Christmas is all about indulgence. So here at Her Campus we don’t want to ruin anyone’s fun but we do want to share some top tips to stay (reasonably) healthy over the Christmas holidays.
1. Everything in moderation
It’s so easy to eat an entire Christmas dinner, three extra helpings of stuffing and then gorge on two share boxes of chocolates. But, let’s face it, we all feel rubbish afterwards! Christmas is a very food-orientated holiday so you do need to enjoy all the fantastic foods on offer. But try to keep treats as treats and don’t over-indulge as you will just end up bloated, feeling sick and fed up with the sight of mince pies! Remember that you don’t need to eat ALL of the celebrations at once, you can enjoy some and then leave the rest for another time.
2. Move (occasionally)
One of our favourite things at Her Campus is to spend Boxing Day watching Christmas movies and eating leftovers. But try and get some air every day, move around a bit and try to be active when possible. We’re not saying you have to torture yourself in the gym every day (unless you want to of course!) but do try to get at least 30 minutes of activity a day (whether this is just dancing around to Christmas songs or going on a nice walk after one-too-many mince pies.)
3. Remember your mum’s advice!
Mums are wise and they usually give us some solid advice. So do what she tells you and eat those fruits and vegetables (and no, chocolate oranges sadly do not count!) and you shall be less likely to get flu and more likely to stay healthy and happy over the holidays. Try and eat a portion of fruit and veg every time you eat (so put some berries into your porridge or try roasting lots of delicious vegetables.)
4. Celebrate
Christmas is about family and friends and you need to celebrate and relax. Just as staying physically healthy is important, it is important to stay mentally healthy by enjoying your holidays and trying to relax as much as possible! This time of year can be mentally (and financially) draining, so try to take some time out to do things you enjoy and to have some time out from stressful social situations.
5. Balance that plate!
Remember the Healthy Living Plate (see below). It’s not very fun, but it is a good way of making sure you get enough protein, fats, carbs and fruits and veg. So when you load up the Christmas dinner, try and include 20% protein (from the nut roast or meat), 30% carbs (those lovely potatoes and mash), some fats (not too many pigs in blankets!) and then the remaining with fruits and vegetables (lots of good parsnips and roasted veg!) If you stick to this (and allow for some stuffing and graving on the side) you can’t go wrong!
So go forth and enjoy Christmas our lovely Her Campus Readers! But also remember that over-indulging at Christmas will only leave you feeling bloated and miserable. So enjoy and have a wonderful celebration, but try and stay happy and healthy too.