Mitch Smith – Health Management

The silly season is here and it’s all too easy to put back on those few extra kilos you’ve been working so hard to rid yourself of! As quick as Christmas comes, it goes again. That’s the best thing about it — otherwise we would be broke, alcoholics, overweight and sleep all afternoon every day! (Some people may actually enjoy that).

Think of Christmas as a ‘Christmas day’ and not a ‘Christmas week’. Try to reduce the effect of those few extra delicious treats that Mum’s made by going for a walk or run after all the presents have been opened. Never deny yourself something on Christmas day, but if you can offset those extra calories through extra exercise leading up to and following Christmas, as well as eating almost perfectly for the two weeks before and after this fantastic, but ridiculous, day; you will be all the better for it.

WATCH OUT for those double helpings and don’t fall into the trap of overeating at lunch. Sample all of the yummy food, but don’t overdo it just because your brother has dared you to have three helpings and a drinking contest.

Organise a Christmas day physical activity. It could be a game of basketball at the park, cricket in the backyard or simply coming up with an awesome slippery dip with soap and water.

Have a safe and healthy silly season, but remember your main focus should be to enjoy yourself. Just don’t go over the top and battle your family members to a last-man-standing beer pong match!

Emily Madden – Compleat Nutrition

Instead of having to punch another hole in your belt buckle after Christmas, adopt some strategies that will prevent that unwanted gain when the New Year rolls around. On average, Australians gain 0.8-1.5kg over the Christmas period and — while this may not seem much — unfortunately this weight gained is rarely lost.

Try some of the following to stay fit over the festive season:

1. Don’t go to a party hungry: For some of us, when we pass that point of hunger and enter starvation the inner bear comes out and we are more likely to heavily indulge at the Christmas party. Prevent that pesky bear from crashing your party by having a nutritional snack one to two hours prior to event, such as a handful of nuts, wholegrain crackers or piece of fruit.
2. Set a timeframe and pace yourself for events: Organise and prioritise special events from your run-of-the-mill catch-ups. This way you can indulge when it calls for celebrating and pace yourself for the weeks leading up to Christmas. Also, set yourself a deadline for the celebration to finish — such as January 2 — and get back into your normal exercise or healthy eating routine.
3. Quality vs. quantity: Look for seafood, quality rich cheese and seasonal fruits over pastries, chips, cheap crackers, lollies and chocolate at functions. Opt for foods that you may not have tried before, rather than eating one of everything.
4. Keep exercising: A lot of people ditch exercise and/or sporting commitments over the Christmas period, when this is actually the perfect time to be focusing on fitness with no school drop offs or busy work routines.

Leanne Scott – Pure Core Nourishment

My clients always dread this time of year thinking it will be either a massive test of will or a major stumbling block on their health journey. But when they realise that there is a strategy and ‘work-around’ to any potential situation, they feel empowered knowing they have options.

Here are my top five tips for the holiday season:

1. There’s a swap for everything — preparing holiday feasts at home is a great opportunity to create healthy non-reactive versions of your traditional comfort foods. You can literally Google any gluten free, dairy free or Paleo meal version of a holiday recipe.
2. Start your day with a nourishing well-balanced breakfast of healthy fats, protein and plant-based carbohydrates for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. My favourite go-to breakfast is smoked salmon, avocado, grilled mushrooms, and steamed spinach. Yum!
3. Stay hydrated! Festive alcoholic drinks are all dehydrating to the body (diuretics). Slowly sip water throughout the day and for every cup of diuretic include 1.5 cups of water to replenish hydration.
4. Eat mindfully — digestion only occurs in a ‘rest and digest’ state. Remember to give thanks for your meals, moments with family and friends, and don’t rush — cherish your experience.
5. Rome wasn’t built in a day — of course, not every day will go to plan. Use these times to learn from your body. How did you feel the next day? Average, fatigued, bloated, anxious? This wasn’t a fall off the dietary journey — it was an optimal time of experiment and self-realisation!