Tis the season to be jolly… and unhealthy. When the crisps start filling every bowl in the cupboard and there’s an offer on a six pack of mulled wine, it’s hard to say no. December is a time when we allow ourselves to let loose, forget the diets and the to-do lists and just sit down all day doing nothing but eating and drinking. However, if you’re worried about picking up some unhealthy habits that you’d rather avoid then we’ve got your back. Here are five health hacks to stay fit this Christmas.
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Daily walks
Make sure you don’t miss out on a daily walk this season. Sitting down means your body isn’t working on burning away the food you’ve eaten, meaning it all turns into unhealthy fat. The best time to go for a walk is straight after eating, so get those boots on and get moving!
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Daily smoothies
A great way to keep your health up and get those vitamins in is to make a daily smoothie. Get some strawberries, banana, spinach, almond milk and whiz it all up. For an extra boost, you can even add powdered vitamins to your drink (best found in capsuled vitamins).
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Water
Remember to keep drinking your recommend daily amount of water, which is usually around six glasses. This is great to help you feel fuller after a meal and can also prevent you from overdoing it with the booze! Great tip is drink a glass of water between each alcoholic beverage (which is also a great way to prevent a hangover).
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Veggies
When it comes to Christmas dinner, pile on the veggies, not the pounds! Make sure most of your plate is full of vegetables rather than gravy (even though gravy is delicious). A few favourite Christmas veggies are carrots, brussel sprouts and parsnips. Here are a few delicious ways to cook your veg, so it feels more like a treat than a chore.
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Healthy snacks
To keep yourself fuller for longer and to avoid overdoing it when it comes to dessert, make sure you’re snacking on healthy foods throughout the day. This can include nuts, rice cakes, vegetable sticks and hummus. Another tip is to start the day with something healthy so that it sets you up for success for the rest of the day (even if your advent calendar is the first thing you see when you wake up).