With the nights getting darker and the wind getting that little extra colder, it can only mean one thing…it’s nearly Christmas party season! Soon you will be bombarded by invites to a variety of work and personal parties, of which you want to go to them ALL. You want to be able to fit into that LBD without feeling self-conscious and make sure your hair is glowing and healthy but with your busy schedule, this can be harder than it seems. This is why, here at The Slimming Clinic, we want to help you look and feel great this party season with our four week guide which will cover everything from diet tips to cosmetic treatments so that you can confidently strut through each Christmas party, knowing you look fabulous!
- With four weeks to go, it is time to achieve that flat stomach to go great with that figure-hugging dress you’ve had your eye on. Try taking peppermint capsules or aloe vera juice daily throughout the countdown to party season because each does a fantastic job in supporting your digestive system and both can help you achieve a flat stomach by preventing dreaded bloating.
- So that you can look amazing in your Christmas outfit, you can also cut out certain foods that can cause excessive gas and bloating such as beans, broccoli, cabbage and carbonated drinks. Chewing gum is also notoriously known for causing bloating!
- Also try to limit things that contain refined sugar, or fermented products like cheese and alcohol. By doing this now, your body has time to gradually de-bloat and this will also assist in achieving a healthy digestive system.
- Make sure to drink 8 glasses of water a day to give your complexion a healthy boost ahead of the office party!
- We also recommend taking milk thistle, in the run up to Christmas, as medical herbalists say it can help both protect liver cells from damage and improve liver function. Very handy when you will no doubt be swigging champagne by 3pm!
- There’s nothing worse than being struck by the winter flu during party season so make sure to take lots of Vitamin C, which assists the immune system and Vitamin D3, the vitamin that helps boost the ‘feel good’ chemical, serotonin.
- This is also a great time to start thinking about your hair care…All hair types suffer during winter from the constant switching between the cold outside to the heat indoors. The change in temperatures dries out your hair, which is why you should start using a moisturising conditioner and once a week use a deep-condition hair mask for that extra shine!
- Follow a ‘Little Black Dress Diet’ to help combat that pesky winter weight-gain and to help you look fabulous in your dress! Below is a guide on what foods you should aim to eat in order to shed those extra pounds and all these options can be mix and matched each day so you can still have a tasty breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Breakfasts
- Porridge with semi-skimmed milk and a handful of blueberries
- Two poached eggs on granary toast
- Make a smoothie from a banana, a blueberries, a low fat yogurt and a mug of milk. And two toasted crumpets, spread thinly with jam
- Two slices mixed grain seeded bread, toasted, with two tbsp cottage cheese and a tsp jam if you fancy. Fruit juice
- Bowl of Special K with skimmed milk, topped with chopped banana.
Lunches
- Minestrone/non-creamy soup, wholemeal roll with a handful of grapes or an apple / Wholemeal roll with half a tin of tuna, chopped peppers, low fat mayo and mixed salad leaves. Fruit salad
- Any sandwich or roll with less than 400 cals.
- One portion fruit Wholemeal pitta filled with vegetable chilli, low-fat yoghurt Jacket potato with cottage cheese and chopped red pepper – no butter.
- Two rich tea biscuits.
Dinners
- Grilled chicken with green beans, spicy tomato salsa and avocado salad
- Seared tuna steak with anchovy and boiled egg salad
- Chicken and mixed veg stir-fry
- Poached salmon with creme fraiche and dill, steamed asparagus and broccoli Cod baked in tinfoil with lemon and
- Mediterranean oven-roasted vegetables.
Snacks
- A handful of nuts or a small banana
- Two oatcakes with peanut butter with a cup of tea, no sugar
- Two rice cakes with marmite
- Low-fat yoghurt, plus an apple or tangerine
- Banana and small fromage frais pot
- Carrot with tbsp low-fat houmous.