With the festive season almost upon us, some of you may be fearing the temptation of indulgent foods so plentiful this time of year. Unfortunately, Christmas time is often the undoing of many weight-loss attempts and healthy eating efforts throughout the year.
Too much alcohol and Christmas party nibbles, Christmas pudding and of course, Christmas lunch ham are a few of the foods which should be minimised for heart health and weight maintenance. To keep you on the right track we have provided a few tips to avoid overindulging and those dreaded holiday kilos.
- Moderate Alcohol Intake
Christmas is not called the silly season for nothing. Christmas parties and end-of-year functions often go hand-in-hand with far too much alcohol. Besides the sore head that often accompanies too many drinks, alcohol may also be responsible for those extra holiday kilos, dehydration, high blood pressure, depressed immunity, and strain on your liver. Try to be mindful of the amount of alcohol you are drinking, avoid sugary mixers and alternate drinks with a glass of water. Alcohol guidelines recommend no more than 2 standard drinks on any day. Make a ‘spritz’ by diluting your glass of wine with natural mineral water. Cheers!
- Eat Before the Christmas Party
In the lead up to Christmas, work parties, dinners with friends and end of year functions book up the calendar. The indulgent food served at these celebrations, such as cheese and fried food, are high in saturated fat and salt and consumed in excess. Minimise the amount of finger food you eat by ensuring you do not attend the party hungry. Having dinner or a healthy snack beforehand will fill you up so that you are less likely to overindulge. Fruit and low fat dips such as hummus are good options to nibble on.
- Try Seafood for a Healthy Christmas lunch
Unfortunately the traditional Christmas ham and other luncheon meats are high in sodium and therefore not the best options when considering heart health. High sodium diets are linked to high blood pressure and a higher risk of heart disease. If you already have a pre-existing heart condition, high blood pressure or diabetes, it is likely your doctor has advised you to eat a low sodium or low salt diet. Seafood, such as prawns and fish are a healthy alternative; much lower in sodium, low in saturated fat and high in cardio-protective omega 3s. However, if ditching the Christmas ham is not an option, try to minimize your portion size.
- Eat Slowly
With all the chatter and so much choice it is easy to overeat at Christmas time. Too much food means too much energy, which results in weight gain. Sit down when you are eating, chew your food properly and savour it as you eat. Being mindful of what we eat results in us eating less. Avoid that uncomfortable feeling of having eaten too much so that you can enjoy a swim or game of backyard cricket after lunch.
- Keep up the Exercise.
It is easy to fall off the wagon when things get busy in the lead up to Christmas. Late nights, end-of-year deadlines, not to mention the Christmas shopping, often mean that there is little time or energy for exercise. Making sure you stick to your regular exercise – especially on the mornings of Christmas parties – is really important for health and fighting the bulge. By the time the New Year comes around, that’s one less resolution to worry about.
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Tags: cardio, cardio-vascular, dehydration, Diabetes, festive, heart disease, high-blood pressure, indulgence, parties
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