How To Stay Balanced Over Christmas by Basil and Vogue

Christmas is only around the corner and whilst it’s such a lovely and social time of the year, it can cause some of us a little anxiety in terms of maintaining our health goals whilst still enjoying the tasty food, endless drinks and fun parties.

Of course, it would be tragic to be super strict with yourself over the festive period so we’ve put together some of our top tips to help you “stay balanced” by maintaining a healthy lifestyle without missing out on all the fun! After all, wouldn’t it be great to start off January already on-track rather than having to make any drastic new year’s resolutions?

1. Add in extra physical activity when you can

The Christmas break often means that our regular exercise schedule goes out the window so try and incorporate some type of fitness to each of your days even if it’s not as intense as it normally would be. We recommend going on a Christmas morning walk with your family as it’s such a nice way to start off the day and gets your metabolism going too!

2. Don’t miss out on breakfast 

Skipping a meal before eating out in a restaurant is something most of us will be guilty of doing but under-eating throughout the day is actually worse for our health; our blood sugar plummets meaning we have less energy and we also end up over-eating later. Instead, eat normally beforehand, but try to pick healthier choices wherever possible.

3. Plan to meet friends over a gym session 

Meeting friends for cocktails/dinner over multiple days can make you feel sluggish and you’ll be less likely to work-out the day after. Instead, offer to partner up for a workout class, then have a proper catch up over a healthy post-gym brunch.

4. Load up on veg

Eating healthy over Christmas doesn’t have to mean small portions! Load your plate with your favourite roast vegetables- not only are these the lower calorie option but they also have a higher nutrient density too so you’ll be getting all your essential vitamins too!

5. Offer to be the cook!

If you’re worried about a lack of healthy options at dinner parties, you could volunteer to contribute by cooking some of your own healthy dishes for everyone to share. A festive stuffed butternut squash would go down a treat if you add in loads of warming spices and you could make some healthy desserts using our protein powder (like our thumbprint cookies!)

6. Go easy on the G&Ts

It’s easy to go a bit overboard with the mulled wine, prosecco and cheeky G&T offered at nearly every social event and whilst we’re not saying you have to go completely sober (although you can if you want to!) we do recommend cutting back, as excessive drinking can lead to negative side effects (i.e. hangover from hell!). Bring extra mixer to dilute your drinks and stay hydrated with water throughout the day by investing in a large water bottle to stay on track.
 
Whilst following these tips will help you to stay fit and healthy, it’s important to remember that it’s completely normal to take a more relaxed approach to healthy eating and exercise over Christmas so don’t be too hard on yourself!
 
We hope you have a beautiful Christmas, on behalf of the Free Soul team x