With the season of fine wine, food and frivolity upon us, it’s inevitable that over the Christmas period we’re going to overeat. Regardless of our insular pep talks about self-control and the LBD we’ve got our eye on for New Year’s Eve, on more than one occasion we’re going to find ourselves with tums full and pants unbuttoned. For such situations, instead of wallowing in self-pity, we have decided to do the following:

Go For a Walk
A short jaunt around the block immediately aprés meal is a great way to get the digestion going. And though finding the motivation to leave the table let alone the house after a feast is about as easy as backflipping blindfolded, even just a 30-minute walk will help to regulate the spike in blood sugar that can occur post-feeding time.

Do the Dishes
Likewise, another way to get moving is to get cleaning. Though admittedly no one’s favourite task, getting onto the washing up ASAP means a clean house and a few calories burnt.

Hide the Leftovers
Give them to your guests, store them in the freezer or package them up into individual portions for lunches, just get them out of sight or you will pick at them. Face it, we all do.

Have a Cuppa
Working to ease the digestion process, green tea can do wonders after overindulging. Peppermint, ginger and chamomile are also great little helpers, but stay away from the gumboot brews, it’s all about herbal here.

Pop a Probiotic
Picked up without prescription at your local pharmacy or health foods store, probiotics help up the good bacteria in your bod after a meal.

Keep it Light on the Following Days
A good way to balance the blowouts is by following them up with a day or two of lighter fare. We’re not talking 5:2 extreme here, just keep portions small and forego the snacks and you’ll easily cut a few hundred calories out of the daily diet.