Taking care of your nutrition during Christmas may seem like one of those impossible tasks that will inevitably lead to “eating better” being one of the first items on your wishlist for 2022.

However, today I come to share a few of my tips so that the Christmas days become a great ally that will help you take care of yourself and feel great to enjoy what is really important about these dates: family, laughter, anecdotes and everything that you have to share.

So let’s change the perspective of nutrition at Christmas:

• Put your attention on the rest of the days…

I’ll confess something to you: I love Christmas, celebrations and Christmas saraos, but the days “in between” are my favorites. Those days when the Christmas spirit is still there, but leaves us more time to look a little inward.

They give us air and if we have vacations or we have slowed down the pace of work, they also give us something very valuable, time.

A wonderful time to make up for any excesses. Because if we think about it, there are 5 days of unavoidable meals, Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas lunch, New Year’s Eve, the 1st and Three Kings Day. It’s 6 days, but what about the rest?

The rest are our days!

Take the opportunity to go for a walk and do some exercise that you like. It will help you to connect, to feel more relaxed, to dream about your resolutions for 2022.

Si bien los días señalados se caracterizan por un aumento de grasas no demasiado sanas, dulces, azúcares y quizás alcohol, los días entre medias son perfectos para dar un extra al resto de nutrientes esenciales que tu cuerpo necesita para que te sientas al 100%. 

Take the opportunity to include more vegetables, anti-inflammatory fats, fruits to hydrate yourself well and the best trick to prepare your nutritional tonics: smoothies (you have all of them in my book Mamá Slow), designed to enhance all the power of food and full of micronutrients, fiber, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that will help you feel amazing.

It’s time to enjoy the kitchen, put on the Love Actually soundtrack and experiment with some of those healthy recipes that you have been keeping in your folders for months. If you have children, Christmas is a special and fantastic time to teach them a good relationship with food. During these days you spend more time together and if you eat healthy, they will be learning how to do it while they watch you. Let them help you press the button on the mixer, buy vegetables, make a healthy recipe together. It is sure to become one of your favorite Christmas memories.

When you need a treat during these days, choose something that really takes care of you, not that later makes you feel worse. I know that these dates can also be a cause of nervousness, perhaps unresolved issues that can lead you to eat with greater anxiety. You don’t need anything to make you feel worse. Maybe you need music, a good book, a yoga practice, the smell of flowers. Or just pause and appreciate all the beauty around you.

• Try these tricks during the days of celebration…

And now let’s talk about the days of celebration with these 4 tricks to avoid spending yourself at family meals:

Do not arrive hungry: snack. It is common to think that skipping meals is a good idea if you may overdo it later, however this will only make it much more difficult to fill yourself up, you will eat more and worse. And one key thing … you will be missing a great opportunity to include healthy and necessary nutrient options.

Always in addition to what you choose to drink, ask for water. To alleviate thirst, always have water nearby as the main drink and the rest that is really to enjoy.

Choose what you are going to eat. It’s hard to keep track of what you’ve eaten when it comes to a large table full of options. Maybe you ate too much without knowing it or ate too little, but you feel guilty without knowing it. A very effective trick is to take your plate and put in it what you really want to eat. This will allow you to be more relaxed, eat more slowly and really listen to conversations without distraction;)

I love the after-meals, the talks, the waiting for the arrival of Santa Claus, the board games. What I don’t love are the trays full of sweets that almost force you to eat;)

That is why before saying goodbye I want to propose you a delicious sorbet as a culmination, perfect to facilitate digestion and provide an extra vitamin C and phytonutrients for your after-dinner. Ah! and the last tip, pick up the candy trays first.

LIME, APPLE and PEPPERMINT SORBET

Ingredients

50 ml water

1 pinch of iodized salt

2 limes

10 mint leaves and a few more to decorate

1 green apple (Granny Smith style) 

350 g ice

Optional: a few drops of stevia

Preparation

Peel the limes, removing well all the white part from the outside, and remove the seeds if they have. Do the same with the apple, peel it and remove the inner stem. Wash the peppermint leaves well. Add all the ingredients, except the ice, in the blender and beat well until everything is crushed. Then add the ice and beat. If it isn’t too thick, add a little more ice. Taste it and correct the hint of sweetness by adding a few drops of sweetener.

Serve in glasses and decorate with a mint leaf.

Small details can change everything and help you this Christmas you feel full, radiant, happy with your diet and ready to spread the greatest peace and good Christmas energy.

With love,

Elizabeth
@slownutrición

https://www.slownutricion.com/