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15 Ways To Stay Healthy These Holidays As the summer holidays approach, we’re all looking forward to kicking back, relaxing with family and friends, enjoying long days by the beach, bbqs and backyard cricket – among many other things. However, it can be stressful trying to maintain healthy habits with so much temptation around and routines disrupted. So here are our top tips to help you get through. Eat Breakfast. Commit to eating a healthy and filling breakfast every day. This will start your day on the right path and hopefully reduce the urge for that morning tea sweet treat. Graze. Eat small, healthy meals throughout the day. It helps you keep your blood sugar and energy levels steady. You’ll be less likely to feel moody or stressed, and you’ll be less likely to overeat at parties. Also, if you don’t arrive at a party with an empty stomach, alcohol won’t hit you as hard. Work out. Exercise keeps your metabolism going, helps you digest and burn off calories, and can stabilize your mood. Do a trade-off. For every alcoholic drink you have during the holidays, tell yourself you need to be physically active for 30 minutes to burn it off. It might make you stop and consider how many drinks you want to consume, when put into this perspective. Stay hydrated. Choose water or low-calorie drinks . According to experts, 500mls of water 20 minutes before each meal keeps you hydrated while reducing cravings and calories when you eat. Ditch the comfy pants. This might seem a bit odd, but loose-fitting clothes make it easier to overeat. Wear form-fitting garments that will let you know you’re overdoing it.  Simply sip. Make that drink last all night by taking tiny sips. You’ll cut down on calories, and also keep a clear head all night. Veg out. Hit the crunchy vegetables. Hard. They’ll fill you up, making you less likely to overeat. Go lean. Choose lean proteins: turkey (without the skin), fish (skip the fatty sauce), and pork. They can fill you up and give you lots of energy. Embrace the season. Enjoy the festive holiday fare you can’t get any other time of year, like stuffing and pavlova. Have those special foods in small amounts, but avoid things you can get all year, like mashed potatoes. Think small. Always use a small plate if there’s a choice. That helps you keep portions modest. Have one bite. Eat all the desserts you want — but just a bite of each. That way you won’t feel shortchanged — but you’re also not going overboard. Take stock. When holiday food cravings hit, stop and ask yourself, “Am I really hungry?” Just a few seconds might reveal that you’re really just tired or feeling something else that’s not hunger. A little talk with yourself can spare you some unwanted calories. Get your Zzzzs. Going out more and staying out later often means cutting back on sleep. Sleep loss can make it harder to manage your blood sugar, and when you’re sleep deprived you’ll tend to eat more and prefer high-fat, high-sugar food. Aim for 7 to 8 hours per night to guard against mindless eating. Breathe and have fun. Remember that the holidays are about spending time with relatives and friends. Take a deep breath, smile, and connect.

Surviving the Silly Season It’s so easy to get carried away as we head into the Christmas season. Between the Christmas get-togethers, gift shopping, end-of-year school events, work commitments, holiday planning, planning for family visits and what to do on Christmas Day, it can all just get a bit overwhelming. With this sudden increase in to-do’s, it’s no wonder some things in our normal routine get dropped… usually these are the very things we need the most. So here is our top 8 ways to keep what’s needed most in your day, in the easiest way possible. Make sure you keep hydrated – with all the festivities going on, we tend to forget to drink water- make sure you have a glass between drinks or meals to make sure your body is staying hydrated, especially if you have increased your alcohol intake! Keep moving – Go for a walk or do some stretching exercises every day to keep the blood flowing – it will give you some much needed energy! Even if it’s just 5 mins in the morning before the kids get up. Listen to your body – If it is tired or you feel stiffness, pain or soreness, take a break and recharge and book an appointment for an adjustment or massage as soon as possible. Just because its Christmas doesn’t mean you have to eat EVERYTHING – Try not to add too many holiday “extras” to your plate. The trimmings that go with a meal (stuffing, crackling, gravy, salad dressings and cream) are usually the sneakiest source of ways to add calories to your meal, with the least amount of extra taste in the meal. Sleep – with all the excitement and stress that surrounds Christmas, plan for some early nights and make sure you’re getting well rested sleep. Online Shopping is your friend – skip the mall craziness and shop when it’s convenient for you. With so many retailers now online, and key sales events such as Click Frenzy and Black Friday timed perfectly in November, you could be done with all your shopping before December even hits. Make time for immediate family – it’s so easy to get carried away with your days, but try to find time in your days to just sit with your kids and hear about their day. Kids are likely feeling the effects of all the additional activities going on in their day, so providing them that regular check-in will help keep them grounded throughout the crazy. Just remember at the end of the day, that Christmas is just a day in the year, and if you don’t get everything done as you had hoped to, it’s ok. Om Wellness are offering a 7 day free trial for anyone looking to start their wellness journey today, contact us to find out more.

10 Tips to Achieve a Positive Mindset  The ‘power of positive thinking’ is a cliche bandied around and ironically often with negative connotations. But when the alternative is negative thinking, being a cliche feels like the better option! Here are 10 tips to get you started.  Start the day with a positive affirmation Focus on the good things, however small Find humour in bad situations Turn failures into lessons Transform negative self-talk into positive self-talk Focus on the present Find positive friends, mentors and co-workers Keep a journal Exercise regulary Watch the words you say To make things stick you need to make them a habit. This requires the regular repetition of these tasks. So, start with trying to do one thing every day for a month and slowly add a task to focus on. Before you know it, the postive mindset will be effortless. Namaste yogis.