To Surviving Christmas

It’s some kind of cruel joke really, isn’t it? Ultimate party night of the year, New Year’s Eve, and the lead up to the big night is Christmas. So instead of being able to focus on looking and feeling great for the big night, we drink, eat roast dinners, chocolates, Pavlova and Christmas mince pies … how does that work?

Plan A: Cancel Christmas

Plan B: Welcome to the Real World! Damage Control Central!

It’s not about fast tracking to awesome results; it’s more about reducing the damage so it’s not such a long haul back in the New Year.

You have a number of options; it’s not all or nothing. You know you better than anyone else does. There are areas you’ll find easy to manage and others with which you’ll struggle; that’s life! Pick your battles and don’t punish yourself for not being perfect.

Here are a few tricks you can use during the silly season:

• The old water between wine trick. This is easier early in the evening but requires a bit more discipline as the night wears on.

• Eliminate the ‘easy’ drink. Bubbles and cocktails slip down fast and before you know it …. Try drinking something that you enjoy but have a lower tolerance for drinking fast.

• Skip the high-calorie mixers and the pre-mixers. They’re a whole lot of extra calories and no more fun. Use low-calorie mixers liberally; they add to your fluid intake, which will reduce your hangover.

• Eat something before you go so you’re not so hungry while you’re waiting for dinner, otherwise you’ll end up consuming two days energy in pre-dinner snacks.

• Don’t set yourself up next to the snacks. In fact, put yourself as far away from the food as possible.

• If you have someone wandering around with plates, say no, twice, before you say yes, once!

• Chat up the waiter or waitress who has the healthy snacks and get him/her to keep coming back.

• HYDRATE! HYDRATE! HYDRATE! Many of the alcohol-related problems are due to dehydration. I don’t care how you do it but get the water in, both throughout the evening then all the following day.

• Be a great guest but a lazy host. If you are eating at someone else’s house, offer to help tidy after the meal rather than staying at the table picking over the remains. If the dinner is at your place, ditch the leftovers in the kitchen and head back to the guests; you’ll avoid picking as you tidy.

Julz Darroch
www.julzdarroch.co.nz