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How to Thrive at Christmas: Your 10-Step Guide

7 December 2019 By Victoria Smith Leave a Comment

‘It’s Chrisssstmaaaassss!!!’ You know it’s that time of year when the dulcet tones of Slade’s Noddy Holder are ringing in your ears everywhere you go! Christmas can be a confusing time. On the one hand we look forward to having fun, spending time with friends and family, enjoying some well-deserved time off work and sampling all the wonderful food. However, the reality can often be over-indulgence, family tensions and burning the candle at both ends. This can lead to feeling stressed, sluggish and run down. For people who are trying to make changes to their health, Christmas can be a daunting prospect and can easily result in months of hard work falling to the wayside in only a few days. We can end up piling on the pounds and starting the New Year feeling exhausted – who has returned to work in January needing a holiday to get over Christmas?!!

So how do we navigate our way through the festive season, so that not only can we survive the next few weeks, but actually flourish and feel ready to embrace the fresh start of a New Year? My 10-step guide to thriving at Christmas will help you understand what to avoid and what positive choices to make, leaving you feeling joyful, refreshed and rearing to go in January!

1. Be realistic. If you are trying to lose weight, then the festive season can be a tricky time, as temptation is all around us at this time of year. Set a maintenance goal instead, which is much more realistic and achievable. This will also give you the freedom to enjoy yourself without feeling deprived.

2. Be kind to yourself. If you do happen to overindulge, be fully present, really enjoy what you are indulging in and get straight back on track afterwards.

3. Be prepared. Normal routines tend to go out the window over the Christmas period. However, make sure you don’t forget about yourself and your health goals by ensuring that you take a bit of time to plan your food choices before Christmas gets into full swing. That way, you will have healthier alternatives in the house and it will be much easier for you to succeed, despite being surrounded by unhealthy options.

4. Don’t be afraid to say no. Christmas is such a busy time of year and it is very easy for your diary to become chock-a-block with endless parties and events. This can be overwhelming and leave you burning the candle at both ends if you are not careful. Prioritise the festivities you actually want to go to and politely say no to all the rest. Don’t forget to look after yourself during this busy time by having plenty of alcohol-free days and getting to bed early.

5. Get some fresh air every day. Make the effort to get out for a brisk walk every day. Walking has so many health benefits from helping to manage our weight, aiding digestion (especially good at a time where we might be eating richer foods than usual), lifting our mood and reducing stress levels (a bonus when we might be feeling a bit cooped up at home).  Encourage the family to come out with you for a morning walk; it’s a great way to start the day and to spend some proper quality time together too. But if no one else is keen, grab your headphones and listen to a podcast instead, or simply listen to the sounds of nature around you.

6. Drink plenty of water. Being properly hydrated supports so many areas of our health – from preventing and relieving constipation, boosting our energy levels, supporting brain function, helping detoxification, supporting kidney health and helping hangovers at this time of year!

7. Watch your portion sizes. it is easy to get carried away at this time of year. Be sensible about how much you put on your plate in the first place. Eat mindfully and make sure that you chew properly, taking your time at mealtimes. Listen to your body and respond to the signals that you are full.

8. Make sure you fill up on vegetables. The foundational parts of Christmas lunch made up of roast turkey and vegetables can actually be pretty healthy. It’s usually all the trimmings that are most people’s undoing. Make sure that half of your plate consists of leafy and brightly coloured vegetables. The fibre content will help you feel fuller for longer, as well as keeping your gut bacteria happy and vegetables also contain many health-enhancing antioxidants and nutrients.

9. Make good alcohol choices. avoid creamy and sweet drinks as they can play havoc with blood sugar balance. Instead, opt for vodka our gin with soda and fresh lime or tonic. Red wine is a better choice than a sugar-laden cocktail and ideally, drink alcohol with a meal to help reduce the impact on blood sugar levels. Ensure that you have at least half the week alcohol-free to give your body a break at this time of year. Explore the many lovely non-alcoholic spirits and gins that are on the market now.

10. Have fun! Christmas comes but once a year, so be present and enjoy it.

 

 

Filed Under: Lifestyle change

About Victoria Smith

My name is Victoria Smith. I’m a Registered Nutritional Therapist & Health Coach, and I’m passionate about helping people take control of their health in small achievable steps.

