How to stay in shape during the Christmas holidays?

The Xmas festivities can be a real test for our physical and mental health! Many and rich meals during the week, a race to buy all the gifts, the cold weather and the night at 5 p.m… how can we get through this period unharmed? Here are a few simple tips to stay in shape during the holidays.

A sports session? Yes, but not alone!

Planning the big meal, you are going to have in the evening? While anticipating your feast, start the day with a morning workout. And what better way to motivate yourself than to do it with a partner? Give your appointment; leave together and then return together! The strength of the teamwork can be quite surprising!

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

With the excess of food during the holidays, it is very important to stay hydrated (not with champagne!). Drink water and herbal teas throughout the day.

Don’t forget to consume fibers

In a period when your diet is not necessarily going to be balanced, you need to keep an eye on several factors: the state of the intestinal flora, good nutrition of the bacteria and good functioning of the intestinal mucosa (where absorption takes place). To meet these needs, the ideal is to consume about 500 grams of vegetables per day. Spinach, leeks, or the cabbage family are preferred for qualitative fiber consumption. You can also enhance this fiber intake with oats and wholegrain products. Finally, make your meals complete with foods rich in citrates, which can be found in citrus fruits (grapefruit, mandarins, clementines).

Keep alcohol at the minimum level

Aperitifs, Christmas gatherings, New Year’s dinner, festive meals of all kinds… During the end-of-year celebrations, alcohol consumption tends to increase. Without living like a monk, it is good to try and limit your alcohol consumption to three times a week and pay attention to how many drinks you have each day. Instead of one hard drink, you could choose to have a nice big glass of water!

Sleep well, live better

Do you feel tired every day? Are your 7 or 8 hours of sleep per night not enough? Don’t panic. Just try to do something about it. During the week or at the weekend, take short naps. 20 or 30 minutes are enough to regenerate the body and recharge the batteries.

Listen to your body

It’s perfectly normal to feel festive during the holidays and allow yourself to have some fun, but please try not to fall apart! Listen to your body and avoid exaggerations. For example, if you know that there is always too much food at home during the holidays, you can serve small amounts of each dish to leave some room for the rest.

Herbal tea for better digestion

Herbal teas can help you digest the many rich meals you are about to have. If it has digestive properties, it’s just fine: green tea, rosemary, dandelion, or mint infusions can be excellent digestive supplements.

The most important thing is to be positive

Take time to enjoy all the good moments. Enjoy your loved ones. All the way. Listen to them, stop thinking about your own worries or what you’re going to do afterwards… Enjoy the delicious food you’re going to taste, without ever feeling guilty… Take time for yourself, live the moment to the full.