How to stay healthy over the festive season!

If Christmas was just celebrated on one day, I wouldn’t even be writing this,  but it seems to start in November with Christmas parties and go right through until school goes back. Three months of excess can take its toll on us.

Here are my quick tips with you today on how to stay healthy over the festive season.

1. Keep Moving.

Schedule in some lovely walks as a family over the holiday season. After the Christmas afternoon nap, head down to the beach for a long wander. Take a family stroll around the neighbourhood after dark and check out the Christmas lights. Organize the whole family for a game of backyard cricket. Jump in the pool or surf and cool off. Buy the kids some sporting equipment for gifts and use it with them. Just keep moving!

2. Eat Mindfully.

Are you eating just because it’s there? Our stomach is roughly the size of our fist, so don’t eat past the comfortable stage. Put your knife and fork down and check in with how you are feeling. Eat slowly and chew your food well. Enjoy the taste and textures.

3. Choose your food wisely.

Base your meals around fresh fruit and vegetables and then add in a few treats. Choose good quality, organic food where you can and keep the treat portions small. Survey the food first. If there are things you can have anytime, give them a miss and go for a few special things you will really enjoy. Choose foods that are made from scratch, rather than processed to reduce your toxic load. Try some of these healthy, whole food Christmas recipes.

4. Choose your drinks wisely.

Drink lots and lots of fresh, purified water. It will keep you hydrated in this heat and also keep your appetite in check. Try my Fruity Flavoured Water to jazz things up a bit. For special occasions, our drink of choice is sparkling mineral water with lots of lime. Quirky Cooking does a nice raspberry lemonade that would be a perfect Christmas treat. Keep alcohol to a minimum and interspersed with water.

5. Keep calm. 

Being stressed over Christmas can lead to overindulging, so keep as relaxed as you can.  Schedule in some time for yourself. Say no to things you don’t want to do or have time for. Get plenty of sleep. Check out my article, 10 tips for a stress-free Christmas for some more ideas.

6. Give your body a break.

Once the festivities are over, keep things extra simple for a few weeks and allow your body to recover. Check out my tips in this post – I have ten things you can do to get your body back on track.

7. Supplement. 

Boost your diet with some good quality vitamin and mineral supplements to keep your immune system in top shape and your energy levels up. I love Super Greens and Reds from Nutra Organics.

There is no reason you can’t have fun over Christmas and keep it relatively healthy.

What are you top tips to stay healthy over the festive season?