During the holidays, we always tend to treat ourselves to something indulgent, sometimes too much. Then, when our work or study reminds us of our duties, we tend to spend too much time sitting and relaxing.
If you want to lose the post-holiday extra pounds, here are some dietitian-approved tips to improve your lifestyle and diet.
Dietitian-Approved Tips
- Avoid these types of ingredients: fatty meat and processed food, sweets, fruit in syrup, wine and all alcoholic beverages, butter, lard, margarine and fresh cream.
- Opt for seasonal and fresh ingredients and whole foods. Local produce would be best, but you can still use frozen food while avoiding canned foods.
- When hunger appears in the afternoon, you can snack on fresh fruits, a jar of light yoghurt, or 10 g. of popcorn.
- Salt your dishes with a pinch of sea salt.
- You can drink coffee in moderation, as well as teas and herbal teas that you can sweeten with less or without sugar. There are plenty of alternatives to refined sugar, but keep in mind that scientific studies are still ongoing on some artificial sweeteners.
- For the lightest cooking method, steam your food and season it with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, apple vinegar, fresh or dried herbs and spices.
- Drink at least two litres of water each day. This is 6 to 8 glasses for an adult, preferably in the morning and between meals, but less during your meals.
- Eat sitting without watching TV or scrolling on your mobile. Hypnotised by the screen, one tends to eat quickly and carelessly… ever noticed that?
- Avoid sedentary behaviours, so take a healthy 10-minute break from your desk job and stand up. This will also reduce stress on your back.
- Practise a sport or another physical activity you enjoy, like walking outdoors, yoga, cycling, stepping, dancing, skating (don’t forget to stay warm with a jacket), etc…
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| Yoga @ Parkhotel Igls – Ph. marketing deluxe |
Exercising can be the hardest part: how to reconcile our daily commitments with physical activity? And what can we do when the weather is unpredictable?
If you’re at home and don’t like classic workouts, I recommend yoga. There’s nothing more relaxing and active than this activity. With yoga, you will work out many muscles without draining yourself, breathe deeply and in synch with each movement, while cleansing your mind from negative thoughts. By experience, in two full weeks of yoga, you can achieve physical lightness and a peaceful state of mind.
These tips will help you find more energy, sleep better, improve your mood, and lose weight as slowly as this process should always be.
Valentina Chirico aka Valens
