Gregg Wallace – telly presenter and MasterChef judge – has turned his life around, becoming quite the exercise and healthy eating bunny, even launching his own online weight loss and fitness site, ShowMe.fit.
Here, he gives his advice for tackling Christmas without overdoing it…
Treat alcohol with respect
Consider the effect of each drink you have, so try to identify the point where you reach [a sense of] relaxation.
Once you’ve reached that point, you should stop drinking for at least half an hour. Drinking more won’t enhance that feeling of relaxation.
For every volume of alcohol, have the exact same volume of water. It’s a game that you play with yourself – it slows down your drinking and keeps you hydrated. Put lots of ice cubes in your drink! That’s full of water so dilutes the alcohol.
Take a moment to enjoy a sweet
Rather than take handfuls of sweets – take one as a proper treat and sit quietly and savour the taste and the moment.
Go for a walk
Every day go for a really long walk – at least 30 minutes. I take Christmas Day and Boxing Day off my exercise regime, but I will still go for a long walk with the family, and the dogs.
Pile your plate high with vegetables!
Eat as many vegetables as you like, pile your plate high with vegetables and turkey – cut down on the stuffing, sausages and roast potatoes (replace them with boiled potatoes).
When you feel peckish, go back and get more vegetables and turkey. Don’t have the skin on the turkey – that’s where all the calories are – just have the meat.
Try mindfulness
Try some yoga or mindfulness if you start to feel anxious. This is something I’ve learned this year and has really helped me when I feel anxious. It’s been a really tough year for so many of us and taking 10 minutes and breathing deeply really helps.
Reach out to people
Pick up the phone if you’re feeling lonely, or to help someone you know who may be on their own. Hearing a friendly voice helps no end. I’m lucky to be with my family as we all live together anyway, but there are lots of people who aren’t as lucky this year, so pick up the phone and make someone smile.
Gregg Wallace’s ShowMe.Fit, is a subscription website with exercises, recipes, yoga, nutrition and healthy living advice.