With the abundance of delicious food, parties, social gatherings and time off work, it can be a challenging time of year to manage healthy eating habits and intentions.

So how do you enjoy the season without feeling guilty and still maintaining some balance?

1. Stop and consider why you overindulge [if you do].

• Is it just habit? It’s what you always do every year?
• Is it social pressure? Or is it emotional or comfort eating?
• How does it make you feel? Happy or guilty?

There’s no problem with enjoying delicious food, unless you regret it afterwards. A common pitfall writing off December completely, indulge now and start again in January.

This can lead to stuffing yourself and feeling overfull, indigestion, reflux, bloating and feeling sluggish, plus weight gain, fatigue and feeling run down in January.

If you know you overindulge and want to avoid it this year, first thing is to stop and think about why - is it a conscious choice and what are your high risk situations? Set Your Intentions. Think about how you’re going to approach the next few weeks. Ask yoursel fhow do you want to feel on 1st January. Will you regret everything you’ve eaten or be happy that you’ve had fun? Will you feel bad if you put on weight?

So here are my tips to get you thinking about a more strategic approach.

• Tune into Hunger Cues – ask yourself am I hungry or is it something else?
• Have a glass of water to check you're not dehydrated. Don't forget that drinking a glass of water 30 minutes before a meal can
help you feel fuller & eat less.
• Ask yourself ‘if I ate an apple now would I be satisfied’? If the answer is no, you’re not hungry, it’s more likely emotional
or comfort eating.
• Slow Down and eat mindfully. Always sit down and eat at a table and savour your food. Eating in a relaxed state helps you digest
your food better.
• Eat slowly and chew each mouthful 30 times to help digestion and minimise bloating.
• Slowing down gives time for your brain to register fullness. It can take at least 20 minutes for the food to get from your mouth
to your stomach.
• Aim to eat to 80% fullness to avoid over-eating – slowing down helps with this too.
• Use smaller plates to control portions and put your fork down between bites to savour the flavours.
• Avoid eating mindlessly aka distracted. Eating when standing up, running around or when stressed means you won't digest the food
properly and may end up with indigestion.
• Stay present during meals. Avoid eating in front of screens.
• Focus on social connection rather than food.

Plan for balance:
• Identify key events or days where you’ll indulge and plan healthier days around them
• Maintain healthy habits on the “in-between” days to give your body a break.
• Don’t ditch the exercise routine completely!
• Never go to a party or event starving unless you know you’re going to get a proper meal with healthy options. Eat a healthy
nutrient dense snack before you go out to prevent overindulgence eg handful of nuts, vegetable sticks with humus or yoghurt with
berries.
• Don’t treat too much too often. Binge eating and drinking is the worst for indigestion, weight gain and everything else.
• Don’t go in for seconds, count to 10 and if you’ve been eating slowly and chewing properly you’re most likely to feel full
already.
• Aim for 3 meals a day with no snacks in between. Don’t graze! Give your digestive system a rest.

Focus on Nutrient-Dense Foods
• Choose the protein rich options over sugary/starchy options – turkey is a great lean protein, salmon is also good, as are nuts
and seeds.
• Load half your plate with colorful, non-starchy vegetables like roasted Brussels sprouts, carrots and red cabbage.
• Don’t forget healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocado to help you feel satiated.
• Choose whole-grain or complex carbs such as quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes instead of refined grains.
• Balance cake and chocolate treats with protein and fibre rich choices to prevent blood sugar spikes. Best time to eat them is
after a meal.
• Be Selective - choose the foods you truly enjoy and skip those you can have anytime. Or just try a little bit.

Drink Wisely
• Alcohol switches off your rational brain, increases your appetite and reduces your willpower.
• Choose lower-sugar options eg champagne, prosecco, dry wine, or gin & soda water.
• Don’t let others dictated how much you eat or drink!
• Alternate alcoholic drinks with sparkling water to avoid or minimise hangovers and reduce the strain on your liver
• Always always always eat before drinking, especially protein-rich foods to protect your stomach lining.
• Include lots of foods that support your liver eg spinach, broccoli, kale, cauliflower & Brussel sprouts!

Finally, enjoy the season without guilt. Think about how you want to feel rather than restricting yourself. It’s all about balance, mindfulness, and having fun without compromising your well-being. Focus on the pleasure of connecting with friends and family rather than just food.

If you've got any more tips I'd love to hear them!