January, February and even March can be hard months for healthy living in general and healthy eating in particular. Whatever festive cheer there was is gone, but there’s still a whole lot of winter left to endure. There’s also probably some Christmas damage to put right. The good news is that it is possible to eat healthily and affordably and still enjoy your food.
Drop back on the alcohol
If you’ve really over-indulged over Christmas, then participating in “dry January” might be a very good idea. If you haven’t, or if dry January is a step too far for you, then it’s still advisable to go very easy on the alcohol. Firstly, alcohol is basically liquid sugar with all that implies. Secondly, alcohol impairs your judgement, which can be particularly unsafe in winter.
Drink plenty of water
If plain water isn’t for you, then it’s fine to liven it up as long as you’re careful about caffeine and sugar. For example, adding a bit of lemon juice to either hot or cold water can make it a lot more drinkable. It is, however, best to use a straw since the acid can damage your tooth enamel.
Staying properly hydrated is important at the best of times. There are, however, two key reasons why it’s particularly important after Christmas. Firstly, both central heating indoors and cold wind outdoors are very drying. This can make your body crave liquid but you may mistake the signals as being a need for food. If you keep hydrated, you have a better chance of avoiding this.
Secondly, water will literally help to flush out any toxins left over from Christmas (e.g. alcohol). It will also help with your digestion in general. Basically, you can think of it as a cleaner and lubricant for your insides.
Have a proper breakfast
A proper breakfast involves protein, complex carbohydrate and fibre. Protein builds and repairs muscle and also helps to make you feel full. Complex carbohydrates provide slow-release energy to keep you going over the long-term. Fibre adds bulk and helps keep your digestive system in good order.
You can get all this from a bowl of breakfast cereal. Just make sure to avoid the cereals which are chock-full of sugar. Breakfast cereal is, however, far from the only option. If you’re not “a breakfast person”, then just a couple of slices of toast is a lot better than nothing. Add some peanut butter and banana and you’ve covered all your bases.
Keep healthy snacks on hand
It’s all very well saying “don’t snack between meals” but if you’re legitimately hungry then you need to eat. You may not need a lot, but you do need something. Feeling hungry between meals is particularly likely in winter as the cold can really drain your energy. Acknowledging this and keeping some healthy snacks handy can go a long way to helping you avoid junk food.
The most practical approach is often to go for dried foods as these can be kept for extended periods without going off the way fresh foods do. You could try making protein balls or granola bars (or just granola) or stock up on nuts and seeds. The key point is to focus on protein, carbohydrate and fibre and minimize fat and sugar (and salt).
Make sure you still get plenty of fruit and veg
Fruit and vegetables are full of essential vitamins and minerals. What’s more, if you eat them whole (as opposed to in smoothies), they’re a great source of fibre too. It can be difficult to get seasonal fruit and vegetables in winter, although there are always some. You can, however, get the same nutritional benefits from frozen produce and also from canned produce as long as you avoid excess sugar.
