Health & Fitness seasonal indulgence

50 Health & Wellbeing

Weight Gain Over Christmas By Heather Smith

When you’ve made big steps towards your targets during the year, it’s easy to worry about gaining huge amounts of weight over Christmas and having to start again in January. One day of eating off-track is not going to make any difference in the long run. If you're going to eat off-track, do it consciously and feel no guilt! But as we all know, Christmas Day itself isn't even the half of it. Add in the Advent calendar chocolate, the coffee shop Christmas specials, a few mince pies, several glasses of mulled wine and the leftovers after Christmas and we see the worry about gaining weight could be legitimate. The first thing to keep in mind is that Christmas is not celebrated purely with food. You don't have to overeat in order for Christmas to be Christmas. It's a time to spend with people who are important to you, sharing experiences and making memories. Food is of course part of it, but it isn't the whole experience. The next thing is to accept that there are some foods you only see at Christmas, and you are bound to want

to enjoy your favourites. That's fine, of course it’s fine. Just plan in advance what you can't pass on, and what you're happy to skip. Next, make it easy for yourself to stick to your plan. My suggestion is to eat a healthy meal before you open the door to off-track foods or drinks. If it’s a party, have a proper meal before you go. If it’s Christmas Day, fill your plate with meat and veg before adding anything else. Try to forward plan exercise as well as food. It’s too easy over Christmas to sit around eating excess calories. A workout a couple of hours before a big meal is a great idea as it will make sure more of the calories are actually needed by your body. Fasting is another good way to achieve this calorie need; but approach fasting with caution - if you're starving hungry and faced with a box of chocolates, it’s likely to not end well! Finally, try to learn from past experience. Remember how uncomfortable that feeling of having overeaten is; the tummy cramps, the lethargic feeling - and getting out of breath just walking to the loo! Heather Smith is a fat loss specialist Personal Trainer. Get in touch for a free five-day meal plan www.fitbiztraining.co.uk

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Health & Wellbeing

51

52 Health & Wellbeing

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53 Pets

The festive period can be a great time for all the family including our furry family but it is also the time when pets really do prove that they can get into anything. Chocolate isn’t the only food hazard to be aware of. When we think of pets eating things that cause harm, we often think of dogs eating chocolate. While this is the most common poisoning that vets see, and chocolate will be in plentiful supply over Christmas, there are lots of other hazards we also need to consider that are abundant in our homes over the festive period. For example, raisins and sultanas, which are plentiful in Christmas puddings, are toxic to dogs. A gift of a beautiful bunch of Lilies can be toxic to cats and other festive plants around the house such as mistletoe and Ivy are mildly toxic to our pets. A bowl of macadamia nuts left out to snack on for the humans is a danger to your dog if ingested. And then there is the alcohol, an inquisitive (or greedy) pet will investigate the drink left on a low table or the spillage on the floor and pets are far more susceptible to adverse effects of alcohol. Paws for thought Dr Julian Hoad How to avoid a visit to the vets this Christmas

Temptation can lead to paying the ultimate price. Tinsel, baubles and wrapping paper can look like a fun toy to play with for pets, but this can lead to ingestion of bits or the whole lot of it which may cause a life -threatening blockage. In the excitement of presents it is easy to leave new toys lying around which can also be a temptation to dogs to have a quick chew. Ingestion of batteries can cause serious lifethreatening problems. While this is just a small list of potential hazards and there are many more we need to be aware of, it highlights the extra perils that the festive period can hold for inquisitive pets. Overindulgence is a problem for pets as well as humans at this time of year. Over 60% of vets (British Veterinary Association 2018) think that pet obesity is the biggest health and welfare concern for pets. Giving extra treats over the festive period could be doing your pet much more harm than good and serious overindulgence by pets can lead to digestive problems. The best way to have a happy and safe festive period for the whole family is to prepare and keep hazards away from pets to avoid unexpected trips to the vets! Crossways Veterinary Group, School Hill, Storrington, 01903 743040 www.crosswaysvets.co.uk