The summer holidays are in full swing! It’s the season for long days at the beach, various social events and time to relax and reset after the whirlwind of 2020.

Enjoying this break is more important than ever, however many people report that these coming few weeks can result in some extra holiday kilo’s to start the new year.

In Fact:

The The New England Journal of Medicine reports that the average person gains 0.48kg over the Christmas break.

How many times have you have woken up on the 1st of January, potentially feeling a little worse for wear?

Follow these 5 easy tips now to set yourself up for a healthy, guilt free summer break!

1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

Australian Summer is typically long, hot and busy. Water makes up about 70% of your body weight and dehydration can lead to exhaustion if you’re not keeping on top of fluid intake!

When you are more drained/tired you can often make poor food choices or be lazy with food preparation. Additionally, when you are thirsty you can often over eat.

To combat this

• Try drinking small amounts of fluid (preferably water) regularly throughout the day.

• Keep an insulated drink bottle in your car, handbag or beach bag to sip on.

• Have a glass of water with each main meal.

• Add some slices of fresh lemon or lime or berries to give your water a fruity burst and entice you to drink.

2. Stock up on summer fruits (mango/cherries/stone fruits/melons)

One of the highlights of summer is the abundance of fresh fruits available. Fruit provides us with numerous health benefits – essential vitamins, minerals, fibre. They are also naturally low in salt, fat and calories, making them a perfect snack!

Buy up a selection of fruits at the start of the week- the more colours the better and keep them handy for when you are feeling peckish between meals. We recommend having 2 serves of fruit per day.

You can find out what a serve of fruit it here

3. Pick healthy alcohol alternatives

The holiday season often goes hand in hand with excess alcohol consumption. Did you know that one gram of alcohol contains 7 calories (29kj)? To put that into perspective, 1 beer is equivalent to consuming 2 slices of bread!

Luckily for you, there are many great non alcoholic alternatives on the market:

• Kombucha or switchel

• Fresh lemon/lime and soda

• Coconut water

• Non alcoholic beers

4. Practice mindful eating

Eating mindfully means that you are using all of your physical and emotional senses to experience and enjoy the food choices you make. When using this approach, you are less likely to over-eat or fill up on foods that you don’t really enjoy.

The next time you are at a party with a platter board, try getting a plate and picking the things that really jump out at you. By allowing yourself to enjoy all types of food, you will be less likely to potentially over-consume later in the party.

5. Approach movement as an opportunity, not an inconvenience!

Remember when you were a kid and the holidays were filled with activities? Swimming in the pool, bodyboarding at the beach or building sandcastles?

Embrace being a big kid and bring that playfulness back to your life this summer break. Take on any opportunities for movement and you’ll notice that your energy levels and mood improve- plus the kids will love you for it!