6 Ways To Be Healthier This Christmas

Hey Friends

Heading into the Christmas holidays, there’s a high chance that you’re feeling completely exhausted, and an even higher chance that you’re going to eat your way through the holidays with wild abandon – which is what holidays are for, of course, but here are a few things to keep in mind that will give you better energy, and nourish your body.

A few of these are really obvious, but take a minute to really think about the potential results of incorporating these into your daily lives, and it all starts to make sense.

1. Kick Off Every Day With Probiotics
Love your microbes! Science is proving more and more each day that a healthy gut is essential to our overall wellbeing.

2. Eat More Plants
Aim for up to 30 different plant-based foods each week, which feed and support the diversity of our gut bacteria, and which is actually a lot easier than you might think.
A chickpea salad loaded with fresh herbs, a veggie risotto, a baked potato loaded with spicy beans, a couple of healthy smoothies and you’re already nearly all of the way there.

3. Eat More Fibre
One of the easiest ways to do this is to eat more plants of course, but you can also supplement your fibre intake by adding in 1 Tbsp of psyllium husks or chia seeds to your daily smoothie.

4. Drink More Water
This supports your fibre intake, and also curbs cravings for unhealthy foods and constant snacking. I like to add a dash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to my drinking water throughout the day – this is both good for our gut and also for keeping the sugar monster at bay.

5. Prioritise Good Snacks
Ok, obviously this is harder to do at Christmas time than pretty much any other time of the year, but eating processed foods means that our bodies have to send a whole team to take care of breaking down all of those unnatural ingredients which are unkind to our good gut bacteria, when it should be focusing on keeping us healthy and energized.

6. Get Off Your Phone, and Prioritise Sleep
Studies have shown that being on your phone up to an hour before bedtime can lead to over-stimulation and reduced sleep quality. Get a decent bedtime routine going, make it a ritual that you really prioritise. Equally, don’t wake up and reach for your phone – scrolling through a dozen different social media feeds is similar for your brain to a dozen people walking into your room and all starting to speak at once just as you wake up. Not a pretty picture, right?

Wishing you happy, healthy holidays!

Sarah X

Sources: Mind Body Green, BBC.com