5 Tips For A Healthy Christmas

1. Drink With Moderation

Go easy on the booze during this festive season. It is best to regulate your drinking since excessive alcohol is never good for your health. Studies recommend no more than 2-3 units per day for women and 3-4 units per day for men. A single unit of alcohol is measured as 10ml of pure alcohol and that is the equivalent to one pint of beer with an ABV (alcohol by volume) of 4-5 per cent or half a 175ml glass of red wine with an ABV of 12 per cent.

As statistics show that the consumption of alcohol increases by 40 per cent during this season, health experts point out that it can cause temporary effects, such as headaches, sickness, diarrhoea and may also negatively affect mood, weight and sleep. For a person with regular drinking habits, excessive consumption can lead to liver damage.

Therefore, avoid drinking alcohol every day, make sure to stay within the safe daily unit guidelines, drink water or soft drinks between each alcoholic drink and eat a filling meal before drinking.

2. Do Not Stuff Yourself

Studies point out that an average person consumes around 3,000 calories in our Christmas dinner, which is more than the recommended daily intake of an adult (2400 kcal). Stuffing yourself with all that holiday food not only leads to weight gain but also indigestion and heartburn. Therefore, instead of eating it all up in a single sitting, take a 20-minute break to see if you are still hungry.

Make sure to consider some of the tips such as not attending any event feeling hungry, buying too much food, snack on dried fruits and nuts and watch your portion size.

3. Get Proper Sleep

During the holiday season, there is a chance of one sleeping too much or getting less sleep. Studies have found that the average person needs 6-8 hours of sleep per night in order to feel fully refreshed and rejuvenated. Lack of proper sleep can cause a range of side effects, from mood swings and headaches to blurred vision. With the festivities and socialising, one can find it difficult to get proper sleep. However, you can have a proper sleep quality by maintaining regular sleeping hours, creating a comfortable sleep environment, avoiding overindulge on food or alcohol late at night, and do not try to compensate for lack of sleep with caffeinated drinks, such as tea and coffee.

4. Be Active

One of the things that people often skip during the season of joy is getting proper workouts. You should not avoid performing your fitness routine whenever possible. And if you find it difficult to squeeze in your routine, simply walk more. Take the stairs, avoid taking your car for short distances and go for an evening walk. The more activity, the better the digestion as well. The movement will help keep your heart healthy and burn a few extra calories.

5. Do Not Skip Breakfast

Avoid having the dinner leftovers for your breakfast. Although it may seem like the easy and quick fix, eat a healthy breakfast. Have a healthy omelette packed with vitamin-filled vegetables or eat a cup of yoghurt with some berries.

Apart from the aforementioned points, one should consider the following tips too:

• Eat fruits
• Try not to stress out, consider meditation
• Do not sit down the whole day
• Engage your brain and keep your mind active
• Drink plenty of water

On A Final Note…

While it is important to eat healthily and stay active, make sure you take the time to enjoy yourself during the holidays and embrace the time you have with friends and family. Merry Christmas everyone!