A newly svelte Jamie Oliver is on the cover of Good Health Choices’ December issue, sharing his healthy new lifestyle tips – and also why Christmas Day is not a day for dieting!
1. Small changes make a big difference
“I swapped refined carbs as much as possible for complex carbs. I went vegetarian three or four days a week, and cut out alcohol during the week unless I was going to big event.”
If you maintain a healthy, mostly vegetable-based way of eating during the week, those Christmas parties or weekend BBQs won’t play as much havoc on your waistline. And save your alcohol days for when you’re at an event, rather than slipping into the nightly glass of wine habit.
2. Sleep is your friend
“I realised I was getting three and a half hours of broken sleep a night and I’d been doing it for years. So I started getting six hours’ sleep and mentally I’m much stronger and happier and I’m more energetic.”
Six hours is good, but eight hours is better, although at this time of year it can seem like a big ask. But limit your screen time in the evenings, and aim to start winding down for bed between 9-9.30pm. Sleep is more valuable to you than an extra episode of some TV show, or a scroll through Instagram. It’ll all still be there tomorrow – but that extra hour of sleep won’t be!
3. Get veges into your kids
“We’ve always given [the kids] salad, but lately I’ve developed a little trick: I call them to the table 10 minutes early and the only thing there to eat will be a big chopped salad in the middle of the table. If they’re hungry, they’ll eat it – and then we don’t have any battles later!”
This tricks works well for Jamie’s three adorable children, but we can also use it for our own meals. Start with the vegetables first for your lunch and dinner, or as a pre-party snack so you won’t be tempted to go overboard with canapes.
4. Don’t limit yourself at Christmas
“Christmas ain’t the time to be strict with yourself. It’s time for fun and eating the best food of the year. Like the rest of the world, I’ll be tucking in on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and then I’ll be getting back to being healthier after that.”
Luckily in New Zealand, our Christmas coincides with all that delicious summer produce, which makes eating healthily 90% of the time much easier. So say yes to the pudding and trifle on the big day itself, and then embrace the fresh fruit and veges and lighter meals that come with summer dining.
5. A stress-free Christmas is an organised one
“I’ve never had a Christmas disaster because I do loads of preparation. I’m very ninja with making lists about what has to be done right up until the bird goes on the table.”
Make a to-do list at the beginning of December with everything on it. Yes, it’ll be overwhelming. But the more you can do early on, the less you’ll be doing the week of – and that’s way better for getting into the spirit of things!
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