Active

OPEN YOUR MIND BEFORE YOUR MOUTH

Words by Personal Trainers/Sports Nutritionists, Martin Malone Simply Nutrition, and Gianni Fabrizio www.gianni.im

“O pen your mind before your mouth”, which means think before you speak. We like this saying but we’re going to change the meaning, just a little bit! “Open your mind before putting all those delicious festive foods and alcohol in your mouth”. But let’s be realistic, the festive season is a time to indulge a little bit, enjoy family and socialise with friends, so I got together with my good friend and colleague Gianni Fabrizio to discuss our 12 best nutrition and lifestyle tips to help Bulletproof your Christmas.

There isn’t much enjoyment feeling like a stuffed turkey

1. Find time to relax

Christmas, usually means time off work but instead of allocating some time to relax, people try combining parties, work, shopping, socialising and end up completely exhausted when Christmas Day arrives. Be kind to yourself and plan time to unwind.

2. Be mindful of what you’re eating

Being mindful of what you eat, will make eating over the festive season far more enjoyable. Christmas can be all about excess but there isn’t much enjoyment feeling like a stuffed turkey! The best advice is moderation. Have a bit of what you fancy but try not to empty the sweet tin if you can help it!

3. Prepare your body before a night out

If the night out involves food and alcohol, here are some damage limitation tips. Choose highprotein foods during the day but include a carbohydrate source in your last meal 3 hours prior to going out. This will slow down alcohol absorption and help you feel fuller but not bloated and less likely to overdo it on party food. Some exercise during the day will also help compensate for any additional calories you consume.

4. Be sensible with your alcohol consumption

Alternate alcohol with soft-drinks and water. No one will remember the next day that you had a coke or glass of water! If in a position to do so, something we find works very well is to drink 500ml of water with Electrolytes and Glutathione before going out. Repeat this before bed and have some activated charcoal. This helps get rid of the toxins from the alcohol and minimises dehydration. Electrolyte in-balance and dehydration are the main causes of hangover!

Gianni Fabrizo

Email: gianni@gianni.im website: www.gianni.im Instagram: Instagram.com/sculpt_a_new_you Facebook: Facebook.com/gianni.im

Gianni Fabrizio Martin Malone

5. Dealing with a hangover

We’ve all been there and it’s not nice being hungover. You will be dehydrated so have more water and electrolytes and avoid processed foods. Healthy wholefoods will help you recover quicker than sodium-loaded processed foods. Your body will thank you for it!

6. Sleep

Sleep can sometimes get neglected over the festive period. Frequent late nights can disturb your sleep patterns. Many people become sleep-deprived and exhausted after back-to-back late nights, so plan some nights at home so you can recharge or enjoy time with your family.

7. Make time for friends and family

Christmas can quickly become a mad dash to buy presents, finish some work off, go food shopping and before you know it it’s over and you haven’t spent enough quality time with family and friends. Remember what’s really important at Christmas!

8. Don’t overstretch yourself

Overspending is one of the biggest temptations during December and can make January a stressful month. Be mindful of your spending as it’s not a good idea either to land yourself in debt for the next 12 months by buying expensive gifts that you can’t afford. Allocating more time with your loved ones can be the best present.

9. Don’t forget to exercise

All your spare time can be taken up getting everything ready for the big day and exercise takes a back seat. The pounds pile on and progress toward your fitness goals is lost. With some forward planning, it doesn’t have to be this way! By planning some exercise, you’ll keep up with your goals and you will be in a much better position come January.

10. Friends & exercise

Exercising with friends is a great way to help with motivation, but also discipline, which by far outweighs motivation. Making plans with friends/family members to exercise is a great way to have some accountability to ensure you stick with the commitment you’ve set.

11. New Year resolutions

How often have you said – “right, in the new year I’m going to sort my diet out and exercise more”, but by mid-January you have fallen off the wagon again. Remember, you can't go from zero to hero in 2 weeks! We’d definitely suggest easing into it. Simply adding in more movement via walking, adding a litre of water to your day and eating more healthy foods and less alcohol for 2 weeks after the festive season is a good place to start.

12. Gratitude & kindness

Our final tip for the festive season. Take time to be grateful for what you have and spread a little kindness; it doesn’t cost a penny. Look around you and appreciate your family, friends and the roof over your head. It’s all too easy to focus on what you don’t have rather than being grateful for what you do have!