It's not that hard to stick to your beauty detox diet through the
party season. Ultra Beauty diet tips will make sure that you continue your
healthy eating and start the New Year looking and feeling amazing! You’ve been eating right all year, but hey…Christmas is a time to let go of your diet and eat whatever you want, right? Wrong! Why undo all that good work? It's way too easy to put on 5 kilos and let your skin get dull and blemished, but if you know how to handle the holidays, you can come out the other side looking incredible - and start the New Year feeling amazing.
The first part of this two-part diet post tells you how to avoid the junk and choose those Ultra Beautiful foods; while tomorrow’s post will describe the surprising Christmas foods that have powerful beautifying effects – stay tuned!
1) Conquer the annual junk food display
Even the strongest willpower cowers in the face of temptation. Display bowls of grapes, not Quality Street. It's virtually impossible to resist sweets when they're right in front of you, so do yourself a favour and don't have them on view. If you’re at someone else’s house, ask them to put the sweet bowl in a cupboard. Believe me; it’s the only way to resist.
2) Do some forward party planning
Eat a snack before you go to a party, and you’ll find it easier to say no to those disastrous crisps, sausage rolls and sandwiches. A banana and a handful of nuts is perfect, as the protein and fat means the snack is digested slowly, delaying the effects of that first glass of wine, and making it easier to decline the canapés and concentrate on chatting to your friends!
3) Back away from the buffet
Buffets can be a disaster zone. Fill half your plate with salad and vegetables, and the other half with protein-based dishes like salmon, prawns and non-wheat carbs like potatoes and rice. It’s really important to have some of all three types of food on your plate – fat, protein and carbs – if you’re to feel full for several hours. Don’t be embarrassed about making this a proper meal, as it’ll save you from snacking later on, and the person who points out that you’re overloading on carrot batons will usually be the one hoovering cheese straws later!
 |
| You could go mad on this healthy buffet |
4) Choose drinks carefully
Wine is the best choice of alcoholic drink, as it contains antioxidants and even a small amount of a chemical with an anti-ageing effect on your body called reservatrol. After that, vodka and soda is my favourite drink because it is low in calories and has the hydrating effect of the soda water. Oh, and the vodka seems to leave me more clear headed than wine or cocktails!
 |
| Make mine a vodka soda |
Sugary drinks and beer are total disasters for your skin and very calorific, so try and avoid as much as possible!
Basically, I’m afraid that excessive alcohol is bad news for your beauty diet for several reasons. One, it is full of empty calories that add to your daily count, but without giving you much in the way of nutrients. A glass of white wine has 250 calories which is the same as a bar of Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut, and is packed with sugar. Sugar attaches to skin cells and breaks down collagen, so too much over time leads to wrinkles and sagging.
Secondly, it sends your blood sugar level sky high, only to come crashing down, which makes you ravenous and all too likely to succumb to stodgy, unhealthy foods. Being tipsy means you make bad food choices. I’m not saying never get drunk, but just be aware of what effect it’s having on your health!
5) Avoid all dips and crisps
They have no nutritional value yet loads of calories! For some reason, I can eat plates of them and never feel full, which makes me all the more suspicious of them..
6) Mince pies – the devil’s work
Just say no. There isn’t a single thing in a mince pie that is good for you, from the sugar drenched fruit filling to the wheat and vegetable oil pastry to the 250 calories for a miniature amount of food. If you’re at someone’s house and want to decline politely, just say, ‘No thanks, I’m saving myself for the main event!’ and make a big deal of the main meal, or other snacks on offer.
7) Go bananas
 |
| Strawberry Santas are brilliant and diet friendly desserts |
Eat more fruit. It has been shown that water-based fruits such as cantaloupe, blueberries, apples, oranges, strawberries, peaches and watermelon help to make you feel full, and help you to feel fuller for longer. No one will mind if you have a few tangerines for dessert at that family dinner, if you say you are so full from the delicious main course! There are vegetables which can have the same effect too including – cucumber celery, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, carrots, squash and tomatoes.
 |
| Watermelon trees are perfect detox diet snacks |
8) Spend some quality (shut-eye) time with your family
Take naps - a snooze after Christmas lunch is a good way of catching up on restorative sleep. It's also the perfect alternative to continuous snacking.
9) Control, but don’t obsess
You don’t need to ration your Christmas dinner like it’s the last meal you’ll ever eat, but you do need to control your food intake. Make sure to watch what you’re eating, and only eat a bit more than you know you should. Obsessing over calories can make your meals pretty stressful, so just keep an eye on your meal. If you’re overdoing it, stop eating – or have a helping of salad. Don’t feel pressure to accept all offers of food!
10) Balance the binge
Getting out for a long walk, going for a jog or ice skating is loads of fun and can be an alternative to marathon TV sessions. Here is a fun Christmas workout routine you can do in front of the tree, and click here for the soundtrack! Doing some physical activity means you'll burn some of that excess energy you've eaten, and make sure you look glowing and healthy for the next party. Yes, dancing to Christmas Classics counts..11) Get back on track
After a big night out, or an over-indulgent meal, don't be tempted to skip meals. (If you have a hangover, you'll need good food.) Trying to fast can lead to even less willpower when it comes to making good choices the next time. Just remember the 80/20 rule of balance and pack into your next meal as many fresh fruit, veg and skin-friendly foods as possible and your body will forgive you!
Next blog post – how Christmas Day foods are surprisingly Ultra healthy…
No comments:
Post a Comment