A healthier approach to the holidays

The Christmas holidays and “healthy” rarely go hand in hand. But there are a few tweaks you can make during the holidays to ensure you’re feeling your best as we enter the new year.

Protein

Protein regulates your appetite, so if you have a big lunch or dinner in the pipeline, start the day with a good quality, protein filled breakfast. When dietary proteins are digested, a chain reaction begins from your brain to your gut, stimulating your intestines to release glucose and reducing your cravings to eat more food. Eggs make the perfect high protein brekkie and you can boost your nutrient intake by adding spinach or tomatoes.

Beat the bloat

Bloating after a meal is never much fun, especially when it can make you feel like you’ve put on weight even when you haven’t. To counter this, try drinking aloe vera juice. The active compounds, anthraquinone glycosides help promote friendly bacteria which have a cleaning and calming effect on your digestive system, helping to debloat your stomach.

Snack selectively

It’s estimated that adults alone can tot up around 800 calories on snacking alone on Christmas Day. While we encourage treating yourself and getting into the festive spirit during the holidays, if you’re seeking ways to snack a little lighter this new year, why not give our under 100 calorie Meringue Bars a try to get that sweet fix you’re craving. If it’s something savoury you’re after, try some healthy nuts and seeds (walnuts have 2.7g omega -3s per 30g serving) or some raw veggies and healthy homemade dips.

Add a dash of cinnamon

Not just for Christmas! While delicious in biscuits and mulled drinks, studies have shown that taking between 1-6g of cinnamon a day helps lower cholesterol. While trans fats, found in processed meats and baked foods, raise the levels of bad cholesterol in your blood, cinnamon lowers it.

Ease that hangover! 

Tis the season of the boozy nights out and morning tipples. To combat the side effects of a good night out, take zinc to help your body combat the alcohol in your system. When your liver breaks down alcohol it causes the release of acetaldehyde, which is a cell-killing toxin, leading to typical hangover symptoms. Zinc helps to lessen the effects by blocking the release of the acetaldehyde compounds.