It can be easy to pile on the pounds around Christmas as there’s so much festive food up for grabs.
After gorging on huge roast dinners, mince pies and entire selection boxes, we’re often left curled up in front of the fire as we try and sleep it off.
So is there a reason we feel so sluggish in wintertime?
Dr Preethi Daniel, Medical Director at London Doctors Clinic, spoke to Daily Star Online about how to beat the bloated feeling.
The medical expert revealed that Christmas dinner can take its toll on our bodies because it’s so difficult to digest.
This is due to the amount of meat we pile onto our plates.
She said: “Proteins are the most difficult component of food to digest, forcing your body to exhaust three to seven times more calories in order to break them down.
“So, keeping this in mind, the supposed explanation behind the meat sweats is this: by ingesting an abnormal amount of protein for you, your digestive system would have to burn a huge amount of energy on digestion.
“This would raise your core temperature by such a significant amount that your body would have to resort to sweating—which it usually uses for fevers and vigorous exercise—just to get it back down to normal.”
Thankfully, you don’t need to cut Christmas goodies out of your diet to overcome this sluggishness.
Here are Dr Daniel’s top seven tips for fighting fatigue and bloating – and it can be as simple as drinking more water.
1. Eat more at breakfast
Fuelling your body properly in the morning prevents you from binge-eating later in the day.
Try munching on poached eggs or porridge for a slow release of energy all day.
2. Keep hydrated
The more water you drink, the fuller you feel.
Drinking a pint before mealtimes can stop you from over-indulging.
3. Eat slower
While it is tempting to guzzle down the delicious food, you’ll be doing yourself a favour by taking your time.
Chewing everything at least five times ensures that the brain has registered how much you’re eating.
As well as this, your body will register that you feel full before you’ve cleared your entire plate.
4. Add some fibre into your diet
Foods with a lower glycaemic index can help you feel fuller and less sluggish.
Pulses, beans, wholegrains, nuts and vegetables are all great for this – so feel free to reach for the nut roast.
5. Keep condiments to a minimum
While sauces may seem like a Christmas essential, they can be packed with sugar.
Fruit chutneys, including cranberry, tend to be bad culprits for this.
6. Detox
Stuffed one too many mince pies down this December?
There’s no need to panic, because you can still detox.
Green tea and fresh citrus drinks will work wonders to boost your metabolism.
7. Put away leftovers
Temptation is always harder if it’s in plain sight.
Always store leftovers and post-meal choccies out of arm’s reach.
This will prevent you mindlessly munching your way through them when watching a Christmas TV marathon.
