With November ending, we’re already counting down to our favorite time of the year -- CHRISTMAS! You can already walk pass stores and shops hearing Mariah Carey singing “All I Want for Christmas”.
Christmas in Hong Kong is more than just Christmas trees or big sales in the department stores. It’s also about vacation, holiday, and feasting with your friends and family. Either you’re planning a getaway trip with your loved ones or a small household party with a group of friends and families, you can never get away from the temptation of finger-licking good food.
If you’re worried about how to keep off the extra weight, we share 5 very down-to-earth hacks on how to stay fit during the Christmas holidays without breaking a sweat. And yes, one of our tips is your favorite and our favorite: sleeping in on the most popular mattress in Hong Kong! Let's start counting them.
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Decorate your home
Who doesn’t love a white Christmas? Unfortunately, Hong Kong does not snow, but you can strategically place shredded paper around your home to pretend it’s snow!
But we have another decorative idea: putting up your Christmas tree and adorning it with your favorite collection of ornaments and decorations. Depending on the size of your tree, this is sure to be great exercise before you dig into your Christmas meals.
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Bring your own food to Christmas parties
It is not just a courtesy to bring homemade food to an invited barbeque or house party, but also a good idea to make sure you have a healthier option amid all the gluttony. When all you can eat from a party is fatty meat or carb-heavy starches, some fresh salad or some nutty snacks will be a welcome, healthy addition to any party table.
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Always stay hydrated
Staying hydrated facilitates blood circulation and water consumption stretches your stomach, which may help trick your brain into the sensation of a “full” stomach.
The 2013 issue of Australian Family Physician recommended using the strategy of drinking water before your meal to distract your body and send a signal to your brain that you’ve had “too much intake”. This way, you can trick your brain into pausing on cravings, as well as diluting the alcohol level in your system to stay sober for a longer time in front of friends and relatives.
In addition, a few more trips to the loo can get you on your feet, burn a few extra calories, and prevent you from sitting for too long. After all, nature’s call is well known to get toxins out of your body and keep your light on your feet!
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Christmas shopping
Hong Kong is a shopping paradise. Although shopping during the Christmas season in Hong Kong is unbelievably dense and as crowded, it is also one of the most festive parts of the world you can find yourself in at this time of year. The extravagant outdoor festivals and lighted decorations near enormous shopping malls are a sight to behold.
So what should you do after your Christmas dessert? We recommend relaxing stroll with family or friends through some of the busiest streets in the world.
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Last but not least, sleep well
Sleeping is always the best new years’ resolution for repaying your sleep debt. Studies show that the sleep cycle is crucial for sleeping quality which affects fat storage in the human body.
If you sleep well enough, you can skip some of the fattenings that naturally happens after your Christmas buffet. What do we mean by sleeping well?
Just sleep one hour more!
Yes, it’s that simple. Sleep an additional hour. Did you know that if you replace 1 hour per day of TV with sleep for 1 year, scientists predict that you may lose up to 15 pounds? That’s because of a reduction in caloric intake when replacing inactive wakefulness with sleep.
Although be forewarned--it doesn’t mean you can just sleep to lose weight. The best thing is still to exercise and eat healthily!
Before we forget, we’d like to wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS from Hush Home!
We hope you find more time to spend in bed over the holidays. The sensation of the silky bed sheet, and the warmth wrapped underneath your duvet with your loved ones or just a fluffy pillow at home. It makes Christmas our favorite time of the year.
Stephanie
Certified Wellness Consultant &
Co-founder of Hush Home
About Stephanie
As a certified health and wellness consultant, Stephanie is on a mission to inspire everyone to live a fuller life by sleeping better.
Stephanie designs and leads Hush Home's sleep workshops for Fortune Global 500 Companies such as Citibank, Manulife, and Standard Chartered to boost their employee performance and productivity with sleep science.
When Stephanie is not getting her 8 hours of snooze in, or reading and writing about sleep & wellness, she’s probably somewhere hiking with her little pomeranian, Dookie!
