5 tips to stay fit over Christmas

"I'll start in January" - We all know this or have heard it before. As of today, there are only 14 days left in December and there are still plenty of family celebrations and Christmas dinners ahead. You want to be able to “enjoy” it and not have to “hold back”.

The good answer: You don't have to, after all, the Christmas season is for contemplation and a bit of abundance. But you can still make better decisions so that you don't have such a difficult start in January. Because believe us, it's also demotivating when you have to reach your 0 level again because Christmas has escalated so much. That's why we have 5 little hacks for you that will make it easier for you and definitely won't limit you. They're not difficult to implement, but they make a pretty big difference!

1. Don't go to Christmas dinner hungry

Don't go to family gatherings and Christmas dinners completely famished. Many people fast or abstain from eating all day and then find it difficult to stop themselves in the evening. Then you quickly shovel down 2,000 to 3,000 calories in the form of mulled wine, cookies and stollen before the dumplings are even served. Of course, fasting also has its advantages, biohackers know that and we don't want to deny it. But sometimes a small, balanced breakfast and a warm soup at lunchtime are enough to keep you happy until the evening and ensure that your feeling of fullness doesn't let you down. Because ultimately it's the quantity that counts. If you don't go to Christmas dinner hungry , you might be satisfied after 2 cookies instead of 6.

We always start the day with some protein and resistant starch. Studies show that this has a positive effect on leptin and ghrelin levels later in the day and means that you feel full more quickly in the evening and are generally less hungry.

It's not for nothing that we designed our goat meal to contain 26 g of protein per serving and just 280 calories. Nobody can complain about saving calories at breakfast. During the Christmas season, just skip the toppings and eat this small portion of goat meal consisting of oatmeal and protein for breakfast. Your feeling of hunger will definitely not be as strong later in the day.

You can also provide additional support for your digestion so that the hearty Christmas meal doesn't weigh too heavily on your stomach. Bitter substances such as (alcohol-free) Swedish herbal bitters or digestive enzymes are suitable for this . Bitter substances before eating also regulate the feeling of appetite and prevent an unpleasant feeling of fullness after eating.

2. Bake healthily

You can always make better decisions, including when baking Christmas cookies. Instead of white sugar, choose a natural sugar alternative, such as coconut blossom sugar, honey or maple syrup . Instead of wheat flour, choose a flour with more fiber that will keep you full longer, such as oat or buckwheat flour. In our new eBook you will find lots of healthy Christmas recipes. Our A2 casein is ideal for baking, allowing you to make classic Christmas recipes more protein-rich and healthier.

 

3. Drink enough water

Yes, we know it. This tip is totally boring and you've already heard it 1000 times and yet the current statistics in Germany look like this:

Terrifying, right? 122.7 liters divided by 365 days a year equals 330 ml per day. That's just a full glass of water! It's unimaginable for us, because we drink it when we get up in the morning. If you find yourself in these statistics, our warmest advice is: drink more water! Because it is water:

• Fills the stomach and reduces your feeling of hunger
  
• Ensures that all of your metabolic processes in the body function properly
  
• Your brain is literally swimming in water, so your thinking skills will thank you for it.
  
• Water quenches your thirst, so you are less likely to drink sugary or alcoholic drinks
  

You don't necessarily have to go for eggnog and the like. waive. But just drink wisely. Every time before you grab a snack, drink a glass of water first. Your body will thank you.

If you ever drink something alcoholic, it's better to do it earlier in the evening and not fall straight into bed after the punch. Drinking alcohol later at night can be extremely disruptive to your sleep and recovery period. This means that you are significantly less rested the next day but even hungrier because your body wants to compensate for the lack of energy from the night with calories. A stupid cycle. We don't even want to get into that.

4. Get enough sleep

7 to 8 hours of really restful sleep not only feels extremely good, but also has an impact on your cognitive decisions. Your resistance to temptation becomes stronger and your hunger becomes more manageable. You simply make more rational decisions when your body has had enough time to recover from everything during the night, break down metabolic byproducts and “reset” the entire system.

What can you do to make your sleep great? Our tips for this are:

• Magnesium can also help relax muscles.
  
• Avoid blue light and generally too much light in the evening. Better light a few candles or the fireplace. That's more comfortable anyway.
• Otherwise, drink a cup of forest cocoa . It is a much healthier alternative to the hot chocolate from the Christmas market and was even designed specifically to shorten the time it takes you to fall asleep and improve your regeneration at night. It contains, among other things, L-glycine, reishi extract and ashwagandha, which take your sleep to the next level.

5. A little exercise

Many fitness studios have limited opening hours over Christmas and sometimes you simply can't manage to schedule a workout due to scheduling constraints. This is of course doubly disadvantageous and is one of the reasons why so many people gain weight, especially during the Christmas season. There is no sport and you are constantly moving through a minefield of speculoos and cinnamon stars.

If you don't have time to exercise to the extent you normally do, at least get out for a workout. The hours of sunshine in winter are limited anyway and you are doing yourself a favor if you let a little sunlight into your eyes in the morning to set your daily rhythm. The fresh, cold air also stimulates your blood circulation and metabolism . A 30 to 40 minute walk around the block (or even better through the forest) can help. And you can definitely do this with your family too.

 

Finally, one more thing: Be good to yourself

And don't wait until January, because success starts now. And if it escalates one evening, then be kind to yourself and don't punish yourself with periods of fasting or negative thoughts. Accept it. This is what life has in store for us. There are much more important things than constantly dealing with fitness, your own shape and food. This is just an accessory and your basis, which should run and function automatically.

We can be lucky that we are doing so well that we are even tempted to consume too much. We have the opportunity to no longer have to give a single thought to food gathering and survival and instead be able to focus fully on the goals we want to achieve. Don't forget this, this is a privilege. So don't stress, accept it and focus your energy on things that make the world a better place. We wish you a wonderful and contemplative Christmas time.

Your Lykaia team 🎄