Food, leisure and sports for a happy, healthy and balanced Christmas

Christmas is approaching. You already know where and who you are going to spend it with and you will more than likely try to take a few days off to enjoy it.

We propose a plan so that, in January, the only memories you have of this season are good ones. What do you think?

Christmas (21-22-23) and the New Year (28- 29-30):

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday:

• Go out for a walk every day for at least 30 minutes. If you are a member of a gym, make the most of these days and do some aerobic sessions before the holidays.
• Have some lemon juice with warm water before breakfast. It will help cleanse your system and give you some extra vitamin C.
• Have fruit mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Combine seasonal citrus fruits (oranges and mandarins) with pears and apples which provide soluble fibre and help protect your digestive system.
• Have vegetables as a first course and, for the main, grilled meat or baked fish. Try to have some oily fish (salmon, tuna, etc.) to obtain omega 3 and 6 acids to protect your nervous system and heart.
• Have skimmed dairy products for dessert and add a purifying infusion like green tea.

Christmas Eve-Christmas Day (24-25) and New Year’s Eve- New Year’s Day (31-1):

• You are going to have a rich dinner on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day so just have a salad with some protein like grilled chicken and a low fat yoghourt at lunch time.
• Have a piece of fruit mid-afternoon so you are not starving by dinner time.
• Eat small helpings at dinner and do not repeat.
• Have breakfast on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. At least a coffee with milk and a glass of fruit juice. If you don’t, you’ll be starving by lunch time.
• Drink alcohol in moderation. It adds a lot of empty calories.
• Have camomile tea, fennel and thyme or horsetail tea to help digestion.
• Just have some fruit and a yoghourt for supper on both days. Do not go to bed on an empty stomach or you will wake up hungry in the middle of night and you will need to eat something.

Saturday and Sunday (26-27):

• Try and have five meals a day. This will help keep your metabolism active.
• Go for a walk, or a run or go swimming. Try and do some muscle building exercises too, such as abdominal exercises or squats and this will help you burn calories.
• Have purifying pureed or cooked vegetables like pumpkin, courgette, tomato and onion for lunch and supper. It will help eliminate toxins.
• Avoid greasy dishes, meat stews or pulse stews for the weekend. Your stomach will thank you.

Follow this advice for a festive season free of excesses, and to be able to enjoy the company of your family and friends in a healthy, balanced way. What a good idea!

This post is also available in: Spanish