‘Tis the season to be jolly… and to over-indulge! Here’s the top 5 tips to assist you in making it through the festive season without that post-Christmas blow-out guilt.

1.  Alcohol will almost always be on the table. It’s important to enjoy your day without feeling guilty about indulging in a couple of drinks, and here’s a few tips to help you make the best choices:

• Choose Red wine over White wine or Champagne as it’s lower in sugar and contains some great antioxidants
• Have your spirits with soda water (or straight). Avoid the mixers like cola, orange juice & lemonade as they are all very high in sugar. The research has proven that unfortunately diet soda’s aren’t a better option. Think vodka lime & soda (with real lime, not cordial!)

 2.  To avoid the post-Christmas breakouts, here’s a few things you can do to minimise the tell-tale overindulgent bad skin:

• Limit your sugar. Sugar is in everything, so be very wary of your condiments, lollies, cakes, custards etc. Sugar is often the biggest cause in breakouts.
• Limit your dairy. Dairy products have been linked to acne.
• Chocolate is a double whammy of sugar and dairy. Better choices would be consuming high-quality raw chocolate with natural sweeteners like a small amount of coconut sugar.
• Drink plenty of purified water to keep the skin looking & feeling hydrated, and to assist in flushing out toxins.
• Research shows that supplementing with certain vitamins & minerals such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), vitamin A and zinc can pack a punch for breakouts, and have been proven to be very effective treatments.
  

            Remember if you fail to plan, you plan to fail!

Stick to whole foods. That’s whole foods, not ‘hole foods’ – sorry no, I don’t mean doughnuts! Eat plenty of veggies, and avoid anything processed. Choose real butter (if you’re ok with dairy) instead of margarine. Use sweet potato instead of white potato, and try avoiding the carbs & grains by making things like ‘cauliflower rice’ as a rice substitute.

4.  If you’re planning a big meal, such a Christmas lunch, then take some apple cider vinegar or lemon juice in warm water about 15 minutes before you eat. This can help you break down your heavy foods and can lessen the resulting bloat or uncomfortable feeling.

5.  If you HAVE eaten too much, or eaten something that has given you a funny-tummy, then reach for a herbal tea. Peppermint, ginger and chamomile teas are all known to be great for settling the tummy.

You CAN stay healthy this festive season and not blow out your goals! Just keep those few tips in mind, continue your regular exercise regime, and after it’s all said & done you’ll be patting yourself on the back for a job well done.

For healthy recipe ideas that you can use for this festive season, such as my famous dairy-free creamy sweet-potato bake, feel free to check out the recipe section of my website at www.aliveinwonderland.com/recipes

Yours in health,

Haley Yates

Haley is a passionate Naturopath & nutrition expert, writer, and mum of 2 young children, with years of experience in the industry. She is a known as a real ‘nutrition nerd’ and follows the latest natural health research. As a Paleo and raw food enthusiast, she coaches people in healthy living, beauty and positive mindset.

Haley has personally experienced the benefits of the SkinB5 natural acne treatment system and is happy to offer her guidance to help others regain clear skin.

Follow her blog at www.aliveinwonderland.com & link with her on facebook at www.facebook.com/aliveinwonderlandhealth