We get some tips on how to have a healthy and hang-over free(ish) Christmas
Weight gain is the last thing most of us want to concern ourselves with at Christmas, after all it's the season to be jolly which for many means partying, eating, drinking a bit more than usual.
I've always found that being as virtuous as possible in the lead up to the festivities cuts down on an awful lot of anguish in January. This year I've been sticking rigidly to my 'Look Fabulous For Christmas' programme with the guys at Studio G14 and am really feeling the benefits.
But for those who don't have the wonderful and indefatigable Ben and Joe to keep them on the straight and narrow, The Urban Vitality Company's John Limpus has given ChiswickW4.com a few pointers for a happy, healthy and hangover free(ish) Christmas.
"It's approaching party season again and you are faced with the ultimate dilemma." writes John "You want to stay on track with your health and fitness goals but don't want to be tea total over the party season. Wouldn't it be great if you could drink during the party season AND not blow your waistline? The good news is YOU CAN DO IT, if you follow these simple principles."
Eat
Before...
Eat foods high in good fats and protein prior to drinking alcohol. Drinking alcohol, particularly drinks with added sugar, causes a rapid rise in blood sugar which can leave you craving food a few hours later (kebab anyone?). Eating foods high in fat and protein before and with alcohol can prevent this occurring and keep your post alcohol food binges at bay.
After...
Make sure you have a good quality multivitamin to consume before you go to bed (especially one that contains high levels of vitamin B and Vitamin C). Not only does drinking alcohol provide you with barely any nutrients but it can block the absorption of several vitamins and minerals. This again will leave you craving certain things the day after. Drinking a pint of wheatgrass or good water soluble multivitamin, will keep those post alcoholic binges at bay and reduce a hang over.
Drink
Drinking water in between your alcohol drinks and afterwards will drastically reduce the damage alcohol can have on your waist line. Diluting these toxins with water will help the body remove them and prevent the body from having to store them in adipose tissue - That's Fat.
Drinking better quality alcoholic drinks can also reduce the amount of toxins that your body has to deal with. (Remember where it likes to store toxins!) Many beers and lagers also have chemicals added to make them clearer and lighter, avoid these if you want to avoid the mother of all hangovers!
And Be Merry
Laughter - Fun
One of the main ways we can reduce the damaging affects of alcohol is bizarrely to make sure we have fun! Laughter and deep breathing stimulates the PNS which is responsible for the activation of white blood cells and removal of toxins from our body. Doing something you really enjoy whilst drinking, or the day after drinking can reduce the damaging affects of alcohol. Have you ever wondered why sometimes you don't seem to get such bad hangovers?
Sleep
The earlier you go to sleep the more time your body will have to detoxify itself. With a decent amount of water before bedtime, allied to a decent soluble multivitamin, you can get rid of a lot of the toxins before you wake up. This is also why the three o'clock in the morning drinking sessions can give you the two day hangover.
Stress
If you are drinking to avoid a stressful situation you are merely adding a chemical stress to a physiological stressor. Since all stress is cumulative this will have a rather detrimental affect on your waist line and fat levels. If you are suffering from physiological stress, be it from family or work at this time of year, then identify the problem and do something about it. Remember that FEAR can stand for two things...False Evidence Appearing Real or Forget Everything And Run decide which it is and act accordingly!
Apply these principles and you WILL stay on track this Christmas.
John Limpus / Emma Brophy
December 14, 2007 |