10 ways to stay on track this holiday season

1.Dont go to party’s hungry.

It sounds like very simple advice. But going to a christmas party hungry, especially when the food they are serving is amazingly yummy (although very unhealthy) can be the downfall for a lot of people. Because its normally finger food that is being served people get lulled into a false sense of security. “Its fine for me to have this turkish delight because its a mini one”. But then the one mini turkish delight turns into 20 mini ones and all of a sudden you’ve eaten the equivalent of half a tray of turkish delight! Sound familiar? We have all done it, and will most certainly do it again. But being able to recognise this as a major factor for feeling crappy the next day and for the days to come is a big first step. So fill up on all of your good healthy food before you head to the work christmas party and you can still have the turkish delight, but you probably wont feel the need to go back the other 19 times anymore.

2.Manage your alcohol intake.

Again this seems like very simple advice but it is much easier said than done. If you have a week of quite a few holiday engagements, and your a fan of having a glass of wine with dinner, make sure to have at least 3 alcohol free days for that week because before you know it you've been consuming alcohol daily. Your mind, your liver and your waistlines will thank you. Now for the days that you are having a few drinks (to say the least for some people!) be sure to alternate beverages. For every alcoholic beverage you have be sure to follow it up with one glass of water. This will help to keep you hydrated, your hangover wont be as bad and your reputation should still be in tact by the end of the night

3.Support your liver.

It is a great idea to support your liver throughout the entire silly season. Your liver is responsible for detoxifying alcohol, processing sugars and because it is the second largest organ in your body its nice to be kind to it. Your body will thank you by having better skin, improved energy and greater concentration. Some great herbs for supporting your liver is St Marys thistle, dandelion root and globe artichoke.

4.Keep up with your exercise.

Exercise is vitally important to maintaining optimal health and wellbeing at any time of the year, but this time of the year it is doubly important when we are all overindulging. Exercise will help to manage stress (see below) as well as maintain a healthy weight.

5.Keep your stress levels under control.

The holiday season is renowned for being stressful time of the year. The shopping centres are a mess, people forget how to drive and often forget their manners. A lot of pressure is placed on families and this can negatively impact people health. when a person is stressed they are less likely to eat properly, exercise and they start to develop bad habits. Making sure you get lots of sleep, exercise regularly and being organised are all ways that you can help yourself combat stress. When i say be organised this encompasses everything. Organising meals, doing a big cook up one night and freezing the rest so that you have healthy meals for the rest of the week. Organising holiday duties, making lists of things that need to be done and prioritising them. Delegating tasks to other friends and family members so that the load can be shared. We are all human. It’s ok to ask for help.

6.Re-gifting for your health.

Many presents that people receive over the holiday period include chocolate, or alcohol, or both. And often this is in copious amounts. Its not a crime to re-gift these to others (as long as the original giver doesnt find out??) and it will reduce these temptations that may otherwise get the better of you. Im not saying to give everything away..but maybe that 5th box of chocolate you can do without?

7.Take control when catching up with friends and family.

Over the holiday period there is lots of catching up with family and friends that you haven't seen in a while. This can often means eating out a lot so why not take control over where the catch up takes place? Choosing a cafe or restaurant that you know has lots of good healthy options is a great way to prevent you making a bad choice for food. Another option is to get a takeaway coffee and go for a long walk. You can still catch up on just as much and get in a bit of light exercise while your at it!

8.Allow yourself to have an off day.

We are human, we aren't going to get things right all the time and we have all worked very hard all year, its nice to indulge a little and relax. If you have a day that doesn't go as you planned, whether you ate a little to much, drank a little to much or both; learn to forgive yourself. Tomorrow is a new day.

9.Don’t put things off until the new year.

This time of year it is so easy to use the excuse i’ll start in the new year. If you started now you would have 2 weeks progress on the new year and on everyone that started their healthier lifestyles on January 1. Why not start small NOW? January 1 and today look much the same when you really think about it.

10.Watch those serving sizes!

Keep in mind that not all crockery were created equal. The plate that you are using at a restaurant isn't always the same size as you are used to at home. Always opt for a smaller plate where possible because this will help to keep your serving sizes down. When you sue a bigger plate or bowl then you fill it up more, therefore you consume more. Its so simple but many people are caught out by this single fact. they think they are eating the same amount as normal by they may be inadvertently eating up to double what they normally would.