NUTRITIONAL THERAPY
The silly season is here – bursting with good cheer, delicious foods and festive drinks it’s a celebratory time of year! However, there’s a fine line between indulgence and overindulgence which can have negative effects to your health. Nutritionist Yasmin Alexander shares her five top tips and easy hacks to support your health over the festive period.
- START YOUR DAY WITH A PROTEIN RICH BREAKFASTStarting your day with protein, such as eggs, smoked salmon, bacon, Greek yoghurt with fruits and nuts, or a smoothie with protein powder, will ensure you have stable blood sugar levels to start your day. This will fill you up and keep you satisfied until your next meal. This is especially important during the festive period as it can prevent unwanted snacking on all the festive treats laying around.
- EAT YOUR BRUSSELS AND GREENS!Now I know Brussels sprouts may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but hear me out! Brussels sprouts belong to a family of vegetables known as brassicas or cruciferous vegetables, are they contain certain sulphur compounds which help your liver perform its detoxification functions. Other vegetables in this family include broccoli, cauliflower, rocket, chard, cabbage, pak Choi and kale.
- GET SOME FRESH AIR AFTER A BIG MEALWe are all drawn in by the inviting looking sofa for a lie down after a heavy festive meal, but this could actually increase unwanted digestive symptoms such as bloating and acid reflux. Getting out for a short walk after a heavy meal can help with digestion and even help your body manage the carbohydrate and sugar load from the meal. When we are active after a meal, our muscles allow more sugar from the blood into the muscle, meaning the meal is kinder on our blood sugar levels and energy.
- HYDRATE! This may be boring and obvious, but drinks such as coffee, tea and alcohol actually do the opposite and dehydrate us. So if you’re increasing your alcohol content this December, please remember to replace the fluid with water in between each drink. You will thank yourself for it the next day!
- TRY AND EAT MINDFULLYThe festive period is a time to enjoy and spend it with loved ones. If you normally notice you wolf down your meals without even noticing, try and take this festive period to slow down with your mealtimes, this can really help your digestion and avoid symptoms such as bloating. This may also help with regulating your appetite, as eating slower allows you more time to feel and listen to your hunger signals!
Yasmin is available for in-person and virtual nutritional therapy sessions at Fix, East Village London. Click the button below to book!