Top tips to help limit the ‘damage’ caused by festive over-indulging
Christmas Day is the day most people write off any kind of dietary limitation and over-indulge on festive treats. Me included!
Bucks Fizz at breakfast, mid-morning mince pies, the big Christmas dinner followed by Christmas pudding, afternoon Quality Street and mulled wine, a turkey sandwich and - why not? - a slice of stollen cake and a glass of Baileys before bed.
We all know that we overindulge on Christmas Day, but a study by Wren Kitchens revealed the extent of the damage - the average person consumes a massive 5,323 calories on December 25.
That’s nearly three times the recommended daily allowance for women and twice the recommended daily allowance for men… or the equivalent of 10 big macs.
Now, I’m not going to suggest that you cut out carbs or count calories on Christmas Day because that would be hypocritical. I’m going to be enjoying the festive treats just as much as anyone else.
But, I would recommend that you follow these five tips to limit the damage…
1. Drink More Water
Drink a glass of water when you wake up, another midmorning and then another before your lunch. Water can make you feel full meaning you may not eat as much. It also helps control cravings later in the day.
2. Start With A Good Breakfast
If you have something like eggs or Greek yoghurt for breakfast you will help keep your blood sugar levels under control and you’re much less likely to start snacking later in the day. Most people have their Christmas dinner in the late afternoon, so if you eat a good breakfast that will fill you for a few hours it will put you off snacking during the day.
3. Fill Up On Veg
Most of the extra calories come from the after-dinner treats (puddings, leftover sandwiches, alcohol). If you fill up on veg when you’re eating dinner you’ll be less likely to have second helpings of pudding. The fibre in the veg induces fullness.
4. Eat Slowly
A study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that wolfing down food hinders the release of hormones that induce feelings of feeling full. Put simply, the slower you eat, the less you’ll pack away
5. Boxing Day Exercise
You probably won’t fancy doing an intense workout after a day of over indulgence, but the good news is, it doesn’t have to be. A light jog, family walk or quick 10-minute home workout can burn some of the excess calories and get you back into a healthy frame of mind.
Stick to those five simple tips and you can limit the damage of the excess calories on Christmas Day without depriving yourself of the festivities.
Merry Christmas!
NHS exercise advice: Adults should - Aim to be physically active every day. Any activity is better than none, and more is better still.
Do strengthening activities that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least 2 days a week.
Do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week.
Reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity.
You can also achieve your weekly activity target with:
Several short sessions of very vigorous intensity activity.
A mix of moderate, vigorous and very vigorous intensity activity.
You can do your weekly target of physical activity on a single day or over 2 or more days. Whatever suits you.
These guidelines are also suitable for: disabled adults; pregnant women and new mothers.