Healthy Survival Tips

Survival tips for managing your diet, sleep, fitness and more...

Get a handle on your health this new year with our top ten survival tips for managing your diet, sleep, fitness and more...

There’s no escaping: as the year begins month after month festive activities are on; birthdays, weddings, hens and bachelors parties, all those late nights, hangovers will start leaving you feeling anything but merry. Avoid the festive freefall by following these top ten survival tips.

Eat before you party

More nights out mean more early morning fast food for most of us. Eat a balanced meal before you head out – not only will it stop you from eating greasy fried food later, but it will also stop you from overeating at parties. 

Manage your indigestion

Rich foods, eating on the go and festive stress can all be overwhelming for your digestive system and mean you pile on the calories too. Try to avoid too many turkey dinners with all the trimmings, rich puddings and mince pies.

Stick to protein-rich snacks like peanuts, rather than bread-based ones, to prevent feeling bloated. Take your time over meals and chew each mouthful properly to combat indigestion.

Drink carefully

We all drink more alcohol over the festive season. This not only affects your weight, it also has a major impact on the way you look and feel. Abstaining completely is unrealistic, however, you should limit your intake.

Have a glass of water between each alcoholic drink, add soda water to a small glass of wine to make a longer-lasting spritzer and avoid sugar-laden cocktails or mixed drinks. Remember to call a taxi if you’ve had too much or nominate a driver amongst friends.

Rehydrate before bed

Drinking a few glasses of water before bedtime will not only reduce your hangover, but will also prevent your skin from drying out. Coconut water is an excellent alternative as it replenishes lost fluids and helps boost your immune system. A sports drink, although high in calories, also rehydrates and replaces the minerals that alcohol removes from your body.

Remove your makeup

Don’t punish your skin further by neglecting to take your makeup off at the end of a big night out. It may feel like an effort (especially after a few drinks), but this will allow your skin to breathe and regenerate while you get your beauty sleep. Use face wipes for quick removal and when all your makeup is off, apply a nourishing moisturizer to avoid a party-parched complexion.

If you wear contact lenses, don’t forget to take them out too!

Get as much sleep as you can

Party season means your sleep patterns are bound to be unsettled. Sleep deprivation has a knock-on effect on your looks, attention levels, decision-making ability and mood. To ensure you get a good night’s sleep, avoid drinking alcohol three hours before going to bed. If possible, stay away from caffeine too for six hours before sleeping. 

De-puff your eyes

Late nights and overdoing it take their toll on your eyes. Apply a cold, moist tea bag under each eye for 10 minutes in the morning – the tannin in the tea reduces puffiness and is a cheap way to stop bags under your eyes. Avoid rubbing your eyes when you wake up as this only makes the bags worse.

Don’t neglect your feet

Dancing all night in stilettos may buy you confidence, but your feet will feel it the next morning. Try not to wear killer high heels every night – and if you absolutely have to, invest in some gel cushions. Show your feet some love by applying a good moisturizer to prevent blisters.

Work in workouts

Make sure you fit your workouts into your week – if this proves too difficult, take the stairs instead of the lift, walk up the escalator and park further away from stores. Any exercise will help reduce your stress levels and balance out those extra snacks.

Beware of the sun

You know the drill. If you live in the southern hemisphere, you need to wear sunscreen every day. Not only will this be preventing skin cancer, but you will also avoid skin damage like sunburn, wrinkles and fine lines. Use a moisturizer with an SPF to save you time but reapply if you spend most of your day outdoors.