Silly season survival guide
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Want to have fun this Christmas and New Year, but still stay fit and healthy? Naturopath Lucy Cannings tells you how to be your best over December and January.
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The silly season is approaching. Does that mean you can let go of the wheel? You still have to cope with working a 60-hour week, the kids, the relatives, the dog, the traffic, not to mention dreaded hangovers.
What can you do to help keep your body running so that you don't fall into a heap come January? Well, the following tips will help support your body and mind while you dance into the wee hours at the many Christmas parties or deal with one too many glasses of bubbly.
Sleep
At the very least try to maintain regular sleep habits most of the time. Sleep allows your body to regenerate on every level and will help you keep an even keel over the Christmas period. If you know you are going to have a few late nights, then plan ahead the week before and even for a few days after to make sure you get home and relax and get into bed on time. Aim for around eight hours of sleep per night.
Diet
It is very important to maintain a healthy diet as much as possible throughout the often junk food-laden days over Christmas and New Year. On the days and nights you aren't out socialising, make sure you eat homemade meals full of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, cold-pressed oils and good quality dairy foods. Try to avoid takeaway as much as possible as it is often over processed, re-heated, laden with fat and salt and chemicals which all take their toll on your body and can leave you feeling sluggish.
Resist the urge to buy junk food such as chips and opt for a fresh fruit platter. A plate full of vegetable sticks with a nice dip is a great choice. Another good alternative is fresh nuts as opposed to the salted and roasted kind.
Stress
The herb Withania somnifera has been long revered as a traditional restorative tonic that helps the body adapt to stress.
Time out
If you do have a lot of social engagements and you're still trying to keep a cracking pace at work you should still try to have time out alone in a peaceful environment, preferably outside in nature. This will give your body and mind time to wind down and relax and keep you coping with all the craziness over Christmas.
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