Top tips for surviving Christmas 'trauma'
THE "trauma" of Christmas festivities is well and truly upon us now and I've no doubt you've already had some anxious moments, thinking about how to manage your exercise and eating plans through the maze of office parties, family dos and general "let it all hang out" festive attitudes.
Fear not, for there is a relatively simple way to handle all this and still come out looking and feeling decent.
My tips for the season are as follows:
1. Drink enough good quality water every day (0.033 X your weight in kg = litres of water daily) and be sure to add good quality salt to your food (best bet is Universal Vision Himalayan crystal salt). This salt will help keep the body hydrated and water itself is a natural thermogenic (aids in burning body fat).
2. Eat more good quality fat and protein as this will reduce sugar cravings and will help to control blood sugar levels (protein helps release your fat burning hormones, while good dietary fat ensures less potential for body fat storage).
3. Eat less processed carbs since these foods release sugar at a much more rapid rate than the non-processed alternatives (high processed carb intake = high blood sugar = high insulin output = body fat storage).
4. Assuming you're not diabetic or insulin-resistant, skip breakfast! Try and exercise on an empty stomach and wait at least 14 hours between dinner and your next meal. See the unbelievable results of my experiment with this on www.thehappybody.co.zaor on our Facebook page.
5. Don't drink alcohol on an empty stomach – rather, either eat a meal, or snack on protein/fat foods such as raw nuts, biltong, boiled eggs etc. before you drink (alcoholic drinks are carbs, which significantly affect blood sugar and thus body fat storage, not to mention liver function).
6. Do something physical daily and make physical movement more common in your day, in general (offer to look after someone's toddler for a few hours, get stuck into the garden, spend more time cooking good meals, go for a walk first thing in the morning).
7. Have fun! Make sure that whatever it is you're doing, you're living in that moment instead of feeling guilty or remorseful. Make conscious choices but allow for some spontaneity too.
Have a great festive season and see you again in 2013...