Struggling to stick to a healthy and consistent diet during the festive season? Well, you’re not alone. The uphill struggle begins with Navratri and Diwali, continues through various regional festivals, and culminates in the grand celebrations that come with Christmas and the New Year.
With temptations constantly in your face at every party and get-together, it’s almost impossible to stick to a diet, let alone find time for your workouts! With sugary sweets and cakes, and delicious, rich fiestas all around us, it’s no wonder most of us have a serious case of non-stop overeating!
Festivals are the best time of the year to celebrate with friends and family… and the worst time of the year for your waistline! Now that the festivities are pretty much done and you’re gearing up for a brand new year ahead, you might be feeling a tad bit of post-feast guilt with those extra kilos hanging around.
But hold up, no need to punish yourself for enjoying the festive season. The struggle is real, we get it. You’re not the only one eyeing that new gym membership. Don’t fear the food (even if it comes laden with calories). Focus on losing weight the healthy way.
We’ve put together some tips to help you bounce back into shape. Let’s make this year your healthiest one yet!
1- Eat a quick but wholesome breakfast
Start your day with a healthy and wholesome breakfast. We’re always in a hurry in the morning and tend to whip up whatever’s fastest or grab a bite on the way without a second thought about how healthy it is. There are many healthy and quick mealsyou can make so that you start your day off on the right note. Protein-packed breakfasts, low-calorie breakfasts with healthy fats, it’s all possible and it takes no more than 15 minutes.
QNET Tip – Try substituting regular honey with Nutriplus Monofloral Honeyin your breakfast meals for some additional health benefits. It’s great for weight management, boosts your immune response which normally slows down in the winter, and naturally nourishes your skin.
2- Hydrate with a detox elixir
Water is the best way to flush out the toxins. Start your day by drinking a large glass of water and keep hydrating throughout the day. It doesn’t have to be boring. Throw in some lemon and cucumber slices, tulsi, and mint leaves and not only does it flavour the water naturally, but the Citrus and Vitamin C-enriched drinks are known to help reduce fat. Although it’s natural to reduce your water intake in the winter season, many of us reduce it to the point of dehydration. We need to make sure we hydrate adequately even in the winter season.
QNET Tip – Try the Nutriplus Celesteal range of teas. Each tea is blended with herbs, flowers, fruits and condiments that have their origin in the Ayurveda. You can sip on a cup of Celesteal throughout the day and enjoy its healing properties that help with digestion, detox, managing blood sugar and promoting circulation.
You can also use the KENT-QNET Smart Alkaline Water Purifierthat uses top-of-the-line filtration technology to give you a higher pH balance, improved hydration, better digestive health and heap more in terms of health benefits.
3- Treat your heart and mind right
We need to keep our cholesterol in check by avoiding trans fats, limiting our intake of saturated fats and having more unsaturated fats. We also need to calm our minds and try to lead a stress-free life as much as possible by not worrying about the things that aren’t in our control.
QNET Tip – Some regular yoga exercises and stretches can help with calming your mind and reducing your stress levels.
Switch to Nutriplus Virgin Coconut Oil for all your meals. It is one of the healthiest cooking oils in the world and a 100% natural alternative to vegetable cooking oil that not only aids in weight loss but also gives you a faster metabolism. The MCTs also contain a combination of healthy fats that limit the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
4- Portion control. Portion control. Portion Control.
To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume, which inevitably means one thing: portion control. This doesn’t mean you have to eat tiny portions of everything. Begin your meal with a vegetable soup or salad and then start with the main course so that you can prevent that second serving. Bulk up your meal with veggies. Instead of going for that large serving of rice or that extra roti, add a bigger portion of the sabzi. Have two or three different vegetables on your plate so that it looks full and you are not tempted to pile on more food.
QNET Tip – Start your meals by drinking a big glass of water. Filling your belly with water will naturally make you less likely to overeat. Also, try eating on a smaller plate.
Nutriplus Qafé is a special blend of unroasted coffee that contains Nutriose that helps curb your hunger and keep you from overeating. In essence, you can reduce your calorie intake, lower your hunger levels and even improve your metabolism.
5- Get Fresh
Try to eat more fresh, green and leafy vegetables instead of calorie-packed carbohydrates like rice, roti, and fried items. There are numerous benefits of eating a wide variety of leafy green vegetables such as they help in lowering cholesterol, are good for the eyes, good for the bones, etc. Let’s not forget the antioxidant profile of these healthy greens!
QNET Tip – Sprinkle some Nutriplus Fibrefit in your salads or soups or mix them with your vegetable preparation (is odourless and tasteless and will blend in easily) to get the added benefit of soluble fibre to aid digestion and provide the prebiotics your body needs.
6- Get moving!
The only way you can make any diet plan work is by incorporating physical activity into your lifestyle. Walking is by far the best activity for even the most exercise-shy person. Now is also a good time to start Yoga. If you don’t have time to go out to a gym or a class, just go to YouTube and search for beginner yoga workout programs and you will find many different options available to suit every age and body type. The best part – no equipment needed! Just 20-30 minutes of Yoga a day (to begin with) will help you feel more flexible, calm your mind and even aid with digestion.
QNET Tip – You can consider getting the Mini HomeGym – an all-in-one product that helps you do a wide range of exercises from the comfort of your home without breaking the bank and saving you valuable time
