Staying healthy these holidays!
The holiday season is here, and we absolutely love this time of year!
Throughout the whirlwind and excitement that is the festive season, it can be hard to stay on track with our health, often over-indulging in alcohol and eating food that our bodies may not be used to. Our sleep routines and patterns usually take a dive, and healthy habits and boundaries can disappear. Sometimes, with the opportunity to have time off comes the discovery of new practices or habits that we wish we had time for more often. For example, nurturing meaningful connections with friends and family and getting in touch with what is most important to us.
To help keep you happy, balanced and invigorated, we have put together some tips for staying healthy this holiday season.
Stay hydrated
With summer officially here, now has never been a more important time to ensure you drink at least 2L of water per day. A great way to increase your daily water intake is to always carry a water bottle and include a glass of water between alcoholic drinks.
Try having water with mint and fresh fruit to make water more appealing and exciting to drink, particularly at social events and when trying to space out/reduce alcoholic drinks.
Eat mindfully
We all know one of the best parts of Christmas is enjoying the abundance of delicious food, but the downside can be overeating and feeling sick afterwards. We don’t believe in restrictive eating or avoiding what some may call ‘bad foods’ entirely; we believe in eating mindfully. Some tips for eating mindfully during the festive season are eating slowly and chewing properly, starting small as we can always come back for seconds, eating on smaller plates to avoid filling plates more than necessary, always having some veggies on your plate and listening to physical hunger cues by eating until you are just about full.
Ensure you get enough sleep
We all know the importance of getting enough sleep; this can be particularly hard over the festive season, but ensuring we aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night will help stabilise our energy throughout the day, improve our mood and make sure we are ready for whatever festive fun is planned for the following day! Aim to finish eating and drinking alcohol at least 2 hours before bed and avoid consuming caffeine after lunch, as this will drastically impact your sleep cycle.
Keep moving!
Keeping up with regular exercise over the festive season sets us up to feel happier, sleep better and help us manage the stress that sometimes crops up during this time of year. An excellent way to ensure you exercise over the holidays is to wake up a little earlier and do 20 minutes of your desired exercise before heading off to your social events.
Another great way to exercise over the festive season is to go for a walk after a meal. Studies suggest this can improve digestion, reduce bloating, lower blood sugar levels and promote better sleep. This walk doesn’t have to be long either; studies have found that even a 10-15 minute walk is beneficial. This can also be an excellent way to have some time to yourself or extra time to catch up with a loved one.
Get acquainted with non-alcoholic beverages
There has never been an easier time to swap out alcoholic beverages for non-alcoholic ones. The range of non-alcoholic beverages has exploded in the past couple of years, and this can be a really helpful way to decrease alcohol consumption at events or even cut alcohol out entirely.
Some of our go-to choices are Heaps Normal XPA and the TINA (This Is Not Alcohol) non-alcoholic range of sparkling drinks. We recommend the Oolong & Pear! Swapping one alcoholic beverage for a non-alcoholic beverage can be a really great way to limit your alcohol throughout the day at an event and prevent dehydration from alcohol.
Be prepared with alternatives if you need them!
If you know you have specific dietary requirements, being prepared before gatherings and social events will ensure you eat the right things for your body on the day. This may look like bringing gluten- or dairy-free alternatives to add to platters or main meals. Enquiring about what food will be served on the day will prevent you from being stuck with minimal food options, resulting in a rumbly tummy or eating foods that may cause discomfort.
Although there are some challenges during the festive period, such as getting enough sleep, overwhelming our digestive system or drinking excessively, we also adopt some fabulous changes. For example, spending quality time with family and friends, having downtime, getting outdoors in green spaces and near bodies of water, or finally having some extra time to spend on a hobby. Reflect on these significant aspects of the holidays and consider ways to build them into life year-round because these practices bring our souls to life.
Hang on to the best bits!
Although there are some challenges during the festive period, such as getting enough sleep, overwhelming our digestive system or drinking excessively, we also adopt some fabulous changes. For example, spending quality time with family and friends, having downtime, getting outdoors in green spaces and near bodies of water, or finally having some extra time to spend on a hobby. Reflect on these significant aspects of the holidays and consider ways to build them into life year-round because these practices bring our souls to life.
If you are feeling overwhelmed about the upcoming holiday season and would like some 1:1 support, please get in touch with us at contactme@cloveandquince.com.au.
Booking a consultation with us is easy; our consults run online via Zoom, taking the inconvenience out of attending appointments and making holistic healthcare accessible for even the busiest lifestyles. We also offer 15-minute complimentary discovery chats for those wanting more information on us and our services.
We wish you all a safe and happy holiday season ahead and can’t wait to continue working with you all in the new year!
We proudly provide a safe space for everyone, no matter how you identify.
Charlotte & Kate ♡