Health and Wellbeing

Coping with the Christmas Chaos!
Managing your time & your health

Christmas Chaos

The Christmas holidays can be a very busy time; between shopping for presents, meal preparations and family visits. Amongst the twinkling lights, festive foods and Christmas carols, your usual daily routine tends to be set aside. Often, maintaining a healthy, balanced diet and incorporating regular physical activity into your day can be difficult.

Festive Foods
We all deserve a treat now and then,and no better time than during the festive season, but it is important that we aim to consume adequate vitamins and minerals by including a variety of nutrient-rich foods in the diet and not to over-indulge in treats. An effective way of achieving this is to simply plan ahead. Ensure to eat three meals a day, opt for healthy snacks and watch your portion sizes.

Including Dairy Cuisine in your Daily Routine!
Here are some tips on how to achieve your three portions of dairy per day during the build-up to the festive season:
Breakfast: Ready-to-eat cereals are a common breakfast choice and are often fortified with added vitamins and minerals. Porridge is another popular breakfast food which offers a source of slow-releasing energy. Preparing these foods with milk enhances the nutrient-richness of the meal. Why not add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to your porridge for a real Christmas flavour!
Lunch: Include foods from the four main food groups in your lunch (bread, cereals & potatoes; fruit & vegetables; milk, cheese & yogurt and the meat, fish & alternatives groups). Homemade soup prepared using milk, turkey salad and pasta salads with grated cheese are all delicious lunch ideas.
Dinner: The evening meal should also comprise of foods from the four main food groups. Remember the many healthy tips discussed in previous editions of this Health and Wellbeing Page, such as: opt for the healthier cooking methods e.g. steaming, avoid excessive salt intake and monitor portion sizes. Include festive vegetables such as sprouts, carrots and parsnips.
Snacks: Choose healthy options. Snacking can provide an energy boost on those busy days and healthy snack foods can contribute to the nutritional value of the diet. Some snacking suggestions to keep you going during this festive period include: fresh fruit with natural yogurt or treat yourself to fresh fruit with custard, a cup of warm milk, a small cheese sandwich, while a milky hot chocolate makes a delicious dairy treat.

Christmas Cheer
Alcohol consumption is significantly higher at this time of year as we tend to socialise more with family and friends. Remember, a weekly limit of no more than 14 units per week for women and 21 units for men is advised. This should be spread throughout the week, ensuring some alcohol free days. One standard drink is equal to a glass of larger, a pub measure of spirits or a small glass of wine. A useful tip is to consume an alcohol-free drink between alcoholic beverages.

Festive Fitness
During this hectic holiday, the inclusion of exercise into your day may seem somewhat of a challenge. Again, with a little planning ahead, physical activity recommendations can easily be achieved. If getting to the gym, or making your usual keep-fit class is not feasible, try to incorporatephysical activity into your day-to-day tasks:

  • Take a brisk walk to the shops or get off the bus a few stops early.
  • Prepare your house for all those visitors with old-fashioned housework!
  • Wrap up warm and enjoy a brisk walk with family or friends.
  • Put on your favourite Christmas songs and dance away for a fun workout!

Time Management
Through simple and effective preparation and planning ahead, a carefree, relaxing Christmas can be enjoyed by all the family:

  • Use a diary or calendar to record all appointments and plans.
  • Make a list of things that need to be done – feel that satisfaction from ticking them off!
  • Try to remain calm and focus on one task at a time – avoid thinking too far ahead.
  • Accept help from family and friends.
  • Bulk cook and freeze suitable meals to ease the pressure during busy days.
  • Ensure you get enough sleep. Avoid the temptation to be the last to leave every party!
  • Leave some time for yourself - unwind and relax, it is the holidays after all!

Did you know?
Leaving out some milk and cookies for Santa Clause on Christmas Eve is a common tradition. The cookies are a treat for his hard work, whilst the milk provides Santa with essential energy and nutrients he needs to deliver all of those toys in time for Christmas morning!

NutriMyth of the month
Myth: Calcium is only required for healthy bones and teeth.
Truth: Adequate calcium intake is required for the maintenance of normal bones and teeth but is also required for a number of other functions in the body including normal muscle function, blood clotting and function of digestive enzymes.

If you have any suggestions or ideas, we would be delighted to hear from you via email at feelinggood@ndc.ie or write to us at The National Dairy Council, 28 Westland Square, Dublin 2. For more information on dairy and nutrition, log on to our website www.ndc.ie.

Next month ‘A word from Fiona Hoban, Counsellor & Communications Consultant’ 23rd January - Don’t Miss It!