How to stay Rosie when Christmas is on your plate
SHE is looking svelte and toned coming into the Christmas party season. And now former Miss World Rosanna Davison has shared her top tips for getting through the festivities, without piling on the pounds.
The colour of drinks, pre-party meals and planned healthy treats to avoid the tins of chocolates and biscuits doing the rounds in your workplace are all part of her holiday plan.
“When it comes to Christmas I know it is not easy to say to people ‘only eat this or only drink that’ — you have to enjoy yourself and go with the flow to a certain extent — but there are certain things that can help,” said the Eat Yourself Fit author.
“When it comes to alcohol, definitely drink a glass of water between each drink on nights out, that makes a big difference. And try to stick to lighter coloured drinks and to avoid the sugary mixers as well.”
Ahead of Christmas parties she advises that you “eat a healthy meal before you go out”.
“Not only are you lining your stomach but it means you are less inclined to nibble on the mince pies.
“Make sure it contains protein and complex carbs to fill you up. If you are on the run then my favourite go-to snack is oatcakes and hummus or even just a handful of nuts. If you drink on an empty stomach, you will only end up eating more the following day.”
Plates of canapés and buffet tables often lead to over-indulgence so Rosanna said that if you are watching your waistline over the fourweek build-up “stay clear of finger food like crisps and pies and little canapés because it’s hard to stop once you start”.
“It’s more sensible to have a fuller stomach when you go out to a party so you’re not snacking. You’ll thank yourself the next day.”
On the abundance of treats piling into offices around the country at this time of year, Rosanna advises that the key is to be well prepared: “I make my own little protein balls and always have a bag of almonds with me when I am out. When you are hungry, it’s easy to justify eating a slice of cake.”
But she added: “If you would like to have treats leading up to Christmas then indulge and enjoy yourself because it’s that time of year — just try to set limits if that’s what you would prefer.
“Keep it to one or two chocolates a day or save it until the end of the week and have a treat on a Friday.
“Once you are not using Christmas time as an excuse to eat everything and feel awful come January, that’s the main thing.”
In the De Burgh family household, her family always try to pop out for a walk in the fresh air on Christmas Day but when it comes to food on the big day there are no rules: “Eat what you want for the day and just enjoy it.”
Rosanna was speaking at the launch of the Irish Christmas Tree Growers Association’s ‘love a real tree’ campaign at Dublin’s Intercontinental Hotel. “Each morning my dad would ask me to stand in front of the tree and say ‘abracadabra’ which switched the lights on. For years, I thought I had special powers,” she said.
‘Eat what you want on Christmas Day and enjoy it’