Christmas is coming, and we are bombarded with temptations and indulgences on all sides, be it the office party, festive drinks with friends, or family blowouts.

For anyone seeking to maintain or get in shape, this can be an incredibly challenging time of year and one where any craving can be far too easily indulged.

Often, we think about the obvious things such as Christmas pudding, sweets and mince pies but calories can also be lurking in liquids such as your festive coffees from places like Costa not to mention all the alcoholic tipples.

Before I continue…

I really want to stress that I’m not being a Scrooge, I really do want you to enjoy the festivities and let your hair down BUT I also want you to be mindful and exercise moderation otherwise come January you’ll be feeling terrible and will have created a bigger problem!

Getting back on topic…

Many of these festive beverages are packed with cream and sugary syrups that contain hundreds of extra calories, loads of toxins and have zero nutritional value. They’re all too easy to consume and often fly under the radar unnoticed.

For example, a typical festive drink from Costa such as their hazelnut praline and cream latte or their Irish velvet and cream coffee frostino will set you back approx. 450 kcals and this is all before you’ve even eaten a single solid meal. You could eat a healthy meal of fish and vegetables and feel satiated for several hours, but the same number of calories from a sugar-sweetened drink won’t fill you up at all and is devoid of nutrients.

The other thing with these liquid indulgences is they’re easy to overconsume, they don’t fill you up and the high sugar content of many of these drinks is likely to cause fluctuations in your blood sugar, often leaving you low on energy and craving more sugar soon after.

As you can see it’s easy to get swept up in the Christmas spirit and treat yourself to a few festive-flavoured coffees, blissfully unaware of the impact it could be having on your waistline and your health.

So, here’s a number of simple things I advise my B-Fit ladies to do to avoid unwanted weight gain from hidden liquid calories whilst at the same time protecting their health:

LOOK AFTER YOUR LIVER

The liver is one of the most important organs in your body. It helps to get rid of toxins and where do toxins get stored? in fat. During Christmas, your liver gets bombarded with toxins from alcohol, sugar, additives and other nasties. A really simple way to give it some extra TLC is with this LIVER HEALTH FORMULA.

HYDRATE

Drink lots of pure filtered water. This is such an easy tip. It’s free, and it will help flush out those nasty toxins. Plus, it will fill you up so you’re less likely to overeat or drink too much.

DRINK SLOWLY

Do you ever notice how some people seem to mindlessly gulp down their drinks? Pace yourself and sip. Really take time to savour your drink. You’ll make it last longer and therefore consume less.

ORGANIC ALCOHOL

Try to drink organic alcohol where possible. Non-organic is full of synthetic additives such as flavour enhancers plus will have been sprayed with a load of pesticides and herbicides. You may not know this but alcohol does not have to list its ingredients but if it did it would read like a chemistry set of E numbers which are highly carcinogenic and toxic.

ALTERNATE BETWEEN ALCOHOL AND WATER

An uber-simple way to cut back on booze is to alternate between one wine and one water. Not only will the water keep you hydrated, but it will also reduce the amount of alcohol you drink by half.

SIZE MATTERS

If you’ve got your heart set on a Christmas festive coffee or alcoholic drink, a sound and simple piece of advice is to limit portion size and frequency. Instead of getting an extra-large, just settle for a small or medium.

TAKE SOME LIQUID CHLOROPHYLL

CHLOROPHYLL is a great supplement to help flush out toxins. I always have a large pint of Chlorophyll water before I go out, then one when I come back right before bed and then another first thing in the morning. Chlorophyll helps hydrate, flush out toxins, oxygenates and helps alkalise the body. We need this extra support as alcohol/sugary beverages are very acidic.

BE MINDFUL & MAKE SMART DECISIONS

I want you to be mindful and make smart conscious decisions. For example, if you’re recovering from a Christmas party the night before or attending one later in the day, sticking to say your regular herbal tea or black coffee will help save/claw back some calories. However, if you’ve stayed on top of your nutrition and fitness, then indulging in the occasional Christmas coffee or champagne isn’t the end of the world.

FIND HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVES

Yes, a triple chocolate cinnamon cappuccino with whipped cream and toppings sounds divine but it will harm your health and dent your weight loss goals. If you’re serious about getting in shape, but still want to feel like you’re indulging, look for healthy swaps. For example, a great way to ensure you’re not piling on the pounds is to make your own version. Why not try B-Fit’s healthy HOT CHOCOLATE recipe?

If you follow these tips by the time January comes around, you’ll be in a much better position to hit the ground running in 2020.

Setting all this aside, I will still be raising a glass (or two!) to celebrate. Life is after all for living and about balance.

Now I’d love to hear from you. Have these tips helped? Anything you’d like to add? And which ones are you going to try?

Much love and appreciation,

Gaynor x