And healthy Be - Corazon Health

Be
         and healthy

 Follow our simple tips for a healthier, happier
   Christmas and start 2021 feeling great!

Festive music and movies, beautiful fairy lights and decorations, time spent with our
loved ones, delicious food and drinks - all of this makes Christmas such a magical
time of the year for all of us. But this is also a time of overindulgence. A survey by
Wren Kitchens found that on average, we consume nearly 6000 calories over the
course of Christmas Day. Apart from eating far more than we should, we tend to
also drink too much alcohol and not move around a lot. While Christmas is about
relaxing and treating yourself to delicious food, it is crucial to remember that
excessive eating and drinking combined with lack of physical activity will cause
weight gain and may lead to potential health problems.
Read our article to find out how you can have a wonderful time without either
depriving yourself or overindulging. We have prepared some tips and ideas on what
you can do to stay healthy during this festive season.

EAT
  healthy
Plan ahead
Even though planning what you’re going
to eat doesn’t seem easy, it’s vital if you
want to stay healthy during the
Christmas period. Find some healthy
recipes, plan all your meals, write the
shopping list down and buy only what
you need. If you fill your home with
loads of extra Christmas treats and
snacks, you will eventually eat them all
— even if you never really intended to!

Don’t skip meals
Avoid skipping any meals, especially
breakfast. Just like any other day out of
the year, skipping the most important
meal of the day will leave you hungry
and at risk of overeating during lunch
and dinner. You may also end up eating
many snacks in between meals!

Watch your portion sizes
Controlling your food portions doesn’t
mean you need to eat tiny amounts or
measure out precisely the number of
peas on your plate. There are other
tricks that you can do. For example, a
standard-sized portion will look small on
a larger plate, making you feel
dissatisfied. Therefore, you should use
smaller plates, as it will create an illusion
of having a big meal. You will be
surprised how much less food you will
consume! Also, try to opt for smaller
portions of your favourite treats, for
example buy mini mince pies rather
than the standard size. Moreover, don't
pick at leftovers and avoid the
temptation of finishing off someone
else’s portion.

Drink plenty of water
Drinking water helps you to stay hydrated and to remove all the toxins that can be
accumulated with a less healthy diet over the festive period. Additionally, drinking water
can help to avoid temptation and overeating. You should aim for 6-8 glasses of water a
day.

Try different recipes

Many of us are used to cooking traditional recipes for Christmas lunch and dinner, and
many of these are high in carbohydrates, sugars and fats. There are loads of different
recipes for main meals, sides, and desserts that you could try this year. Have a look at
some of these festive recipes from Heart UK – The Cholesterol Charity, World Cancer
Research Fund, and British Heart Foundation - they are both delicious and healthy!
Or perhaps you are thinking of having a tasty plant-based festive dinner this year? A
vegan Christmas dinner is easy to prepare and just as delicious as any turkey meal.
Choose your favourite meal from these five vegan dinner recipes or have a look at other
amazing vegan recipes from the BBC Good Food
If you have diabetes have a look at this booklet from the Diabetes Federation of Ireland.
It has many tips and recipes for healthy Christmas meals.

.

Choose healthier snacks

Over Christmas we tend to snack more
than usual even we are not feeling
hungry. It may be difficult to resist the
temptation of grabbing an extra
shortbread or mince pie, so why not try
having some healthier snacks instead?
Have a look at some of our
suggestions:

  • Low fat yoghurt with fresh fruits,
    e.g., raspberries, blueberries, or
    strawberries
  • Oatcakes with peanut butter
  • Seeds, e.g., pumpkin and sunflower
    seeds
  • Dried unsweetened fruit
  • Baked apple crisps
  • Mixed nuts, such as macadamia
    nuts, hazelnuts, pecan nuts,
    almonds, or Brazil nuts
  • Wholegrain rice cakes
  • Celery sticks with hummus
  • Baked pears with walnuts and
    honey
  • Oat cookies
  • Oven baked courgette crisps
  • Dark chocolate
  • Fresh fruit

Need some more inspiration? Have a
look at some recipes for healthy
Christmas snacks from BBC Good Food

Eat mindfully
Mindful eating is an approach to food that focuses on being fully present while you’re
eating. It helps regulate appetite, aid digestion and make eating a pleasurable
experience. Mindful eating isn’t about restricting yourself - it is all about enjoying and
appreciating food. So, this Christmas enjoy each mouthful of your meal whether it is a
roast dinner or a festive dessert. Take time to recognise the aroma, flavour, taste and
texture of your meals. If you are tempted to have a second portion, force yourself to
wait 20 minutes. Once your meal has had time to reach your stomach and signal to the
brain that it’s full, you may realize that you are not actually hungry and you don’t that
extra portion.

If you suffer from an eating disorder, please read Beat’s article ‘Christmas With an
Eating Disorder’ which highlights important issues and provides some tips on how to
cope during this time. For support and advice, you can contact their helpline on 0808
801 0677 which is open from 9am–8pm during the week, and 4pm–8pm on
weekends. During Christmas break (24th of December – 1st of January) you can call
them any time between 4pm-8pm.

