During these times, we tend to indulge in more sweets and dine out more frequently, which can affect our intestinal well-being. Therefore, with a series of simple tips and recommendations for the weeks leading up to Christmas, it will be enough to get through January without gaining the usual 3-5 kilos of the season.

For this, we should start preparing ourselves a few weeks in advance to tackle the typical excesses of these holidays.

Firstly, it's important to try and maintain a nutritional balance. Since this is a time when we eat differently and usually consume larger quantities, we should try to offset these excesses with lighter and healthier meals. Therefore, approach your meals without anxiety, knowing how much to eat and when. If you're going to indulge in nougat, for example, don't overindulge in other dishes.

On days when you have no commitments, you can opt for low-calorie foods such as grilled vegetables, salads, or vegetable or chicken broths, as recommended by Dr. Conchita Vidales, a medical specialist in nutrition and dietetics.

 

Skipping a meal with the intention of indulging in a big feast later is not a healthy option. It is more advisable to stick to our routine and have the five meals recommended by nutritionists, opting for healthy snacks like fruits or a handful of nuts. By spacing out our food intake, we prevent storing fat in our bodies. However, on an empty stomach, any food we ingest later will be stored as reserves by the body.

Furthermore, staying active and maintaining our exercise routine, or even increasing it, is an option that should not be ignored. Even in bad weather and cold temperatures, don't make excuses to avoid exercising. One option is to combine your meal or dinner plans with activities that require some physical effort before the celebrations, such as family hikes or friendly games with friends.

Finally, we must maintain the balance of our intestinal well-being. All the feasting and excesses in our diet can negatively affect the bacterial composition of our intestinal microbiota. Our intestinal flora is composed of a balanced proportion of bacteria that inhabit our intestines. This balance plays a role in the proper functioning of our digestive system and our immune system. If this bacterial ecosystem is disrupted, it is possible that the population of beneficial bacteria will be reduced in favor of less beneficial ones, leading to symptoms of intestinal discomfort. Therefore, consuming probiotics that help repopulate our intestinal cavities with beneficial bacteria for health, such as ProFaes4 Adults 25MM, which combines probiotics and prebiotics to support a healthy digestive and immune system, can be interesting. There are also other options like Unique Pink Collagen from pharmacist Mertixell Martí, a drinkable collagen focused on skin care and anti-aging, reducing the problem of a bloated stomach, eliminating toxins in the digestive system, and improving intestinal transit.

In addition to these general tips, you can follow a series of tricks that will help you reduce your food consumption during the holidays:

  • Before eating, drink a couple of glasses of water half an hour before the event. This will help curb your appetite a bit and also hydrate your internal organs.

  • If you're going to consume alcohol, try to limit your intake to a couple of drinks and combine them with a couple of glasses of water. Try to avoid sugary drinks and replace them with water; it's always the best option.

  • Eating fish is lighter on the digestion than meat, especially if it's grilled and without heavy sauces.

  • After meals, alcoholic drinks are often served. Ideally, choose hydrating beverages like fruit juices. But if you're going to indulge in an alcoholic drink, try to avoid or at least limit high-calorie cocktails.

  • Before going to bed, have another couple of glasses of water, which will aid in the process of flushing out toxins ingested during the day.



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