So the magical Christmas period is over. You probably feel like if you see one more slice of turkey, or eat one more mince pie you’ll be sick. It’s a new year and so what better time to change your diet and change your life! With that in mind, here are my top 5 diet tips to help .
Reduce Carbs
Probably the biggest change in your diet over Christmas is the increase in your sugar intake via the eating of way too many biscuits, mince pies, chocolate and cake. By cutting down significantly on excess sugar your cravings for sweets will reduce and so will restore normal blood sugar levels. Also make sure to alter your recipes to decrease refined flour intake by switching to whole grain versions of pasta, bread and brown rice.
Increase Vegetables
There are very few Christmas treats that involve vegetables. Because of this you may feel bloated and constipated. By increasing your raw vegetable intake, it will lead to regularity if you know what I mean! Avoid high fat or carb-filled condiment options too.
Get Back Into Eating Regular Meals
By eating smaller meals of about 200 to 300 calories throughout the day, roughly every three hours, it will help you control cravings and balance your blood sugar. Kick start your day with 10 to 15 g of protein and try to finish your day with a smaller serving of protein. Using protein this way will kick start your metabolism at the start of the day and help manage increased metabolism while you sleep. For breakfast, consider a whole-grain muffin with an egg both containing around 200 calories and 10 to 13 g of protein. Before bedtime, have a small serving of low-fat cottage cheese, unsweetened almonds or tinned tuna.
Drink Water
Increase your daily water intake significantly in order to flush out toxins built up over Christmas. Resist the temptation to add squash/juice toe your water as they may contain sodium, which will dehydrate you, and artificial sweeteners, which will make you bloated and increase your cravings for sweets.
Be Realistic and Plan ahead
Many people think that severe dieting is a sensible idea after Christmas bingeing. This approach will not produce long-term weight loss and instead will actually encourage your body to hold onto unwanted festive weight. Eating a balanced diet, keeping a healthy lifestyle, as well as daily exercise, is the most sensible way back to a healthy pre-Christmas weight.
So there you have it! My top 5 tips to help you get back on track after Christmas. Any questions/comments why not contact me at r.saady@hotmail.com or follow me on twitter @EmbraceBex
Until next time…
Peace! x