Getting back on track after the holidays

Anyone feeling a bit out of shape after the Christmas holidays?

I've just returned from a six week trip to England and Europe. We had an amazing time and it was lovely to see family and friends but my clothes are feeling a little bit tighter after all the delicious food!

Now that the kids are back at school and life is returning to normal, I thought I'd share a few things I do to get back on track after overindulging.

• Spend a bit of time on Sunday planning the meals for the week and doing food prep for salads and snacks:

- boil a few eggs

- roast some veggies (sweet potato, pumpkin, zucchini and beetroot are favourites)

- make protein balls

- cook some quinoa or brown rice

- shred a couple of cooked chicken breasts

- cut up some fruit

- mix a tin of tuna or salmon with some whole-egg mayonnaise

- chop up some veggie sticks (best stored covered with a damp paper towel in an airtight container)

• Make sure to exercise every day, preferably for at least 30 minutes

• Start each day with a high-protein breakfast, e.g. a smoothie made with protein powder, eggs, granola with Greek yoghurt

• Include protein with every meal and snack (this makes you feel full for longer, balances your blood sugar and helps prevent carb cravings)

• Drink more water or herbal tea (ditch all forms of soft drink and choose mineral water instead)

• Reduce or eliminate alcohol

• Eat more veggies - the easiest way to do this is to add vegetables to every meal (including breakfast!)

As you can probably see, I recommend a holistic dietary approach over restrictive dieting for people who are trying to get back in shape as it creates healthy and sustainable habits, improves overall well-being, and promotes a balanced relationship with food.