The holidays can be an especially hard time to stick to our health and nutrition goals. Have no fear, Almost Essential’s here with advice that will help you indulge in the festivities without feeling guilty.

1. Exercise In The Mornings

Starting the day with an exercise routine, will help to boost your metabolism and more efficiently burn through calories in the day.  A simple routine that might include a Yoga sessions, park Run, Swim or a gym class is all it takes.

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2. Stay hydrated

Whether you’re exercising or not, in order to stave of hunger and operate at your best it’s important to stay hydrated.  Similarly, you can expect your intake of alcohol to increase over the holiday period, which has the effect of increasing appetites for sugary and fatty foods. Drinking a glass of water in between each alcoholic drink, will help you to make sensible food choices as well as reduce the chances of severe hangovers the morning after.

3. Bring Dessert

When you’re hosting a party it’s easy to ensure there’s some healthy options at the buffet, but setting the menu at a friend’s party is harder. If it’s appropriate you can always offer to help your host, by offering to bring a desert to the party. A little internet searching will reveal a whole range of healthy substitutes for flour, sugar, butter and those other naughty ingredients that go into many of our favourite Christmas treats and with a little care and attention you’ll ensure there’s tasty, healthy sweet treats on offer.

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4. Don’t Arrive Hungry

Even those with the strongest will power will crumble, if they arrive to a party hungry. In this scenario, faced with a smorgasbord of temptations, it’s almost impossible not to give into desire. By eating a little at home before arriving at the party, you’ll be ensuring you eat less of the unhealthy buffet snacks and something more nourishing food beforehand.

5. Nutritious Nibbles First

Festive buffets and banquets are marvelous things, and the key to indulging in them in a healthy way is to feast on the most nutritious options first. It’s always tempting to dive straight into to the cheese or  pate, but the risk is that you get full on these foods, before even looking at lighter options on offer.

6. Be Patient

It’s always tempting to go back for more at a dinner or buffet table, but before you do, give your body at least 20 minutes. This is the average time it takes our brains to register fullness in our stomachs. If you don’t give yourself this time, it becomes very easy to over eat.

7. Be Mindful

As you eat, savour the taste, aroma and texture in the mouth. This is one of the great pleasures of life and especially at this festive time of year, but be mindful of what you’re experiencing, Ask yourself this important questions: Does this taste as good as the first bite? As we become full, our sense of taste will dull and enjoyment from food will reduce. By being in touch with part of ourselves, we can anticipate more easily when we should stop eating something.

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Are you looking for some personal nutritional advice for over the holidays or in the new year? Why not speak to Almost Essential’s recommended nutritionist – Filip – who has 10 years of experience in the field of nutritional sciences. Filip makes a point to understand your lifestyle and what you can realistically achieve on that basis. He is very thorough and takes the time to understand your goals.