5 SECRETS TO LOOKING GOOD THIS CHRISTMAS AND BEYOND

Bring on the laughter, the joy and the good cheer. I am in love with the festivities of the season, we get to catch up with old friends and reconnect with family. I love dressing up, the free flow of conversation and not having to go to work the next day (well for most people).

It’s always intriguing to see the large piles of food and the variety at each and every function. Is it that we save all the chicken, fish, goats, vegetables and fruits all year just for the holidays? I wonder. I find myself putting on a few kilograms at the start of the year (the haters will say I still look good). This begins my struggle all year long, I try to maintain a healthy life with less focus on how I look. My aim is to feel good about my body, to love me for who I am. There are simple ways to maintaining a healthy life through this period such as becoming a ‘Johnnie Walker’ , walk your way through shopping. Walk every chance you get. Avoid been stuck in traffic for no good reason and walk your way to your destination, look for comfortable flats that you can fold into your bag, this will allow you make the switch from heels. Say with me I choose to walk !

I am sharing with you my secrets  to looking good after Christmas because I  know over exertion of the body leaves it dehydrated, it causes premature aging and kills creativity.You do not want to enter the new year lazy. Be warned!

CHEW AWAY

Have you ever taken time out to study a goat? Well for those of us who have visited farms you might have noticed that goats are always chewing because they regurgitate their food. This can apply to humans too, spend time savouring your food and chewing to properly aid digestion. When you spend time chewing your food, the brain picks up the signal and records your intake. You will certainly eat less food because you are repeatedly chewing on the food before swallowing. This in most cases means you will consume less calories, once it becomes a habit you are in a for a treat.

BEFRIEND HEALTHY SNACKS

Most diets will tell you, do not skip your meals or don’t eat between your meals. We all know that’s nearly impossible to keep to, especially during the holidays. There is always some cook out, party, hangout, more food for each function. You cannot maintain your figure if you have to be patronizing to food for every gathering, rather you must adopt what I call the ‘cocktail persona’. Drink lots of water with ice and lime for the most part, look for the greens in the platter, chase the fibers such as vegetables and fruits. Dilute if you have to drink fizzy drinks.

AVOID ALCOHOL

If you need to get on an alcohol detox, the best time is during Christmas. Aside of guaranteeing that you will live to see next Christmas it will also help your gut stay woke. Late nights and partying already take a toll on your metabolism. Entertaining is hard work, perhaps the only good thing about it is catching up on belly laughs, smiling a lot which most people do not usually do and connecting with actual people rather than our phones and social media which we dwell on for most of the year. If you have to stick with mocktails with a fresh fruit concentrate or spirits.

WHERE THERE IS TEA , THERE IS HOPE

If you have been following me you will know that I am a tea addict, recently I have been doing my own infusions tailored to suit my needs. Everything to cure flus, colds and burn fat! I enjoy drinking rooibos/ red tea, green tea, puerh / oolong and white tea after large meals and throughout the day. It helps me digest my food quickly and assists my body in taking what is required and getting rid of the waste. Try drinking tea without milk and sugar for each time you feel hungry , substitute sugar with honey if you can’t go without the sweetened version. One of my favourite blends is ginger, cinnamon, lime and honey.

CREATE A VISION BOARD OF YOUR IDEAL FIGURE

We all have our ideal weight or a physical look that we envy and crave. For some of us, it’s impossible to change some things like our height, I have always wanted to be tall like my brother who is 6ft 5in. At a point I will not step out without my heels, slowly I got into accepting and capitalizing my 5ft 5in frame (it’s actually 5ft 4in, white lies must not be told this Christmas, I need my gifts intact). I looked for petite women who were doing great work. I saved pictures of them on my vision board. I could relate to super women who looked just like me the same applies to any other physical feature, look for people who look like you. Again, this rule applies if you want to lose or gain weight, look for pictures of your ‘ideal look’ and look at them as often as you can. Tell yourself, I believe in my ability to love and accept myself for who I am. Manifest your inner beauty to radiate outwardly.