Many of you are about to celebrate Chinese New Year with your family, but may still be “wearing” the indulgences of Christmas and the turn of the decade!!! With this in mind, here are some tips you can utilise over the next week or so, which will enable you to enjoy this special time whilst maintaining your health and wellness goals. Balance is key Whilst you are going to be faced with an abundance of food, instead of overindulging at EVERY meal, just pick one meal a day to let loose on. Start the day with a healthy, protein rich breakfast, it will leave you feeling full and satisfied and less likely to want to stuff yourself later. If there are lots of treats that you haven’t had in a while, rather than pile your plate high, help yourself to a small serving and savour the taste of each bite - eating slowly will also help you to eat less and the signal that tells your brain you are full will be released before you’ve overeaten. Stay Active The best exercise is any exercise that you actually do! So incorporate as much movement as you can. At a minimum, a 20 minute brisk walk outside will bring great benefits, not only by getting your blood flowing, but being outdoors also stimulates a better mood too. If you bring your family for a walk with you, there’s the added opportunity of connection! Manage Stress Family gatherings, whilst precious, can often be stressful in terms of the organisation, logistics, managing expectations etc, so make time to recharge and relax each day. Left unchecked, stress can have a devastating effect on many of our body systems, not just it's ability to maintain a healthy weight. Therefore, taking a few minutes for yourself every day is vital. Each morning, spend a few minutes focussing on your breathing, visualise what a wonderful day you are going to have and set an intention for it to be harmonious and fun. At the end of each day, before you go to bed, again, take a few minutes to focus on your breathing and thank whatever power you believe in for a minimum of three things that brought you joy that day, then spend a few minutes reliving the joy and happiness you felt at the time to really fully experience the moment. Rest Sleep is often the most overlooked component in a health regime, so over the next few days, take advantage of the opportunity to sleep! For more information on how to make lasting healthy lifestyle changes, drop me a message at bustaruthk@gmail.com. I'm here to help!
Comments