Overindulged? How to Cope This Christmas
Christmas is a time of joy, a time for giving and a fun season of festivities. Having said this, Christmas is also a period of serious overindulgence that is full of excessive eating and drinking. Not only do we indulge in a huge meal on Christmas day, but overindulgence can also spread out right across the Christmas period as we sift through an array of chocolate and sweet goodies that we received as “gifts”. It is not uncommon for any one person to consume a whopping 7000 calories on Christmas Day alone!
“Julbord“. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Christmas parties, meet ups with old friends and, of course, “New Year” celebrations all take place over the Christmas period, and all of which usually involve dinner and drinks. By the time the New Year comes around, most people feel in serious need of a detox!
This Christmas, how about taking some steps to avoid the awful feeling of over-indulgence? We’ve got five great tips to help you cope this Christmas and evade that nasty New Year slump.
Choose Your Alcohol Carefully
You will no doubt be likely to enjoy a few alcoholic beverages over the Christmas period and that’s fine. However, be sensible with your choices. Open up that bottle of cream liquor, but you don’t have to drink it all. Don’t be tempted to fill your nights out with cocktails and shots, think of a Christmas night out with friends or family like any other typical night out. Choose low calorie mixers for spirits and try to avoid consuming alcohol too early in the day.
Keep Sweet Treats for Gifts & Other Occasions
Every Christmas, chocolate and sweet treats top the list of the most commonly received gifts. While it can be tempting to open them all up and indulge in a sweet fest over the Christmas period, put some away to give as gifts or to use as treats for other occasions in the New Year. You’ll save some cash by doing so and save yourself from seriously unnecessarily over-indulging over the Christmas period.
Don’t Completely Cut Out Exercise
Christmas can be a very busy period for most people but try not to cut out your exercise routine completely. Sure, you may not be able to fit in your regular routine of four gym visits and three walks/runs a week but try to ensure that you fit in some exercise. Plan ahead so that you can complete at least 50% of your normal weekly exercise regime.
Drink Lots of Water
Many of us are guilty of neglecting our recommended water intake over the Christmas period choosing to fill up on fizzy drinks instead, and doing so leaves us dehydrated and desperately craving sugar as a result. To avoid sugar indulgence, ensure to maintain a healthy water intake over the Christmas period.
Plan Some Activities
Instead of organising to go out for lots of meals and drinks, plan some other activities for gatherings with family and friends. Ice-skating is a very popular activity at Christmas time and can be a really fun activity for people of all ages. Don’t like ice-skating? Take in a Christmas show, or even a beautiful Christmas Carol service.
Implementing the five tips that are mentioned above will ensure that your body does not suffer from overindulgence this Christmas. Avoid having to shop for a whole new wardrobe of clothes because yours no longer fit – your body and your pocket will sure thank you for it!