10 Tips To Enjoy A Healthy Easter

Easter doesn’t have to mean overindulging in chocolate. Here’s 10 tips to staying healthy over the Easter weekend. 

1. Keep the Easter eggs for Easter Sunday
   There is no reason why you can’t enjoy some treats over Easter, but it can be easy to overdo it with all the chocolate on offer. Choose your treat, account for the calories and don’t graze on chocolate all weekend as you will find it hard to keep track of how much you’ve eaten. 
2. Go for quality over quantity
   When choosing an Easter egg, opt for one which contains high-quality chocolate. The highest percentage of cocoa you can find means you’re getting a better quality of egg. The better the chocolate, the more you will take the time to relax and savour it, which means you’re more likely to stop eating when you feel full.
3. Balance out your calories
   The Bodyline team will definitely be indulging in some chocolatey goodness this Easter, but we know it’s all about balance. We will allow for some chocolate treats and balance our calorie intake throughout the day – opt for a lighter breakfast or a salad for lunch. These adjustments will mean the chocolate treats won’t be as noticeable in the grand scheme of things. 
4. Have a cracking good start to the day
   Not chocolate eggs – the real deal! Eggs are the perfect breakfast. They’re packed with protein and amino acids and they can help you to feel fuller for longer. Try whipping up an omelette, enjoy scrambled eggs or make an egg with toast soldiers. Or have a go at the ever-popular smashed avocado toast with a poached egg. 
5. Focus on fun not food!
   Easter doesn’t have to be all about food, you can make the focus on fun, not food. Talk about the Easter Bunny and the food he loves to eat – healthy carrot sticks, celery and cucumber, roll some eggs down a hill, spend the morning painting eggs or have an Easter egg hunt in the garden. It doesn’t have to be an all-day chocolate eating marathon; kids can enjoy some chocolate at the end of a busy day.
6. Enjoy a healthy Easter lunch
   On Easter Sunday, don’t dive straight into the roast or spend all afternoon picking at the cheeseboard and nibbling sweets. Fill up with plenty of healthy vegetables during your main meal – these will not only count towards your five a day but the fibre will also help to fill you up, so you’ll be less likely to eat as much sweet or fatty stuff later on.
7. Say it without chocolate
   Chocolate isn’t just for Easter and Easter doesn’t just have to be chocolate. Traditionally new clothes are associated with the Easter holiday and the belief that the wearing of new clothes brought good luck. If you’ve been working hard at your weight loss why not reward yourself with something new to wear instead of an egg? Younger family can be treated with books, puzzles, games, craft or science activities. 
8. Get active with all the family
   Maybe the local community egg hunt is cancelled, but that doesn’t mean you can’t host your own at home. But how about making it count for more and set up a mini assault course in your garden (if the weather’s good!) and get really active with the kids. Include some fun Easter-themed games, such as an egg and spoon race, bunny hop sack or skipping race. 
9. Slow down and switch off
   With work, exercise, family and social commitments to balance, we often think of downtime as a luxury and time off an opportunity to fill with jobs and chores. But it is important we purposefully take time to relax and unwind to enjoy positive health benefits from resting recharging and rejuvenating. Turn off your phone or reduce your screen and scrolling time and make self-care a priority this Easter. 
10. Don’t quit!
    If you find you end up indulging more than you intended, don’t just throw the towel in and write off the whole weekend. Try to keep your movement levels up and see if you can get an extra workout in over the Easter break – even 30 minutes walking outside can make a difference to your fitness, motivation and overall mood. There’s no need to feel bad and beat yourself up over this, everyone falls off the diet bandwagon now and then, it’s normal and part of the journey. Accept it happened, forgive yourself, draw a line and move one. Let us help you get back to your healthy diet.

    Happy Easter from everyone at Bodyline Clinic