Christmas Food Survival Guide

Let it all Hang Out at Christmas: Learning to Say 'No' 

Letting it all hang out over Christmas often seems like quite an enticing prospect. Just taking a few weeks off to indulge in the puddings, dinners, treats and those horribly tempting little finger food things from M&S can seem alluring.

The festive season is a time of temptation and overindulgence and by enjoying it, without overdoing it; you know you have the willpower to stay strong at any time of the year.
If you prove to yourself you've changed your relationship with food at Christmas; then you can truly celebrate.

Needless to say, the festive season is all about enjoyment, family and friends and feasting - so you certainly forgive yourself for a little overindulgence here and there. That said, if you want to maintain your shape somewhat over the period and not transmogrify into a Christmas pudding, then we've some tips to help you simply say 'no' to the fifth mince pie.

Exercise

You know you're going to have a big night, you know the opportunity will be there to overeat and you understand you want to go there with the right mind set.

So, why not exercise in the morning beforehand? This releases endorphins and puts you in the right mood to party. However, you also know if you've done your duty in the gym you'll feel less like undoing it later.

Water

A lot of us enjoy a tipple or two, or three over the festive seaon. There's no getting away from that fact. Having a bottle of water with you at all times and supping on it regularly to remain hydrated is very important, especially if you've been out the night before. It's also good for the skin and ensures you won't mistake thirst for hunger.

Prepare, prepare, prepare

Now, we're not saying to taking on the mantle of Baden Powell for the whole of the period, but planning does help.

Going to a Christmas party filled with morsels and canapés? Why not make sure you've had a healthy snack before you get there? If you go to the party at 7pm having last eaten at mid-day, you're going to feast because your blood sugars will be low. Make the effort to stay hydrated and eat some high fibre food later in the day. You won't be tempted by the frozen bite sized morsels, which aren't that tasty anyway.

Sitting Down

Eat sitting down, as opposed to standing up and always eat off a plate. Following this advice can really can lower the amount of high fat, low nutrition foods you eat without really thinking about it.

How many of us just serve ourselves directly out of the fridge at Christmas? Standing up, peering inwards and eating like we're being served at a soup kitchen?
Picking and nibbling like this throws you. If you want to eat something from the fridge place it on a plate and eat it sitting down. This is a good habit to adopt forever and now is a great time to start.

Most of all have fun, eat well and enjoy yourself - food is a celebration, Christmas is a celebration so please celebrate and have a great time.

 By Victoria C S Wills