Avoid Christmas pounds: The best tips on how to get through the Christmas season healthy and fit

A gingerbread and gingerbread here - chocolate and cocktails there: at Christmas we like to go crazy. They feast as much as they can, which is why the calories are later reflected on the scales. With a few tricks you can get through the holidays without having to go hungry without having to go hungry.

Christmas is first and foremost a celebration of love. In most families, eating until you drop is the rule rather than the exception. During this time, many luscious and high-fat dishes are served, the calories of which will later show up on the hips. Lovebirds are really inevitable during the most beautiful time of the year, which is why the gyms recorded a strong increase in January. To avoid the excess holiday pounds, there are a few helpful tricks on how you can enjoy the Christmas season without having to count every calorie.

Christmas without cookies? Unthinkable!

Biscuits and cookies should not be missing in any Christmas season. The delicacies are prepared in the classic way with butter or margarine, flour and eggs. There is a low-fat variant, but let's be honest: Who wants to be content with cookies on the Christmas holidays that taste bland and boring? If you want to eat delicious biscuits and cookies and still pay attention to your figure, you can simply exchange the margarine or butter for coconut fat. Coconut oil is not only easy to digest - it also provides valuable energy and great taste!

Eat snacks before the Christmas roast

The only reason we overeat on the Christmas holidays is that we often sit down at the table hungry. You should deliberately avoid this problem by doing it before the Christmas roast healthy snacks eats. Fresh fruit is ideal in this case. It is also advisable to drink a glass of water before eating, which not only quenches thirst but also hunger. You can also replace the water with a soup that you serve before the main course.

Gluten for Christmas? It works without it!

Hollywood shows how it is: these days, many stars swear by a gluten-free diet that does without wheat, rye, oats and barley. Gluten is also known as glue protein, which causes digestive problems and weight problems for many people. Admittedly, we don't want to fast, especially at Christmas time, but rather feast. So our tip: simply swap the wheat flour for spelled flour, which contains significantly less gluten. You can thicken your sauces with corn or arrowroot starch instead of using wheat flour. Arrowroot starch is a herbal gelling agent extracted from the arrowroot plant, which is native to South America. The taste-neutral binding agent is also suitable for making jams and desserts.

Feast at Christmas: Even without gluttony

Eat till you drop? This is the rule, especially on the Christmas holidays. Most people usually eat more than they can handle. Stomach pain, diarrhea or vomiting are often the result of senseless gluttony that literally hits the stomach. Instead of hastily gulping down the food, enjoy it to the full. As soon as you eat more slowly, the feeling of satiety is more noticeable. By the way, psychologists have found that we automatically eat less as soon as we take a smaller plate. Try it!

Dried fruits as a sweet alternative

It's sweet, creamy and incredibly tasty: we're talking about chocolate, which should not be missing on any Christmas plate. There is hardly anyone who does not like chocolate. Unfortunately, 100 grams of chocolate contain around 530 kcal - that corresponds to a 40-minute endurance run at a faster pace. Dried fruits can be a healthier alternative when consumed in moderation because they contain little fat and less sugar than chocolate. 100 grams of dried dates contain just 285 kcal.

Avocados, coffee & chilli boost fat burning

If you want to feast on the holidays, but don't want to stress your body too much, you should put a few special foods on your shopping list that are considered real fat killers. Coffee is one of the frontrunners - a popular pick-me-up that is indispensable for many people. The performance-enhancing effect is due to the caffeine, which not only stimulates the heart rate and pulse, but also the metabolism. This leads to an increase in energy consumption, which is why you consume significantly more calories with a cup of coffee than without. However, you shouldn't drink more than three to four cups a day. Chili has a similar effect. Here, however, the pungent ingredient capsaicin stimulates the circulation.

Another fat burner is the avocado. However, anyone who thinks of a high-fat fruit with no nutritional value is seriously mistaken. Because of the ingredients, the avocado is one of the healthiest foods around. Avocados are rich in unsaturated fatty acids - they also stand out Antioxidants, Trace elements, minerals and vitamins. Did you already know how to get a Mineral deficiencies affects your body? You can read more about this in the blog post in the Academy. The fruits also contain the enzyme lipase, which controls the burning of fat during digestion. The enzyme ensures that the fat is not stored and that fat breakdown is accelerated. You should still not eat the avocado in excess. After all, half an avocado contains 200 to 250 calories.

Homemade cocktails instead of wine and sparkling wine

For many of us, sparkling wine and wine are part of a good Christmas dinner. What many do not know: Unfortunately, the drinks contain a lot of sugar. Homemade cocktails are a delicious alternative. If you can do without alcohol - but still want to enjoy the tingly feeling in your mouth, you can prepare a tasty alternative. Simply mix a carbonated mineral water with a dash of elderflower syrup and add a fresh peppermint leaf. Lime juice, honey and rum or grapefruit juice and vodka are also a successful combination for a low-calorie cocktail.

Get out in the fresh air!

Those who like to feast at Christmas can easily balance out the calories by taking a long walk. Exercising in the fresh air with the family is twice as much fun. Maybe you can use the time to tobogganing, skiing or a snowball fight before you warm up with a cup of ginger tea by the fireplace. Incidentally, ginger boosts the metabolism and fat burning. It tastes particularly delicious with honey.

Games & fun: actively design Christmas

Anyone who spends the Christmas season exclusively on the sofa needn't be surprised about a few extra pounds. Feasting is definitely allowed - if you move around during the day. Movement not only keeps you fit, but also slim. It doesn't have to be the gym. Especially not at Christmas. Just go on a scavenger hunt to find the Christmas presents. The treasure hunt is even more fun with GPS.

Protein makes you feel full

Protein makes you feel full, while carbohydrates just unnecessarily increase insulin levels. To satisfy hunger, you should eat high-protein, especially on Christmas days. Therefore: Eat a little more of the Christmas goose and avoid dumplings and potatoes. Our tip: Just bake your biscuits with egg white powder or soy protein - the protein bombs don't just taste good at Christmas!

[1] http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/70/3/412.abstract?ijkey=6577d51c519a0eec9aa41f608d97c46ea5fdfb38&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha