Well-being tips for the Festive Season

Many of us when it comes to the festive season over do things. Routinely, I hear people groaning, that they gained too much weight, that they ate too much and they drank too much and then they turn around on January 1 and swear that they are going to make changes to undo the ‘damage’ that has been done over the festive season. It can be a time of year where it feels almost compulsory to eat to excess and eat a lot of food that we wouldn’t ordinarily eat, simply because it is ‘the festive season’ as though we are never going to see such good food again!! 😱

But the reality is, that you don’t have to damage your body in the festive season. You don’t have to eat to excess, you don’t have to eat a whole lot of food that you don’t need or even like, aaand……..you don’t HAVE to drink too much. None of these things are compulsory. Just because you go to social events doesn’t mean that you have to eat and drink everything that is there! Now, I know this may sound radical, but you literally don’t HAVE to eat to excess and don’t HAVE to eat foods that overload you, make you dull and bloat you, cause you to gain weight that you then have to work really hard to lose again, if you can!!

Eating to excess and drinking to excess does not make a festive season!!

What is festive is the joy that you have within, the beauty of being with people and the beauty of loving people. That has nothing to do with overeating or having extra helpings of cake, chocolates or desserts!

It is actually really simple to go to events and just eat what you like and as much as you actually need to eat. The fact is that we are not in a food famine, and nothing is more important than how well you feel. It doesn’t matter how delicious that food is, if you eat too much and if you eat things that are not good for you, you are not going to feel great in your body, and that is going to detract from your ability to enjoy a time of year when it is great to rest and literally enjoy.

This can be a time of year when we can feel pressured to party, to spend a lot of time with people, to do things to show people that we’ve done things, to go places to show people that you’ve gone to places, to overeat to show that you are festive and getting in on the spirit of things, to eat certain foods that maybe you don’t like to show that you are getting in on the festive spirit of things, and to spend money that perhaps you don’t really have to show everyone that you are in on the festive spirit of things. These things can cause Stress ++++++++ for people!!!

I have some tips on how to stay well and how to enjoy the festive period.

1. Just eat what you like, what actually supports your body, and how much you actually need. Just because there is a lot of food on the table doesn’t mean that you have to eat it all. It doesn’t matter who made it, if you’ve had enough, then you’ve had enough.

   
   

2. You don’t have to drink to excess to show that you are festive! You can still be festive without alcohol, or with less alcohol.  It can take days to weeks to recover from alcohol excess consumption which can also result in flares of arthritis and unwanted pain that will last longer than the few hours that you were drinking alcohol for at a party….

   
   

3. Spending lots of money does not prove that you love someone and it doesn’t show that you are festive!! Be sensible with your money. Loving yourselves by honouring your actual budgets is actually loving others. Spend wisely. This will reduce your future stress which can ill impact your health!

   
   

4. Take the time to rest over this time. It can be tempting to see a lot of people and to run around to be with people and can mean that people can be really exhausted by the end of this time! Its absolutely wonderful to get together with people and one of the joys of life, but, make sure you take the time to get the rest you need before going into 2025. This time of year can set you up for the quality of how you start the next year. So use it wisely 😎

   
   

5. Do things that you actually enjoy. That will put a smile on your face, improve your serotonin levels and positively influence your well-being and improve the well-being of people around you as well.

   
   

6. Make sure you drink enough water and stay hydrated

   
   

7. Take the opportunity to be active and move your body. One of the great things in life is staying active and this is great for our health and well-being. Staying active keeps us fabulous!! Don’t stop your fitness just because there are a few parties on! It can take time to get back into the swing of things. Dropping your care of and dedication to your body can ill affect your health that can take time to come back from. Staying consistent has positive benefits every day!

Enjoy your festive season, keep taking your medications and keep taking care of yourself, it is the only body that you have and you deserve to feel absolutely fabulous.

I look forward to seeing you all in 2025!!!