Avoid piling on the pounds this Christmas

‘Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat.’ So goes the well-known Christmas song. But is the goose the only thing getting fat? Christmas is the season of goodwill – and overindulgence. One that most of us regret come the 1st January.

According to a survey by Wren kitchens, the average Brit will consume in the region of 6,000 calories on Christmas day alone. That’s the equivalent of twelve Big Macs. It’s a lot of mince pies that’s for sure! Add to that all the canapés and nibbles at assorted functions in the run up to Christmas and most of us consume enough calories to sink a battleship.

70 percent of the people surveyed simply pay no heed to their food intake over the Christmas holiday. But they should! You’d have to cycle for over 100 miles or do thirteen hours of aerobic exercise to burn off the Christmas Day calories alone.

Then there’s the demon drink. Almost a quarter of our Christmas calorie intake comes from alcohol. This has the effect of disturbing our metabolism and flushing out precious nutrients – in particular vitamin B. Don’t mentioning the toxicity to our liver.

Keep your vitamin B levels up

When the alcohol is flowing – and, let’s face it, over the Christmas period it’s likely to be – then you’re in danger of rapid depletion of your B vitamin levels. The end result? You’re feeling washed out, tired and sluggish in no time. A strong dose of B-50 can help here if taken the morning after the night before.

We need eight different B vitamins to keep us in tip top condition. Because almost all of them are used to transfer foods into energy they’re important for optimum digestion and nutrient absorption.

When we eat calorific foods, the efficiency with which they’re broken down and used for energy is a major factor in the efficiency of our metabolism. B vitamins will help to restore your blood sugar levels. This in turn reduces appetite.

Magnesium

Another important mineral depleted by alcohol, and foods high in sugar and sodium is magnesium.

A dangerous, magnesium deficiency is common in those who are chronic abusers of alcohol. But the rest of us, overdoing it over Christmas, are risking what Health.com refers to as magnesium inadequacy. So otherwise unexplained nausea, general fatigue and appetite loss could well be down to you not getting as much magnesium as you should.

Damage Limitation

What can you do then to help the situation along?

This article on Onistfood.com has some top tips to help you avoid over indulgence. Drinking lots of water is a good one. Your body can mistake dehydration for hunger. So, make sure that, along with the mulled wine and coffees, you get lots of cool, clear water down you.

Another is to be smart about Christmas meals and parties. If you know it’s a canapés and nibbles affair have a filling meal before you go. The worst thing you can do is arrive at such a thing hungry. Tiny, canapés may be but low in calories they’re not. Arrive hungry and you’ll consume a crazy calorie count.

There’s supplement support too!

• Glucomannan – this is a dietary fibre that fills up the stomach you’ll have less room for that third mince pie. It will also ensure a healthy bowel movement – important to get rid of all the stuff that your body couldn’t absorb and digest.
• Chitosan – known also as a “fat magnet”, chitosan binds itself to fat preventing its absorption.
• Detox Colon Cleanse Capsules – we formulate our colon cleanse capsules to help your body get rid of unwanted toxins and waste.
• B Complex B-50 – our extreme potency formulation comprises eight B vitamins – essential nutrients to keep your body running well.
• N-Acetyl Cysteine – helps to protect the liver by enhancing detoxification pathways to help eliminate acetaldehyde, a highly toxic alcohol metabolite that is approximately 30 times more toxic than alcohol itself.

Finally, if the temptation is all too much for you, and heartburn and acid reflux are troubling you then our Slippery Elm capsules will come to the rescue.