There’s nothing new to going up a size or two over the festive season. We’ve all got stacks more on our plates, literally and figuratively. The list of things to do gets longer by the day, and we eat more, drink more and throw our self-discipline and exercise regimes out the window.
Add to that a kitchen loaded with sweet treats, rich foods and high-calorie beverages, and the waistline is in big trouble!
Healthy holiday tactics
Stuffing isn’t confined to the turkey. Over-eating is a Christmas tradition that can go on for days, weeks even. Not only are there all those rich, generously proportioned meals, but also a smorgasbord of tasty leftovers sitting in your fridge, calling out your name.
• Use our healthy gourmet recipes for a delicious, low fat, Christmas feast.
• Instead of cramming all the leftovers in the fridge, give guests a ‘doggy bag’ of goodies to take home. It’ll save them from cooking and save you from temptation. Recycle takeaway containers for this purpose or buy a packet of cheap ones next time you’re in the supermarket.
• Don’t overdo the portions. Go for quality, not quantity.
• Simple, fresh and elegant works best, especially in our climate, and will save you time, money and calories.
For example, if you’re having friends over Christmas drinks, a round of Brie or Stilton cheese served with a bunch of juicy grapes and plain crackers is preferable to platters of fussy rich pastries. Or whip up some homemade guacamole (avocado mashed with lemon juice and finely diced tomatoes) and serve with crudités and crackers.
• Keep big bowls of seasonal fruit on the kitchen bench and dining table. Not only good for snacks on the go, but decorative as well.
• Have a drink and a sandwich before you hit the supermarket or start cooking. Doing either on an empty tummy is bad news for your self-control, especially when faced with all those yummy Christmas treats and baking ingredients.
• Eat a healthy breakfast every morning. Even it’s just a couple of bananas or a muesli bar. It’ll set you up for a day of frantic holiday activity.
• Carry healthy snacks such as apples and muesli bars in your bag so you can re-fuel on the go when shopping and doing the rounds of Christmas parties.
• Eat before you go out socialising. This old trick works wonders for the waistline. Not only will you avoid being dangerously ravenous when facing Christmas goodies but also alcoholic drinks won’t hit so hard if you’ve something in your stomach.
• Pace yourself at meals. Start with a smallish serving, then wait 20 minutes before going back for seconds. Or thirds.
• Take your time if you’re the host or hostess of a festive lunch or dinner. Make sure there’s a breather between the main meal and dessert. A walk, game of cricket or a stroll around the garden is a healthy and social thing to do between courses. It’s good for the digestion and also the Aussie thing to do!
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Alcohol can be a holiday health trap. Office and neighbourhood parties tempt even moderate drinkers to over-do it, aided by the time-honored excuse "It's the holidays."
All of these extra drinks and toasts really add up over the holiday season. Combined with the additional food and a lack of exercise, you may well find yourself asking Santa for a new, bigger wardrobe.
Many people aren’t aware of the amount of calories – and in some cases fat - in booze. With spirits there are sugary mixers in the mix too.
How fattening are alcoholic drinks?
Fat Calories Carbohydrate
Champagne 1glass/120ml 89 1.6g
Dry white wine 1 glass 87 3.5g
Red wine 1 glass 80 0.2g
Draught beer 568ml 182 13.2g
Dry cider bottle/375ml 161 12.8
Baileys Irish Cream 5.8g 130 7.4g
1 shot/37ml
Brandy 1 shot/35ml 72
Whisky 1 shot/35ml 72
Gin 1 shot/35 ml 72
How many calories do you need daily?
The average recommended daily calorie intake is 2250 for a man and 1950 for a woman. How many calories you need each day varies according to your lifestyle and other factors such as your height and age. Obviously an active person needs more than a couch potato.
An extra 500 calories a day works out to a weekly weight gain of half a kilo. One kilo of bodyweight is roughly equivalent to 3500 calories – or around 39 glasses of champers or 21 bottles of cider.
• Drink a couple of glasses of water before going out so you don’t fall into the trap of quenching your thirst with alcohol. Also, hydrating your body helps negate a hangover and your skin will look healthier.
• Make every second drink a non-alcoholic one. This really works! And it’ll help you party for longer.
• Choose the least fattening alcoholic beverages from the table above.
• Use diet mixers if you’re drinking spirits, plus plenty of ice.
• Add soda to champagne and white wine. As well as cutting calories, you’ll be doing your skin and your head a big favour.
• Take non-alcoholic drinks as well as the usual wine or beer to a social gathering. Choose something deliciously drinkable like freshly squeezed juice or an up-market diet ginger beer or mineral water. Not only will you ingest fewer calories but you’ll also go the distance in better shape - especially in hot weather.
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Too much alcohol is not a good look. Or smell.
Unfortunately it’s not just your waistline you need to worry about with alcohol.
Regular drinking dehydrates your skin, making fine lines and wrinkles all the more noticeable. Alcohol also deprives your skin of certain vitamins and minerals, leading to a pale, grey, tired complexion. And it dilates small blood vessels so the central part of your face looks redder.
Alcohol can also cause your face to look bloated and puffy. It can make your stomach bloat too. And there’s evidence that the toxins in alcohol contribute to the build-up of cellulite.
And it doesn’t stop there. Ever noticed hungover people don’t smell that great? That’s because 5 to 10% of alcohol leaves the body through breath, sweat and urine.
So if good health and/or romance are top of your Christmas wish list, and you want to look your best in all those party photos, easy does it on the alcohol.
Another common trap you can fall into is succumbing to the leisurely pace of the holiday season. There are a couple of things working against you here. First, you may be traveling for some extended periods, or have family or other guests in town visiting you. This can't help but disrupt your normal exercise schedule. Even fitness buffs are prone to giving themselves a break during the holidays because of travel and guests.
• Invite guests to join in a walk, swim, soccer game or other outdoor activity. Chances are they’ll welcome the exercise too!
• Choose holiday destinations that allow you to exercise, be it swimming laps in a resort pool, bushwalking, kayaking, or a sightseeing stroll.
• If staying home, give yourself a healthy project such as digging a vegetable garden, learning a new sport or taking a course of yoga lessons.
• Try not to sleep in every day. Get up at your usual time at least a couple of mornings a week so you can get to the gym or exercise class.
• Take breaks when travelling by car. Allow time in your schedule to stretch your legs or to do an awesome activity en route.
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