Christmas is fast approaching and if you haven’t already  - it will soon be time for you to decorate the house and put up the Christmas tree. Before you get into the hibernation mode of Christmas time though, it is a good idea for you to have one last hurrah with healthy living. 

Let’s face it; no one exercises around Christmas. But before you enjoy 2 weeks of eating chocolate and drinking wine you can prepare your body for this with lean eating and exercise. Here are some of the ways you can have one last health kick before the middle of December.

Stretch out with yoga 

If you have issues with your muscles always being tight, you need to try and stretch it out. An app such as obVus Solutions can tell you whether you need to work on breathing or posture exercises - and yoga is a brilliant combination to help you stay fit and flexible. Start your day with a 10-minute yoga session and enjoy stretching out every muscle in the body for the day. The more lengthened your muscles are, the less likely they are to suffer injury when you go about your day to day life. 

Eat lean meals 

Before you tuck into the wealth of carbs, sugar, and fat at Christmas it is time to try and eat a leaner diet to keep your body happy. A lean diet can consist of meals that have 50% leafy greens and veggies, 25% carbs, and 25% protein. Some examples of this are: 

• Roast chicken with sweet potato mash and vegetables 

• Grilled salmon with Hasselback potato and salad 

• Tandoori chicken skewers with lentil salad 

Try to keep your meals lean and balanced, and cut down on the red meat you eat during this period as it is not as lean as poultry or fish. 

Avoid sugar 

Sugar will likely be a huge part of your diet during Christmas, but for now, you can cut down on the sugar you eat to help cleanse the body and lose a few pounds. This means swapping your sugary drinks for fruit juice or water; swapping white bread for brown; or cutting out pre-made sauces in favor of making your own. Making your own sauces will actually be an incredible way to cut down the sugar you eat because you won’t need to make sauces to be preserved on a shelf. 

Ditch the alcohol (for a while) 

Alcohol is always a part of Christmas - but why not have a few weeks off the booze before you go gung ho on Christmas Day? Ditching the drink for a few weeks will save you money as well as allow your body to ditch a few stubborn pounds. Fit into your Christmas dress with ease and enjoy your drinks at Christmas after a few weeks off. 

Try intermittent fasting 

One great healthy eating trick to lose weight is intermittent fasting. The idea is to eat for only a small period of time in the day, and then fast. For example, you might wake up at 8, fast until 2, and then eat all of your meals between 2 and 8 pm. Try this out and see if it stops you from being bloated and tired. 

Happy Holidays

by Contributing Author