With just a few days to go until Christmas, many people start to feel torn between wanting to enjoy the celebrations and worrying about overdoing it. This is especially true for those over 40, when energy, digestion, sleep, hormones and recovery are no longer as forgiving as they once were.
The good news is that enjoying Christmas and looking after your health do not have to be opposites. The festive season doesn’t require restriction or perfection — it simply asks for a little awareness, pacing, and nourishment.
Christmas Is a Season, Not Just a Day
One of the biggest challenges at this time of year is that indulgence doesn’t happen once. It often stretches across days or even weeks, from pre-Christmas gatherings through to New Year celebrations.
This is where small, consistent habits matter more than willpower.
Rather than thinking in terms of “being good” or “starting again in January”, focus on supporting your body through the entire festive period so you can enjoy it fully and recover more easily.
Eat to Support Your Energy, Not Deplete It
Festive food is meant to be enjoyed. The issue usually isn’t the Christmas meal itself, but the days of grazing, skipped meals, sugary snacks, and alcohol without enough real nourishment.
To support your body:
- Eat regular meals rather than saving yourself all day
- Prioritise protein at each meal to stabilise blood sugar
- Include vegetables or fibre-rich foods where possible
- Slow down when eating — digestion starts in the mouth
This helps prevent energy crashes, irritability, poor sleep and excessive cravings.
Alcohol Awareness Without Guilt
Alcohol is often more frequent at this time of year, and while an occasional drink can be enjoyed, it’s worth remembering that alcohol affects hydration, sleep, blood sugar, gut health and hormone balance — particularly in midlife.
Simple ways to reduce the impact include:Alternating alcoholic drinks with water
Choosing quality over quantity
Avoiding drinking on an empty stomach
Having alcohol-free days between events
These small choices can make a noticeable difference to how you feel the next day.
Hydration: The Most Overlooked Festive Habit
Hydration is one of the most powerful — and most neglected — tools for wellbeing during the festive season.
Dehydration can increase fatigue, headaches, poor digestion, sugar cravings and low mood, all of which are often blamed on food or alcohol alone.
Aim to:
- Start each day with water
- Drink regularly throughout the day, not just when thirsty
- Continue prioritising hydration between Christmas and New Year
This simple habit supports energy, digestion, skin, circulation and recovery.
Think Support, Not Restriction
Christmas is not the time for dieting, punishing exercise, or guilt-driven choices. It is a time to support your body so it can cope better with richer foods, later nights and busier schedules.
When you nourish yourself well, enjoyment comes naturally — without the physical or emotional hangover.
If you approach the festive season with balance rather than extremes, you’ll arrive in the New Year feeling steadier, clearer, and far more ready to move forward.
Enjoy Christmas. Savour it. Celebrate it.
Just do so in a way that looks after you — all the way through to the New Year.
Warmly,
Milvia Pili, FNTP
Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner
