This is the season to start feeling guilty about everything you've eaten this Christmas and that bulging waistline.
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| If you've stacked on the Christmas pounds, follow these steps |
Fear not, everyone's in the same boat when it comes to feeling a little fatter this week than last, especially after that turkey dinner and all the chocolates in the evening.
It's not uncommon for people, including athletes, to treat Christmas as a time to unwind, enjoy a drink and overindulge in great tasting, calorie-dense food.
Sometimes, the festive binge results in unwanted gains in body weight - which is never enjoyable in the winter months.
It's important to get the right balance of eating healthily and enjoying the festive period, so - with Nutrition X, a sports nutrition company - here are 10 tips to keep you healthy throughout the Christmas period.
Don’t neglect your training
Keeping active during the festive season is a simple and important factor that can help keep you fit and strong. Work hard in training and enjoy your favourite carb-based festive treats as recovery foods after your workout. For any team-sport athletes who still compete on a weekly basis over Christmas and New Year, it is important to control your intake and select your foods based on your energy requirements. Stay tuned for the next article that will discuss how to maintain your training during the winter.
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| If you 'eat a rainbow', it will help your weight-loss |
Eat a rainbow
We’ve done all right up till now, but as winter gets colder you can become more susceptible to illness, especially during training. Support your immune system by eating a variety of colourful foods to ensure your body gets all the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. If you’re at a party with a buffet, make sure you have a ‘rainbow’ of festive foods on your plate.
- White - lean turkey meat, parsnips
- Red – cranberries, tomatoes
- Orange – carrots, sweet potatoes
- Yellow – potatoes, peppers
- Green – Brussel sprouts, lettuce
- Blue – blueberries, blue cheese (go easy)
- Purple – beetroot, red cabbage, aubergine
Start your day well
Eat breakfast like a King… Having a good breakfast is the best way to start your day, and may also stop you from overeating at later meal times, and picking in between. A higher protein breakfast is also much better for suppressing appetite later in the day than a high carbohydrate breakfast e.g. cereal and toast. Eggs, Greek yoghurt with mixed fruit and nuts/seeds, or protein pancakes are all excellent choices for breakfast.
Don’t turn up to a party hungry
‘I won’t have any lunch as I’ll be having a big meal later’. Sound familiar? Starving yourself in preparation for a big meal later in the day (e.g. Christmas party) is the easiest way to overeat and opt for all the naughty foods available! Eat a normal lunch and maybe even a protein based snack (smoothie, vegetable omelette, yoghurt and fruit) before you go to reduce your sweet-tooth temptation and prevent you from eating everything there.
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| Staying hydrated and drinking sensibly is important |
Stay hydrated & drink sensibly
When you’re in party mode it’s very easy to drink too much alcohol without any consideration for hydration…then you wake up with a sore head! Alcohol is a well-known diuretic, so be sensible this Christmas and drink water regularly, especially with meals and before bed, to keep hydrated and feeling fresh the next day. Alcohol is also high in calories with 7kcal per gram. A 4 ounce (113ml) glass of champagne contains 90-100 kcal; a glass of wine is typically 150-200kcal; and a pint of beer contains 200-250kcal.
Vitamin D – the sunshine vitamin
Throughout the winter months we are deprived of sunshine, meaning people are likely to be deficient in vitamin D. Vitamin D is very important for health as it plays a major role in regulating bone health and calcium homeostasis, nutrient absorption, muscle & immune function.
Unfortunately, vitamin D cannot be sufficiently sourced in the diet with only select foods containing small amounts (fortified milks & cereals, oily fish, shitake mushrooms). Therefore a daily vitamin D3 supplement of approx. 4,000 IU will help prevent deficiency and keep you healthy during the winter months.
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| Snacking can be a real issue around Christmas time |
Little and often
Snacking can be a real issue around Christmas time because there’s so many treats on offer. However ‘saving your appetite’ can also mean that you overindulge in one big meal, and then you’re inevitably going to fall asleep because you’ve eaten too much. Either way it’s likely that you’re going to overeat. Therefore, have smaller portions more often throughout the day by using smaller plates and bowls, and if you opt for a cheeky mince pie, have it alongside healthier lower-calorie options e.g. celery & carrot sticks with low-fat hummus.
Eat the good stuff first
Whether you’re at a party or at home cooking dinner, fill your plate with the sensible options first. Selection of lean meats, vegetables and salad, new potatoes and wholegrains, followed by low fat Greek yoghurt and fruit should be prioritised. THEN, if you’re wanting a sweet pudding, you can still enjoy a treat without feeling the need to have loads of them.
80/20
This rule doesn’t just apply to festive periods…it’s all year round! Sticking to a well-planned diet that meets your energy and nutrient requirements 80% of the time, allows you to enjoy a treat the remaining 20%. This is not only good for you mentally, but you’re also more likely to stick to a diet and healthy lifestyle if you reward yourself every now and then. Give it a go this Christmas, and if you’re like me and love a mince pie, reward yourself so long as you’ve trained hard and eaten well the majority of the time.
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