How To Survive The Silly Season

The silly season is soon among us and while we are all busy organising gifts and ordering our turkey, its important to remember that the silly season doesn't have to compromise your waistline.

Christmas and the new year is a time of warmth and cheer, spending time with family and friends, enjoying food and wine. But we often over do it in the eating and drinking department leaving us feeling sluggish and irregular, formulating new years resolutions to get us back on track. Naed Nutrition has put together a few tips to help you survive this years silly season!

• Keep up your exercise/training routine throughout the holidays. The worst thing you can do is skip a day and make excuses not to go, this makes it harder to get back into your routine post holidays. Keeping up regular excercise ensures those extra mince pies and gravy won't compromise your waist line.

• Keep yourself occupied. Keeping yourself busy through your holidays, whether taking the kids out to the park or the beach, catching up with friends and planning days out ensures you don't snack on unwanted leftovers.

• Keep hydrated! The christmas season is certainly dominated by sun and dry heat that leaves us feeling lethargic and dehydrated. Ensuring you keep your fluids up will assist to digest your christmas dinner and lessen the severity of those post christmas party hangovers. Regular intake of water will also assist to boost metabolism and prevent boredom snacking.

• Plan activities or games to enjoy on christmas, boxing and new years day. Planning activities to engage in on the big day keeps everyone occupied, meaning you will eat and drink less, while making the most of time spent with family and friends.

• Christmas dinner doesn't have to mean roast ham, and turkey drenched with gravy. You can easily create a healthy christmas meal without compromising your waist line. Choose seafood, light salads and fruits that are refreshing in the summer sun, leaving you feeling light and fresh, not sluggish and lethargic!

Naed Nutrition would love to wish all of our amazing clients and affiliates a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We look forward to seeing you in the new year helping you to reach those new year resolution goals!

Moroccan Zucchini & Chick Pea Salad

This Moroccan inspired salad is hearty and satisfying. A fantastic side to any meal or even eaten alone, this recipe is sure to become one of your favourites!

Zucchini's are certainly the highlight of this dish, offering a hearty and wholesome texture. Zucchini's are often used as a meat alternative that delivers protein, folate, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin C, plus many more! The addition of chick peas to the following dish ensures satiety, while alike other legumes and pulses acts to assist cardiovascular and digestive health.

Serves 4 - 6

Preparation & cook time  ~ 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 zucchini's
2 - 3 tbls extra virgin olive oil
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped

1tsp paprika

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp organic local honey

Juice of 1 fresh lemon

4 tbls extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Slice each zucchini length ways into thick slices, and arrange over a grill pan on medium heat. Lightly brush either side of the zucchinis slices with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of pink himalayan sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Cook until tender for around 8-10 minutes. When cooked, remove from the grill pan and cut each slice into quarters.

2. Place grilled zucchini quarters and can of drained and rinsed chickpeas into a bowl. Add fresh coriander and red onion.

3. To make the dressing add paprika, cumin, honey, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil into a clean jar, place on the lid and shake well. Once combined, pour over zucchini and chickpea mix, and toss to combine. Serve and enjoy