Marika Day: 5 tips to stay healthy over the holidays

ARTICLE

09 November 2023

3 min read

Physical health Wellness

AIA Ambassador and Accredited Practising Dietitian Marika Day shares tips to stay healthy these holidays.

As the holiday season approaches, the prospect of festive feasts, sweet treats, and a calendar full of Christmas parties can raise concerns about the potential for overindulgence and how that impacts our health.

The good news is that staying healthy during the holiday season doesn't mean sacrificing joy, celebration, or the delicious food that comes with this time of year. With thoughtful choices and a bit of planning, you can savour all the delights of the summer holidays and indulge in some of your favourite festive dishes, all while maintaining your wellbeing.

Celebrate with fresh, seasonal produce

One of the perks of having Australian Christmas in Summer is the wide variety of healthy and delicious fresh produce that’s available. With the abundance of vegetables and fruits in season, like mangos, cherries and stone fruits, it’s easy to whip up a variety of salads, veggie dishes and fruit platters to be the hero of your meals. Seafood is also plentiful at this time of year, and makes for a healthy, fresh, and summery protein to accompany your salads.

Drink wisely

Between Christmas parties, sporting events and boozy lunches, alcohol is hard to avoid over the holidays. Fortunately, there are plenty of low and no alcohol options available on the market these days to help you mix it up, including alcohol-free wines and beers, kombucha, and refreshing flavoured sparkling mineral waters. If you do choose to drink, make sure to know your limits and have a water between each alcoholic beverage.

Stay active

Staying physically active over the holidays doesn’t have to mean hitting the gym. Think of creative ways you can keep moving – bonus points if they involve the kids or it’s something you haven’t tried before. It could be backyard cricket, swimming at the beach, dancing the night away, enjoying walks in new locations, or playing frisbee with some friends. The options are endless!

Track your nutrition this festive season

Tracking your nutrition is a great way to be mindful of what you’re eating over the holidays. AIA Vitality members who track their nutritional intake through Fitbit can earn up to 1,200 Vitality Points each year (300 points per calendar quarter).

Be mindful of portion sizes

Over the festive season, we’re often exposed to more delicious and tempting food than we are in our day-to-day lives, making it easy to overeat. One of the key things we can do to maintain our wellbeing during the holidays is to be mindful of our portion sizes.

This doesn’t mean you have to cut out your favourite foods, but you may consider having a portion size in line with what you would normally eat. Ensure your plate is balanced with lean proteins – like turkey, seafood, chicken, or beef – and vegetables and salads that are rich with nutrients and fibre. When it comes to dessert, instead of having one portion of everything, pick your favourite one or have smaller servings of a couple of sweet treats.

Snack smartly

During this season, sweets – like chocolates, candies, slices, and fudges – and savoury snacks often make their way onto office desks and dining tables. While it's perfectly fine to indulge occasionally, avoid letting these treats become your go-to snacks for the whole festive period.

Balance out these indulgences with your usual healthy snacks like fresh fruits, nuts, seeds, yogurt, or popcorn. Alternatively, get creative and contribute a healthier treat to share with your friends and colleagues. This makes it easier for everyone to enjoy the season's festivities while staying mindful of their health.

Marika Day

Marika Day is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist with over 10 years' experience in a variety of clinical and non-clinical areas. Her expertise and interests include gastrointestinal nutrition, which is influenced by her personal experience with coeliac disease. Additionally, she focuses on women’s health and the complexities of disordered and emotional eating. In addition to her clinical expertise, Marika regularly works in recipe development, helping people make nutritious choices every day. Her approach to nutrition is balanced, practical and empathetic and aims to help people enjoy food and live a healthy balanced life.

Disclaimer:
Copyright © 2023 AIA Australia Limited (ABN 79 004 837 861 AFSL 230043). This is general information only, without taking into account factors like the objectives, financial situation, needs or personal circumstances of any individual and is not intended to be financial, legal, tax, medical, nutritional, health, fitness or other advice. The source information of the articles is current as of the date of publication and may be subject to change. While the information contained herein is believed to be accurate, AIA Australia expressly disclaims any and all liability for representations or warranties, expressed or implied, contained in, or for omissions from, the information.

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