Limit alcohol
During the Christmas period, many of us tend to drink more alcohol than usual, which can
increase the temptation to indulge. Although saying ‘no’ to a glass of wine or your
favourite cocktail, can be challenging, moderation will make Christmas much more
pleasant. Try to stay within the recommended alcohol limit, which is 14 units a week for
men and women – this is around 6 pints of beer or six glasses of wine in a 175 mL glass.
Here are some tips for managing your drinking during Christmas:

-   intersperse alcoholic drinks with soft drinks
-   stay hydrated and drink plenty of water
-   eat before you drink and avoid salty snacks as they make you thirsty
-   pace yourself and drink slowly - take sips, not gulps
-   wait to finish a drink before it is topped up so you can keep an eye on how much you
    are drinking.
-   refrain from starting to drink early in the day
-   avoid rounds and drink at your own pace
-   be assertive – don’t be pressured into drinking more than you want or intend to
-   keep yourself busy – instead of just sitting and drinking, you could e.g. play some
    board games with your family

-   choose drinks with lower levels of alcohol
-   try non-alcoholic beers and wines – they
    can taste very much like the alcoholic
    version!
-   try some delicious non-alcohol drinks – they
    are very easy to make and are less
    expensive compared to alcoholic drinks.
    Have a look at some of these festive
    mocktails and choose your favourite one to
    make!

Before you have this extra glass of wine, see
what happens when you drink alcohol and how it
can affect your health to make a good, healthy
choice.
If you feel that you have problems with alcohol,
you could book an appointment with your GP or
visit your local alcohol support services to get
support. You can also visit DrinkAware to get
independent alcohol advice, information and tools
to help you make better choices about your
drinking.
Below are some useful organisations where
trained advisors are on hand to give you
confidential advice:
Drinkline - free, confidential helpline for anyone
who is concerned about their drinking, or
someone else's. You can call them on 0300 123
1110 (weekdays 9am–8pm, weekends 11am–
4pm)
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Great Britain -
supports the recovery and continued sobriety of
individuals. You can contact them for free on
0800 9177 650 or via help@aamail.org They
also organise group meetings for anyone who
struggles with alcohol – find a meeting in your
local area by inserting your postcode in the
search box.

STAY ACTIVE
During Christmas, it can be tempting to spend the majority of time on the sofa and
watch festive movie marathons with your family. Of course, there is nothing wrong
with indulging in some sofa time, but it will benefit your general sense of well-being if
you also get up and move around now and again. Physical activity has both physical
and mental benefits – not only does it help to maintain weight and decrease the risk
of cardiovascular diseases, but it also reduces stress and anxiety, as well as raise
confidence and self-esteem.
Below there are some ideas of how you can stay active and healthy over the
Christmas break:

Go for a family walk
After Christmas dinner encourage your family to go for a walk. It may be even a brisk
30-minute walk or maybe you could all head to your local nature reserve where you
could also spot some wildlife? This way you will not only burn a few extra calories,
but also bond with your family members. You may also suggest going for a walk in
the evening to have a look at Christmas lights in the neighbourhood – the children
will definitely enjoy it!

Exercise
If you have a good level of fitness try a HIIT workout that involves short and intense
circuits, where you have to push yourself to your capacity. This sort of workout will
definitely burn many calories!
If you prefer slow-paced exercising, Yoga would be a great choice for you. It is a form
of exercise that focuses on strength, flexibility and breathing to boost physical and
mental wellbeing. The main components of Yoga are postures and breathing with an
emphasis on relaxation. You may also try Pilates, which involves gentle and slow-paced
movements, is an effective way to get a full body workout without risking injury.
Or why not try a dance workout which is a great way to burn calories while having fun
at the same time. You could even make a Christmas song playlist, encourage your
family to join and do the dance workout together!
If you have mobility problems or suffer from a physical condition which makes it difficult
to spend time out of chair, you could try these gentle chair-based exercises that can
help to improve your health and mobility.

Stretch
Stretching can relieve stiff muscles, improve your flexibility, slow your heart rate, as well
as help to relax. You could do these simple stretching exercises that don’t require any
special equipment, or try exercises with resistance bands.

Have some fun with children
Instead of spending hours in front of the TV, engage yourself and your children in
some fun activities. For instance, you could play hide-and-seek or the classic game of
Twister that will keep you and your family moving and laughing? If the weather is good,
you could also head to the park to play some fun games such as frisbee, tag or a game
of catch. Or why not take your family to the ice rink decorated with festive fairy lights
and Christmas music to enjoy? Ice skating is not only a great fun, but it also counts as
staying active!

Get ad break active

Can’t stop watching Christmas movies all day long? Then use the ad breaks to do some
exercises! Get up and move for a few minutes doing star jumps, squats, planks, or
cross-body punches – anything that gets you moving. Apart from increasing your heart
rate, it will also stimulate the intestinal muscles to move food through the digestive
system.

Discover exergaming
If you find it difficult to motivate yourself to exercise, you could try something
completely new like exergaming. It’s a concept of active video games that combine
body movement with gaming skills. There are various games available on popular
consoles that will take you off the sofa and keep active. Such games can offer a realm
of opportunities for hitting virtual tennis balls, jumping through obstacles, punching
targets, and many more.

MERRY CHRISTMAS
                  and

a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
 References:
 British Nutrition Foundation
 DrinkAware
 British Heart Foundation

Disclaimer: Corazon Health provides general information on health and wellbeing related topics. You should not rely
on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you
have any concerns about your health, you should always consult with a health care professional. Corazon Health
cannot accept liability for any injury, loss or damage resulting from this document and its content.