Tips for a healthy new year

Move more

• Keep active – try and maintain usual exercise habits 
• Keep up incidental exercise – take the stairs, get out in the garden, walk extra laps of the shopping centre 
• Walk the dog
• Enjoy warmer nights and take evening walks
• Make family outings active – go for a bike ride or bushwalking 
• Gift sport and activity equipment and share the joy playing it 

Keep making healthy food choices

• Drink water – make it interesting by adding ice cubes, lemon, strawberry or mint 
• Enjoy a variety of summer fruits 
• Include fruits and or vegetables in your share plates 
• Break up your dinner plate – half should be salad or vegetables
• Practice mindful eating – eat like you are in a posh restaurant by taking small bites and put your cutlery down every now and then 
• Take a break before any second helpings – it takes a while for your stomach to tell your brain it’s full. This will help avoid overindulging. 

Alcohol 

• Plan some alcohol free days
• Alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks such as sparkling water, soda water or diet soft drink  
• Choose drinks with a lower calorie content  - use soda water as a mixer, avoid drinks with fruit juice, sugar or syrup, choose light beer

Other handy blogs

• Festive season survival tips for healthy eating
• Diet over the festive season
• Healthy eating: surviving the silly season