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It’s nearly the end of the year, and that means party time!
While lots of get togethers with friends, family or workmates provide the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and celebrate, it’s easy to forget about the damage all that extra food and drink can do to your body.
Luckily that doesn’t mean that you can’t go out and have fun; all it takes is a bit of sacrifice and compromise. We’ve compiled a guide to help you get through the party season and avoid those pesky Christmas kilos. You can still have fun and celebrate like everyone else, you just need to party smarter. Believe me, your body will be thanking you come January.
Break the habit By thinking about what and how much you’re eating, you’ll be able to take greater control over your eating habits and put an immediate stop to any over-indulging!
Eat a healthy meal before the party to help full you up.
Chew gum or mints; you’ll be a lot less likely to feel the need to munch on something.
This may seem obvious, but don’t stand next to the food or drinks table! You’ll be a lot less tempted to pick away.
Don’t pile up your plate! Get a small plate or napkin with enough room for only a few items.
Eat small portions and wait at least 20 minutes before deciding whether to go back for seconds.
Listen to your tummy; if you feel full, stop eating!
Healthy alternatives Just because you’re avoiding the Christmas kilos doesn’t mean you have to miss out on yummy food! Just make the right decisions and pick lighter choices. Try these healthy alternatives:
Hummus and salsa instead of creamy dips and cheeses.
Vegetable sticks instead of chips and crackers.
Pretzels instead of peanuts.
Cocktail sausages instead of sausage rolls.
Fruit instead of sweets.
Low-fat yoghurt instead of ice cream. Drink smarter, not harder! Unfortunately, we Kiwis are infamous for our shocking binge drinking habits. Don’t let yourself get sucked into this category! No good comes from being a booze hag; you say too much, you spend too much, and you trash your body far too much! Remember it takes your liver over an hour to process just one standard alcoholic drink so take it easy! Try these great drinking tips to help get your body through the night with as less damage as possible.
Try sugar free or diet softdrinks as mixers to help cut back on unnecessary calories.
Alternate between alcohol and water; trust me your head will thank you in the morning.
Pick drinks that are lower in fat and calories. That means avoiding too many creamy cocktails, and heading towards alcohols such as wine and clear spirits (which are lower in calories than darker ones).
A great alternative is Stark; a tasty pre-mix of vodka and sparkling water that comes in yummy fruit flavours like Lemon & Lime, Mandarin and Feijoa & Apple. Best of all it has no artificial colour, flavour or sweetners.
Go for a glass of bubbly; generally you drink less because it comes in smaller glasses and the bubbles fill you up.
It’s entirely possible to enjoy the party season and not pack on the Christmas kilos. All you have to do is make a few health conscious decisions and your body will get through un-harmed and un-scathed!
Ramarea Pedersen
No summer party would be complete without a few drinks, and STARK is the perfect complement to your celebrations. STARK is a refreshing 5% vodka drink which combines triple distilled Swedish vodka with New Zealand sparking water and natural flavours; Feijoa & Apple, Lemon & Lime or Mandarin. It has no artificial colouring, flavouring or sweetners, so it's simple, classy and refreshing.
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It’s nearly the end of the year, and that means party time! 
Eat a healthy meal before the party to help full you up.
Healthy alternatives
Ramarea Pedersen