Enjoy yourself over the festive season, without piling on the pounds!

As the cold weather sets in and with Christmas just around the corner, it’s the hardest time of year to eat healthy! According to the British Dietetic Association, the average person puts on 2kg over the Christmas period. Christmas is about having fun with friends and family, and of course a little indulgence! Nonetheless, there are ways of enjoying yourself over the festive season without piling on the pounds! 

To help you maintain a healthy diet its important to stick to regular meal times. Therefore, you should feel less likely to overeat at the wrong times and reduce your cravings for unhealthy snacks. Ensure you start your day with a healthy breakfast, aim for foods that provide a slow release of energy. This will promote healthy blood sugar levels and keep you full for longer e.g. porridge or eggs.

I recommend eating a more carbohydrate rich meal at lunchtime (before 4pm) and a higher protein meal in the evening.  Both meals should contain 1-2 portions of vegetables; opt for lean cuts of meat, fish and vegetarian protein sources. Reduce your intake of refined carbohydrates and deep fried foods. Instead, consume more complex carbohydrates like brown rice, brown pasta and wholemeal bread.

Everyone enjoys a treat or two over Christmas but limiting your consumption of unhealthy snacks means you won’t rack up so many calories.  The best way to be aware of how any calories you are eating is to always check the labels. Just one mince pie contains approx 250 calories! When you think the average person should be eating between 2000-2500 calories daily, a couple of mince pies can really add up!

By swapping your snacks for healthier alternatives can make a big difference to your calorie intake, as well reducing your sugar and fat consumption. Rather than snacking on too many chocolates, crisps, sweets, cakes, swap for more fruits, vegetables, nuts, seed, natural yogurt and healthy dips. 

Being organised is a great advantage when trying to eat well. If you are out for a long night of dancing make sure you have healthy snacks with you, or something healthy ready for when you get home. This way you will be less tempted to start snacking on unhealthy foods. After dancing, I would recommend consuming a combination of carbohydrates and protein e.g a handful of nuts and a piece of fruit or greek natural yogurt with fruit.

Also, practice mindful eating by trying to limit your screen time. Eating whilst on the computer or watching TV means you tend to eat more, as you less aware of how much you are consuming. 

There is a substantial amount of calories in most alcoholic beverages and soft drinks. They are often referred to as empty calories as they have little or no nutritional value. Drinks are particularly dangerous, as they don’t fill you up because they take up little room in the stomach. Having a couple of drinks with a meal can contain as many calories as the meal itself!

I cannot express enough the importance of exercise. Just going for a brisk walk after a meal is far better than taking a nap or watching TV! There are studies that suggest a 15-minute walk (30 minutes after a meal) can help to control high blood sugar and reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes. 

Or even better, get out and dance off those extra calories! Remember dancing can burn about 600 calories an hour, as well as being a lot of fun!

Any question or further advice please contact me on charlotte@a2z.dance

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