How To Kickstart Your Post-Christmas Health Drive

Christmas. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, a time when (until this year at least!) we come together to celebrate with our family, see old friends and generally get carried away with the romance of the season. Yet the festive period is one of great excess. Many families begin stockpiling a month or two before, filling the house with indulgent items, from creamy Bailey’s to chocolate selection boxes. Over the years we have grown accustomed to being warned by our mothers, on pain of death, not to touch these items until the big day. So naturally, when the festive ribbon is finally cut we tend to go slightly crazy. 

Yet when the decadent week of frenzied eating and drinking wears off, we are given a harsh reminder of reality. For me this year, that reality feels like a five kilogram weight gain, a tired liver and a claggy sensation in the mouth. Naturally then, most of us enjoy a more restrained January as a form of self penance for the excesses of Christmas. This has led to a range of recent trends for people to share their collective efforts to give their bodies a tune up and share the resultant pain as part of a wider community. Now, the social media-driven, outward facing aspect of these health drives might not be for everyone but they are certainly recommendable even as a personal challenge to improve your physical wellbeing so are nevertheless worth a shot. 

Veganuary’ 

While the more cynical among us might well hate the dreaded ‘V word’, switching to a plant-based diet or even attempting to reduce our meat and dairy consumption more generally can be a massive step towards a healthier life. Going vegan is linked to a wide range of health benefits including reduced cholesterol, a stronger immune system and weight loss so it is definitely a strategy worth considering. As veganism has become a wider movement, advocates have challenged vegetarians and meat eaters to shrug off animal produce for the whole month of January to see if they could adapt their diets more permanently. This has had a dramatic impact upon many people’s lives, allowing them to reduce their dependence on meat or even cut it out entirely to the benefit of their bodies. 

Perhaps this strategy is for you? If you are struggling to construct a meat free meal plan, there are plenty available online or you might opt for meat substitutes if you do not have the time or energy. A wide range of such products are available in virtually all major supermarkets but remember to choose ethical providers whose products contain sustainable soybeans which aren’t linked to deforestation.  

Dry January 

This one might be even more difficult for some. As British people, alcohol and drinking culture is part of our DNA, hence the Christmas hedonism, so going completely sober for a whole month poses something of a nightmare. Nevertheless, cutting out the alcoholic beverages can provide a variety of benefits, socially, mentally and physically. It can give you essentially an extra day at the weekend, free from the Saturday morning hangover, help make your mind less foggy during the week and give the liver a well-needed post-Christmas rest. And with pubs closed throughout January due to Coronavirus, there has never been a better time to hunker down and set this personal challenge.

Your diet is perhaps the most important element of your health so these challenges might kickstart a period of post-Christmas rejuvenation for you.