Holiday Healthy Eating Survival Guide

Guest Post by Cassie Mendoza-Jones – naturopath, nutritionist and herbalist. Holidays are almost here! And with it comes lots of BBQs, parties, cafe breakfasts and booze (maybe even at the same time). Here is a simple list of some things you can do to ensure you survive this summer intact and come out the other side still feeling somewhat clean and healthy!

When eating out...

• When going out for breaky I think it's best to go for eggs! Poached is probably best but scrambled is perfectly fine as well. Pair with one or two sides (avo, tomato, mushrooms, spinach, smoked salmon, haloumi) and some sourdough or gluten free toast. Skip the toast if you're not that hungry or have been a bit lazy with your exercise lately :) get a green tea, sip slowly and enjoy a long breaky with your other half, your friends, or just you and the paper. Ah, summer bliss...
• When going out for lunch, salads are always a good idea. Make sure there's a protein component, e.g. chicken, fish, lamb, haloumi, lentils and always ask what the dressing is. Say NO to creamy dressings and YES PLEASE to olive oil dressings, or just plain olive oil with a little lemon.
• When going out for dinner I think it's best to stick to protein and veggies. Think chicken/fish/steak with a salad and/or some steamed/stir-fried veggies on the side. It's ok to steal a few chips from your friend's plate but don't order your own bowl! Avoid the bread basket as you'd much rather fill up on your delicious main dish. Share dessert. It's possible, I have tried it...

When going to a party...

• Pleaseee don't drink on an empty tummy! Alcohol is absorbed so super quickly through the walls of our stomach, so an empty tummy means the alcohol is absorbed even faster. It's just not worth the hangover and that sick feeling! Always eat before you drink or while you're drinking. Cheese and wine - BFFE. You can also eat a little protein-based meal or snack before you go out - a boiled egg, some carrots and hummous, some leftover chicken or some nuts. This way you won't arrive starving and head straight for the buffet table, but you'll still be able to comfortable have a drink.
• If you're at a party serving canapes, just watch how many you eat. I know they're only little but they add up! The best gift you can give yourself this Christmas/Chanukah/Christmukah is the gift of maintaining your weight.
• Stick to under 4 drinks per night and that is me being very generous! Anymore than 6 drinks in one night is classified as binge-drinking. The less alcohol you drink, the better, but you know that :) at least aim for several alcohol-free nights per week.
• Drink one glass of water for every glass of alcohol. This is probably the single best way to avoid feeling sick and hungover!
• This is summer party season so when and where you can, aim to do everything in moderation, including moderation.
• St Mary's thistle is a great herb for helping to avoid hangovers as it regenerates liver cells. Take some before you go out and again in the morning! Nux vomica is a homoeopathic remedy that also helps to ease symptoms of 'over-indulging' from either food or alcohol.

When going to a BBQ...

• Offer to bring a dish! A big salad, a roast veggie dish with haloumi or feta, healthy chicken skewers to BBQ, a fruit salad, gluten-free biscuits or brownies... anything you know you'd feel comfortable eating. Usually when I offer to take a dish to friends' houses I am so, so thankful as there's been times where my dish is the only one I want to eat! ;)

When at the beach...

• Drink lots of water before you go, use a good sunscreen (I love this brand) and wear a hat because sun damaged skin is so 1950s...
• Take a bottle of coconut water for some quick rehydration.

When travelling by air...

• Lots of people aren't aware that it is totally acceptable (and allowed) to take your own food onto planes! You should see what I travel with! Plane food is really not that appetising and it's definitely not healthy. You don't really want to start your holiday feeling bloated, sluggish and grumpy do you?
• Pack some fruit (apples are easiest, kiwi, berries in a disposable container or tupperware if you want to bring it home)
• Cut up vegges like carrots, celery, cucumber, capsicum and radish
• Take some gluten free wholegrain brown rice crackers or corn thins with little snack packs of almond butter (you can buy travel size nut butter sachets from health food stores!)
• The gluten free muesli bars from Food for Health (they look like this) as they're really low in sugar and the only muesli bars I advise clients to eat!
• Little containers of hummous and/or tahini for dipping your corn thins and veggies sticks
• A bag of activated nuts
• A bag of Cobbs Organic popcorn (the salty one, not salty and sweet)
• A little bit of dark chocolate
• If you're going to be in the air for a really long time, take a little meal with you. Some tinned wild Atlantic salmon with veggies and quinoa will keep you going for a while. Pack it in a disposable container or even an esky/flask thingy
• If you're South African you may like to take a bag of biltong! I love the organic wagyu biltong from Kingsley butcher on Plumer Road in Rose Bay as well as the biltong from Victor Churchill in Woollahra. The boys at Bondi markets on a Saturday also have some great biltong
• If you're not South African you may not like it, but try! It's a dried meat, the perfect lean-mean protein travel snack!
• You can also take your own herbal teas for either the plane or your destination

When travelling by car...

• Do all the same things as when travelling by air!
• Stop. Revive. Survive. (That one is to make my mum happy!)

 Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season! 

About Cassie

Cassie Mendoza-Jones is a dedicated, caring and passionate naturopath, nutritionist and herbalist who believes in the healing power of nature. She has particular interests in stress, exhaustion and adrenal fatigue, anxiety and depression, disordered eating, weight loss and digestive disorders as well as hormonal imbalances and women’s health issues. Cassie is passionate about helping her clients achieve their goals of health, balance and wellbeing through nutritional and herbal treatment, education and motivation. You can visit her website, find her on Facebook or Twitter, or read some of her previous blog posts.