Festive healthy habits ....

maintaining the new you. B Y J U L I A S M I T H

The holidays are upon us, and for anyone who has taken on new healthy habits around eating, drinking, movement or mindfulness this year, it can feel hard to keep up right now! I hear you; it's busy and there's pressure from all angles. So, the easy option might be to 'just let go' over Christmas and pick up again in the New Year. And this may absolutely be the choice that works best for you.

If however, you've made some positive changes and are already seeing the health benefits, it may make more sense to find ways to keep those healthy habits going through the holidays and welcome in the New Year feeling even more fabulous! You've worked hard to get this far, why let the celebrations come between you and your goals?

Buddy Up

Find a bestie that you know won’t you let skip a workout, even on the days you would rather hit the cocktails. And remember, you’ll also be doing them a favour by holding them accountable too.

Set your alarm & commit to it

Sure, it’s ok to have a little lie-in while you’re on holidays. But it’s important to set your intentions before going to bed and commit to fulfilling them the next day. Set your alarm to get up and put it far away enough to stop you from hitting snooze

Try something new

The holidays are a great time to add in something new to your regular routine. You could try paddleboarding, dancing or rock climbing. Even throwing in a nice hike with the family can mix things up enough to keep you peachy keen to get active.

Increase your NEAT

Non exercise activity thermogenesis includes all the things you do outside of your training session. Carrying the shopping bags (and we’ll all be doing a lot of that over the holidays) instead of pushing a trolley, walking that bit further from the car, pacing while talking on the phone instead of sitting… these all fall under the category of NEAT and can keep you burning more fuel throughout the day.

Join a group fitness class

Not only does training in a group encourage you to work harder while you’re there, but knowing that you’ve booked in and have a coach & a team of people looking forward to seeing you is all the motivation you will need to get you there.

Anything is better than nothing

The holidays can get hectic! There might be days you can only muster up the energy for a short walk, or maybe your body is craving a good stretch. All movement is great for the body and not every session has to be a sweat fest.

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Pour the water into a bowl and whisk in the psyllium husk slowly, whisking constantly until all lumps dissolve. add the salt, herbs or grated parmesan and the seeds - mix well. Allow the mixture to rest for 10 mins and heat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a baking tray (40 x27cm approx) Once the mixture is slightly gel-like, spread it onto the tray. Spread it thinly as this will give you nice thin crispy crackers. Bake for 30mins Remove them from the oven, and score with a pizza cutter or sharp knife. I usually get around 30 from a tray, but you can make them the size you like. Place them back in the oven for 10 minutes at 180C to crisp. Remove and break them along the scored lines and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container - a glass or stainless steel container is ideal.

I hope these ideas are useful for you and wish you all the very best for a fabulous festive season!

Julia