The festive season can become a stressful time of the year and one during which we often eat more, exercise less, gain weight and feel overwhelmed. Trying to resume healthy eating habits can be a challenge but a few simple pointers can help.

• Healthy eating is about ensuring that the food you eat helps you to improve your health & maintain a healthy weight, enabling you to feel good both mentally and physically
• Practice good eating habits – chew food well and eat slowly; sit down to eat, eat only what you need to feel full (gently satisfied, not overfed), and try to stop eating before you feel too full
• Be aware of recommended serving sizes and healthy portion sizes.
• Try to eat at regular times and not late at night where possible
• Understand what drives your eating patterns e.g. boredom, addiction, habit
• Understand your own body, and the foods that just don’t sit well with you and which foods can lead to nausea, flatulence, pain GIT disturbances (constipation and diarrhea)
• Be realistic to avoid failure- make sure you can stick with your chosen diet i.e. it is doable
• Plan and organize; careful shopping each week; good food/ meal prep and planning
• Eat daily from all food groups including plant food and whole grains
• Make all food tasty and interesting so you don’t equate “healthy” with “tasteless,”
• Try to have a protein at every meal and a protein rich snack to avoid eating sugary or fatty foods on the run. Nuts, protein balls, hard fruit (apples)
• Remember that nutrient dense foods keep hunger at bay, keep blood sugar stable and minimize food cravings.
• Have plenty of water & fibre daily
• Fresh is best and avoid processed food where possible.