Holiday (and football) season

Now that we are well into June I am looking forward to a trip to Germany to sample the atmosphere of Euro 2024.

Ever since I can remember I have loved watching these tournaments and the fact that Scotland are back in them again makes this trip for me very much one I am looking forward too.

I am going from Thursday to Sunday so there won't be too much damage I will do in that time (I hope) but life is all about enjoyment, so if I have too much Bratwurst and beers I will be fine in the end I am sure!

This takes me onto the point though that there will be times, especially over the next few weeks, that we all have time off and potentially over consume calories. Generally, that's what happens on holidays. There are lots of things you can do that I will go into but the most important aspect no matter which option you choose is to get back into your normal day to day routine as quickly as possible.

This means having organisation and structure, being consistent with your activity levels and hitting your basic health markers of water, sleep, protein, fruit, veg and activity. The quicker you break that cycle of inactivity and poor nutrition, the quicker you can hopefully return to how you felt pre holiday.

Remember, life is for living, and I would always recommend that you have fun and enjoy life to the absolute maximum. But if you are going on holiday soon, and want to create balance around your day, here are some hints and tips.

Walk - if you have an average step count of say 8k steps per day, try and increase it by 50% to 12k. Moving more and being active is a fantastic way to keep up your normal routine and doing so will play a big factor in this.

Avoid - high calorie beverages like full fat coke and swap for diet coke. This is a simple method for cutting calories without sacrificing taste.

Protein, Fruit, Veg - Aim for main meals filled with protein, 70-80% of your plate should be protein plus fruit and veg. This will not only help fill you up but reduce the amount of calories at the all inclusive buffet!

Water - stay hydrated. I'm sure like everyone you'll be thinking “it's 5 o’clock somewhere” but try and make sure you stay on top of your hydration levels.

These are some hints and tips that hopefully you can apply for your holiday, but as said before 2 things to remember are.. Have fun and enjoy your time off. Break the cycle and get back to your everyday routine asap.