​It’s the time of the year again with the festive spirit is in the air! The old traditional upbeat music is blaring, the streets are painted in red and throngs of people are dressed in their best outfit in anticipation for the entire day of celebration. 

​Many people often head for house visiting with an empty stomach which ultimately ends up being filled with scores of unhealthy festive delights due to the tendency to overeat. To prepare yourself to avoid this phenomenon, arm yourself with healthy food and snacks before going off to for your yearly visiting.
 
Fruits, yoghurt, Oats, Protein bars and Salad are good snacks rich in protein, fibre and vitamins to get you through the day. Eating these before you go visiting is likely to get you full faster and also help prevent you from binge eating all the unhealthy alternatives.

Consuming sugar is likely inevitable in the face of the never-ending festive goodies. However you want to stay away from consuming huge amounts of sugary snacks at one go. The reason why sugar has earned such a bad reputation is the fact that sugar consumption is related to hormonal imbalance, insulin spikes which affects your metabolism. This may stimulate hunger in individuals ultimately causing you to consume amounts over your total required energy intake (thus causing you to put on weight).

Research has also shown that sugar has addictive properties. Ever wondered why you could never stop at just one pineapple tart?
 
Sugar is not directly linked to obesity so consumption of it in small amounts is okay. However if you really want to maintain a healthy diet this season, our advice would be to not even start on them. But if you really have to, eat in moderation. Arming yourself with the knowledge of what you are eating is the first step to successful maintaining your diet and health.

​This is one of the most important yet often overlooked factor of not just fitness but health in general. The detriments of lack of sleep are plentiful including higher blood pressure, stress, sluggish cognitive functions, slower bodily functions, increased obesity and risk of heart disease.
And yes you read that right! Lack of sleep DOES cause you to put on weight due to reduced levels of leptin (chemical that makes you full) and increased levels of ghrelin (hunger stimulating hormone)!
 
So party hard but don’t forget to get enough sleep! The optimal amount of sleep for normal adults is around 7-8 hours for complete body recovery, especially so if you are still exercising regularly during this period!

One of the best things you can do is to continue on your exercise regime! If you currently do not exercise frequently then its good time to start. The benefits of exercise on your health are backed up by extensive research, not to mention the additional energy expended that can counteract any excess calories consumed during this time. Between the feasting and fellowship, setting aside just one hour to exercise wouldn’t be too much to ask? After all it is a public holiday and most of us do not have to work during that time.
 
If you are already following a workout schedule then stick to it. Don’t let this festive period be your excuse to skive. Even some light-intensity cardio would be better than not doing anything. Better still if you could drag your family members along for a bonding exercise activity like running, going for a hike, going cycling or even just a walk in the park!
 
If you are looking for a special workout dedicated to improve your overall well-being and as well as fitness levels, try out our hot yoga sessions conducted in far infrared rays! Exercising in far infrared environment delivers twice the benefits of a normal yoga session. Click here to find out more about our hot yoga sessions!

​Whilst exercise is definitely our first recommendation for keeping fit during this period, what if you simply don’t have the time, ability or motivation to exercise?
 
Perhaps you recently had an injury and find it hard to find proper exercises to keep fit. Well all is not lost! You can still attend our Ganbanyoku therapy session for a post-cny detox and body recovery. The benefits of Ganbanyoku include improve blood circulation, increased metabolism, weight loss, anti-aging effect, reduction in cholesterol levels and strengthening of the immune system.

We hope that this article has given you sound information on how to tackle the much loved yet guilt-ridden Chinese New Year feasting! Hopefully you will now be able to enjoy a guilt-free time with your friends and family whilst not compromising on your health and fitness! Do contact us if you would like to find out more about the wellness services that we provide and we would love to be in touch with you.
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Thanks for reading and we wish you a happy and prosperous new year ahead!