Five Top Tips: Here’s wishing you a happy, healthy Christmas from all at Eat Smart Sheffield!

1. Think Before You Eat

Christmas is a time of plenty, and with crisps, chocolates and mince pies wherever you look, it would be rather Scrooge-like to suggest that you don’t eat any treats over the festive period! But rather than mindlessly popping whatever is in front of you in your mouth, spend a moment thinking about whether you really want it, or are just eating it because it’s there.

2. Eat Fruit

Let’s be honest, most of us get through the entire Christmas period eating no more fruit than the satsuma in the Christmas stocking. But it’s more important than ever to get your vitamins and minerals so fill up the fruit bowl and get your recommended daily portions of fruit and veg.

3. Don’t Give Yourself A Christmas Stuffing!

Recent research suggests that we consume around 3,000 calories in our Christmas dinner – more than the entire recommended daily intake for a grown man! This not only contributes to weight gain but also to indigestion and heartburn – not to mention lethargy for the rest of the day.

Eat a normal-sized meal and then take a 20-minute break to see if you are still hungry (it takes this long for the brain to register that the stomach is full). The chances are, you’ll realise you’ve had enough.

4. Go Easy On The Booze

Mulled wine on Christmas eve, Bucks Fizz with breakfast, wine with dinner, Baileys, brandy… the list goes on!

Try to keep tabs on how much you are drinking, and intersperse alcoholic drinks with soft ones and lots of water.

5. Don’t Sit Down All Day

We know every Christmas special under the sun will be showing on TV, but you don’t need to plonk yourself on the sofa all day! Encourage the whole family to get out for a walk at some point – ideally, after dinner to aid digestion. The more activity, the better, so take along any new outdoor gifts, like bikes, scooters or footballs.

Here’s wishing you a happy, healthy Christmas from all at Eat Smart Sheffield!

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