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It’s amazing that women and men are now beginnin It’s amazing that women and men are now beginning to talk about the perimenopause
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For too long it’s been swept under the carpet, ignored or worse, made fun of.
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The perimenopause is like the rebellious younger sister of the menopause.
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It is a stage in a women’s life where you are still having periods, but you may start noticing they are becoming irregular and other symptoms start appearing. This can start as early as 35.
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The menopause is only one day and marks the one-year anniversary since your last period. The average age is 51. 
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So, what are some of the symptoms of the perimenopause?
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•. Irregular cycles and changes to menstrual flow
•  Depression and anxiety
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•. Vaginal dryness and painful sex
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•  Night sweats or hot flushes
•  Low bone density 
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The list is endless! And it is estimated that 13 million women in the UK are either perimenopausal or postmenopausal.
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If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and are in your late 30s onwards, you could well be in the perimenopause.
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The first port of call should be your GP. But the menopause is more than just about oestrogen and there is a lot you can do naturally to support yourself through this stage. 
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When you make simple changes to your diet and lifestyle, so that you balance your blood sugar, support your digestion and reduce stress levels in your life, amazing things start to happen.
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You go from feeling exhausted, foggy and irritable to feeling calmer, more energised and more confident in yourself again.
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Send me a DM if you want to know more x
If, like me, you like a glass of wine or two but a If, like me, you like a glass of wine or two but are aware that drinking too much can be harmful for your health, how do you find a happy medium?
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I have had times in my life where I haven’t drunk at all (before and during my two pregnancies and also during a prolonged 10-month break in 2021) and I have times in my life where I found myself drinking more than I should (during 2020).
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Neither is a happy place for me. 
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I enjoy having a glass or two of good quality wine at the weekend and the marking of a different time of the week.
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But I do not enjoy the disrupted sleep, irritability, sugar cravings, weight gain and tiredness that comes with drinking too much.
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Let’s be honest, it is easy for one glass to turn into a bottle and before you know it you're drinking well over the recommended 14 units of alcohol for both women and men a week.
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I would advise keeping it to below 10 units a week.
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So, how can you still enjoy a drink but keep it in hand? Here are my top tips:
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🍷 Get real and track how much you are drinking.  The @drinkaware_trust app is a useful tool for this.
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🍷Plan to have some alcohol-free days. I have at least 4 a week.
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🍷 Buy yourself a special small wine glass. This is absolutely key to keeping on top of how much you are drinking at home. I have one that is 140mls, so it is a good size for a small 125mls glass of wine. 
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🍷Learn to savour each mouthful and slow down. 
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I often have a couple of small glasses on a Friday and Saturday night and then possibly the odd glass on a Sunday. I don’t drink Monday to Thursday.
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This is just over 8 units a week. It may not be for everyone, but for me feels like a happy medium and realistic in the longterm.
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What are your strategies to keep your alcohol intake in hand? I'd love to hear x
For two years after I had my second daughter, I th For two years after I had my second daughter, I thought I was going mad. 
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I was a mum to a toddler in my mid-40s and I was supposed to be tired, right?
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But this was different
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I was so forgetful
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It wasn’t just things like where my keys were or forgetting friends’ birthdays or what I had walked into a room for
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It was more that it didn’t even cross my mind to remember things. Almost as though parts of my brain were missing
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On many occasions I worried that this might be the beginning of early onset dementia.
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What I realise now is that I had brain fog, which is a common symptom of the peri-menopause
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At the time it didn’t cross my mind that I might be peri-menopausal. Wasn’t the menopause something that happened in your 50s and was all about hot flushes, insomnia and night sweats?
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Brain fog is a common symptom caused by declining oestrogen and testosterone levels. Add in increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which also has a negative effect on memory and brain function and you get a perfect storm in your mid-40s. 
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So, what did I do about it? I tweaked my diet, added in more rest and took the right supplements to help support my memory and brain function. 
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And now, my brain fog has lifted. I feel clearer, less anxious about it and more myself again.
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For many women HRT may also be a good option and the first port of call is to go and talk to your GP. But there is a lot you can do alongside this to support the peri-menopause. 
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I am excited to be running a new small group programme called Sail Through the Perimenopause starting on Thursday 9th June. 
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This is for you if you would like support to have more mental clarity, energy and confidence. 
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Send me a DM if you want to know more x
There is so much in the news at the moment on the There is so much in the news at the moment on the menopause thanks to @davinamccall 
 
Finally, this important area of health is getting airtime
 
Women’s midlife hormones are no longer the butt of jokes
 
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This is an area I am passionate about
 
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When they begin to prioritise themselves for the first time in years
 
The changes can be extraordinary
 
Take my client who went from feeling overwhelmed, anxious and that she couldn’t cope to feeling on top of things, more relaxed and more present with her family.
 
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Send me a message if you would like my help too
 
I am here when you are ready x
How to overcome the fear of failure around change How to overcome the fear of failure around change and move forwards in your life
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