget about snacking so you don’t get to the over hungry state, keep healthy snacks on hand so that you an maintain your energy and blood sugar levels between all the merriment. If you need some ideas on what to have, refer to the snack wheel from the November blog. 6. Enjoy your meals when you eat them: At first glance this might seem like a very obvious and redundant tip, but really it is one of the most important. Sometimes we get so caught up in eating for sustenance only than for the enjoyment of food. And let’s face it, a decadent old year’s eve braai is for celebration not for meeting our dietary requirements – so try to be mindful and present when you indulge. Savour each bite, taking note of all the meal has to offer. This is where you will find satisfaction in the first helping rather than going back for more time and time again. 7. Eat, forgive and forget: Don’t beat yourself up after a large meal. Be grateful that you enjoyed it and move on! Life is to be enjoyed and lived, so don’t punish yourself after a decadent meal. Enjoy it, move on and return to a more balanced state afterwards. 8. Hydrate before it is too late! The importance of hydration was already discussed this year so I won’t repeat myself but just remind you to drink your water! A lot of us will be spending time in the sun, in a hot kitchen cooking or even just lazing around in this hot weather. Don’t forget to drink your water! Sunstroke and dehydration over this period are very likely and easy to avoid by just simply drinking enough water. 9. Learn to say no: We all have that grandmother who pushes another slice of cake on you or a second or even third helping of food. Or even that friend that insists on one more drink or just another few minutes before you go to bed for the evening. And while sometimes we give in because we do genuinely want to, sometimes its purely just the pressure that pushes you to. Prepare yourself for this to happen and say no when it is not what you want. Just because someone is very convincing doesn’t mean you should give in when you don’t want to. Be content in your own contentment! 10. Rest properly: Yes, the holidays are about enjoying yourself with celebrations and festivities but make sure you make time for quiet where you can. This time of the year is also for resting and rejuvenation before the chaos of the new year starts again. Your body and mind need time out and away. Try your best to schedule “me time” in between, you need it and deserve it! On that note, wishing all the lasting lifestylers a very restful and joyful festive season full of active activities, healthy substitutions and merriment! See you in the New Year!
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AuthorDanielle Gemeliaris has been dancing for half her life and has always been passionate about food, nutrition and the science behind them. The knowledge she gained through her studies, as a dancer and her experience as a health and wellness coach through Herbalife, has made her uniquely qualified to help dancers better understand nutrition and the role it plays in their lives. She hopes to offer the readers of this blog the opportunity to gain a basic working knowledge of nutrition, the role it plays for dancers and learn how to make better more informed food choices in the future. Archives
April 2019
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