So Christmas is nearly upon us and I know it’s likely that most of us are going to go a little crazy, eating and drinking too much, burning the candle at both ends and enjoying all that Christmas holds, so I thought it might be useful to give you a few Christmas tips.
My reasons for this are: 1) It will reduce your chances of becoming poorly, 2) It will increase your energy both mentally and physically for the party season and 3) You are less likely to feel rubbish come January 1st and in desperate need of a detox.
So here are the tips:
1. Drink plenty of water. This is really important, dehydration over Christmas is so easy and causes so many health issues – not just making your hangover worse! Try to drink at least 2 litres of water or herbal teas a day (and more if you’re drinking alcohol). Fizzy and caffeinated drinks don’t really count, neither does the tonic in your gin and tonic! =0)
2. Try to start the day with a good, healthy and nutritious breakfast (especially if it’s likely you’ll be bad later on – this will give your body what it wants and you’ll be less inclined to feel bad about being naughty later on, ha). This could be a smoothie, organic porridge oats, sweet potato hash browns & poached eggs (my favourite weekend breakfast), brown rice or quinoa salad, omelette, rice cakes with avocado & salad on, gluten free and sugar free muesli or rye bread with poached eggs.
3. Try to eat as many highly nutritious foods as possible (instead of lots of white carbohydrates and sugars). Some of these are – quinoa, sweet potatoes, brown rice, coconut oil, green leafy vegetables, veggies and herbs of all sorts, dark chocolate over branded chocolate bars and plenty of nuts and seeds (preferably soaked for optimum nutrition).
4. Try to keep up with exercise classes, or at least walking and cycling as much as possible.
5. Try opting for alcoholic drinks like Hot Toddy’s (with lemon and honey) or Grog’s (with cinnamon and fruit) as at least these have some lovely healthy ingredients in them.
6. Meditate when and where possible to help with stress levels and to give yourself some ‘me-time’.
7. Try and opt for gluten free options for puddings etc (all the major supermarkets do free-from Christmas cakes, pudding, mince-pies and custard etc now). With such a high proportion of us being gluten intolerant and the fact a lot of the free-from desserts don’t taste any different to the non free-from ones these days it will help you digestive system be less sluggish, help prevent tummy upsets and will stop you feeling bloated and exhausted after eating.
8. Consider taking a daily supplement of milk thistle to help support the liver, aid detoxification and help with that dreaded hangover! Also if you have completely over indulged the night before a dose of charcoal supplement will do the same thing.
9. I know this is a boring one, but try to eat as many veggies as possible before the naughty stuff, this way you’ll be getting your vitamins and minerals before getting filled up on the goodies! =0)
10. Get plenty of sleep! If you can take a nap during the day, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this (especially at Christmas, ha). Listen to you body – if it wants to rest then let it rest, you’ll feel better for it in the long run.
11. Lastly consider making a raw pudding or snacks for lovely, yummy, but healthy alternatives to sugary, naughty desserts and snacks. I promise you won’t feel like you’re missing out if you choose the right one. Here’s my favourite one this year:
Raw Cranberry Bliss Cake
Cake base:
1 cup oats
1 cup buckwheat groats
1.5 cup dates
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)
Cream cheese icing:
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (more or less)
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
1/3 cup agave nectar (or 1/2 cup dates)
Orange drizzle & cranberries:
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or cacao butter)
3 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon orange zest
1. Pulse the oats and groats in your food processor until they become a rough flour. Add the dates, agave and vanilla and process. Press into the bottom of a lined baking pan.
2. To make the icing: blend all ingredients until smooth. It’s more flavourful if you let it sit a day or two but using it right away is fine too. It’s gonna be delicious either way. Spread this over your cake.
3. To make the drizzle: blend the melted coconut oil and orange juice together. Sprinkle the dried cranberries and orange zest onto your cake then drizzle on the drizzle. Let it set for a few hours in the fridge
And most importantly have a very merry Christmas and a super New Year! =0)
If you would like to share any of your own tips, please feel free below.
