Christmas is the season for making merry and with all that tempting food and drinks at your fingertips, it’s easy to be guilty of a little festive overindulgence. To help you enjoy the Christmas festivities without regretting your choices come January, we’ve asked our Wellbeing Collective nutritional expert, Emma Olliff, to pull together a few tips for a healthy Christmas.
Optimise your energy
When we’re tired and sluggish, we tend to overeat. Staying active will help you keep your fingers out of the Quality Street tin and burn some excess calories.
- Eat light wholesome, nutritious meals in between feasts.
- Take breaks from sugar, sweets, alcohol and refined carbohydrates in between feasts.
- Keep well hydrated with water and herbal teas.
- Do exercise or a walk in the fresh air each day.
- Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
- Don’t overheat your home. 18-21 degrees and cooler at night is about right.
Keep your tummy happy
Indigestion, bloating and gas are common symptoms of overindulgence.
- Eat slowly and chew thoroughly.
- Don’t drink too much with meals.
- Allow some time between courses.
- Have a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or bitters in some water 30 minutes before your meal to help improve your digestion.
Avoid headaches and hangovers
Drinking sensibly is always the best advice, but when the fizz is flowing, it’s easy to leave your sensibilities with your shoes by the side of the dance floor! Excess alcohol can lead to dehydration the combination of which often results in a headache or hangover.
- Drink a glass of water in between alcoholic drinks before you go to bed.
- Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Fatty foods – the good fats – are your best bet to help reduce the risk of a hangover. Opt for healthy oils in salmon, mackerel, tuna, avocado, olive oil, and coconut oil.
- The day after, eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and ideally give yourself a few days’ break before consuming alcohol again.
Avoid dry skin and hair
Central heating, freezing temperatures and overindulgences can wreak havoc with our skin and hair.
- Moisturise thoroughly. Try using your night cream during the day as these are usually oiler and heavier than day creams. Tisserand Aromatherapy Tea Tree & Aloe Skin Relief Cream will help cool and calm skin irritations and blemishes caused by late nights and overindulgences.
- Minimise central heating in your home. Rather put a sweater on than crank up the heating too high.
- Consume plenty of oily foods. Oily fish, flax seeds, avocado, nuts and seeds, olive oil, coconut oil and take an omega 3 supplement.
- Eat plenty of leafy greens and red, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables.
