Here we are, in December already and for most people it is a crazily busy time of year. Everything must be done before Christmas, no exceptions!
This month I’m just going to give you some tips, plus ideas for entertaining with platters. I was going to make up lots of the ideas and photograph them, but time got away on me (plus, who was going to eat it all??), so here is a link to the page on my website. There are loads of suggestions, check them out. Keep it simple, keep it healthy.
BBQing your veggies
Some veggies taste so much nicer when sizzled on the BBQ plate. We (the royal we that is) regularly cook asparagus, zucchini, onions, garlic, red capsicums and more on the BBQ. The veggies taste completely different, especially zucchini, it goes from being a bit of a nothing veggie to having flavour. Crack some salt over the cooked veggies and load up your plate. You can serve them on top of a pile of greens, or on their own, but eat plenty of them. Remember to aim for a half a plate of veggies at both lunch and dinner.
Eat Seasonally
Make the most of the strawberries and asparagus while they are in season because they won’t be around much longer. In New Zealand we are pretty fortunate to have an abundance of fresh produce and I think it is better to buy New Zealand grown fruit and veggies as much as possible.
Food Diary, being accountable
If you want to keep a diary over the Christmas period, most likely not on Christmas Day, then here is a link to my food and exercise diary. I know it can feel like a bit of a pain, keeping track of your food, but if you are serious it really works when you have to be accountable and mindful of what you are putting in your mouth. Of course, a diary only works if you record 100% of what you eat (and drink), it’s the bits you miss off the diary that are most likely holding you back.
Stay hydrated
We seem to have left the dreary spring behind and all of a sudden the weather has warmed up. Don’t forget to keep a water bottle handy. A tip is to buy a wider mouthed water bottle, chop lemons into chunks, remove the pips and freeze, then add them to your water bottle to act as ice cubes. The flavour is a bonus.
Or keep a large jug of water in the fridge and add lemon or lime slices, or slices of cucumber and mint leaves and pour that into your water bottle or glass. Sparkling water or soda water with slices of fruit is nice and refreshing too. Try swapping filling a wine glass with sparkling water instead of wine more nights than you are now.
Be Sun Smart
If you are reading this you are most likely interested in staying healthy, so don’t baste yourself in the sun and be sure to schedule an annual skin cancer check up.
Stuck for ideas for healthy gift ideas to give?
Here are some suggestions:
- A nice platter for nibbles
- Cheese cutter
- Avocado keeper (in the supermarket for around $5)
- A pretty apron or for the man of the house a not so pretty apron
- Stick blender
- A pretty cup and saucer for the tea drinker
- An infuser tea pot, plus some interesting leaf tea(s)
- A flask from T2. These are great. They hold two cups of boiling water and keep it hot for hours and hours. You can either make the tea first (it has an infuser) or just use it for hot water and pour it over tea bags. I’ve also made coffee in it and it kept it beautifully hot
- A Nutrition for Life gift voucher
Book suggestions:
- Fresh Start cookbook by Nadia Lim
- The Clever Guts Diet by Dr Michael Mosley (excellent, down to earth reading)
- What the Fat
- The Obesity Code
Almost time to pack away my callipers and scales for the Christmas break.
I’m finishing early this year, on 12 December and taking a break until Wednesday 10 January.
I have my 2018 diary ready for you to make your appointment, so please contact me before 12 December to set up an appointment. Make the commitment and lock yourself in.
Please, never feel bad or awkward about coming back after the Christmas break if you went a little crazy! It truly doesn’t matter, all that matters is getting yourself back on track and into a good routine again. So many clients have said in the past that they thought they would wait until they lost the weight they put on, before coming back to see me. But, all that happened was – nothing!
Contact me now to lock your appointment in.
All the best for a Happy and Healthy festive season, stay safe and I’ll look forward to catching up with you in 2018.
