Festive occasions provide a great opportunity to network in a relaxed atmosphere, while giving access to a large number of business contacts, in a short space of time. Of course, getting to them can involve extra travel in an already hectic season.
The flurry of festive business bashes come thick and fast, invariably including an irresistible opportunity to eat and drink. Most of us gain weight over the festive season but business travel adds to the danger of eating too much of the wrong food in a short time. Travel exhaustion and an unhealthy lifestyle can strain our immune system. We want to avoid being ill over the holiday season so need to be prepared! Fatigue can also make us both crave energy and yet be lazy about seeking healthy food.
Top Tips for Avoiding the Festive Blow Out
Have a plan: Keeping to a healthy food and fitness plan can save us. A pre-work gym/jog de-stresses, burns calories and mentally reaffirms our commitment to wellbeing. When possible, walk to venues.
Avoid travelling hungry, better to eat before you move or carry healthy snacks with you. Arriving at the party hungry makes crisps and unhealthy nibbles extra tempting.
Stay hydrated, always travel with a bottle of water. Dehydration causes fatigue. Alcohol is a poor choice to quench thirst if we arrive at a function thirsty.
Never skip meals, especially breakfast. A golden rule for business travellers, the nutrients in a healthy breakfast are hard to make up later in the day.
Be alcohol aware. Ask to have water or a soft drink in a wine glass. Look the part without over indulging. Watch out for the wine refills, it’s very hard to keep track of alcohol consumption when the glass is never empty.
Say NO to the sausage. A little parcel of saturated fat, salt and processed meat – and that’s before it gets a wrapping of bacon or pastry! Recent evidence has warned of the cancer risks from eating too much processed meat, but the cocktail sausage is ubiquitous at drinks functions. Just say NO.
Think ORANGE – orange fruits and vegetables are rich in beta carotene and energy releasing B vitamins. Grab a fruit salad.
If you can’t get mango, papaya and watermelon, try oranges, also rich in Vitamin C.
On the move, avoid resorting to fatty fast food, try a nutrient rich smoothie with orange or red fruits.
Be Choosey: Before accepting invitations, check ease and distance of travel, lateness of journey home. Gauge networking opportunities against travel time, plus other engagements. Prioritise which functions to attend.
Start the festive season with a strategy for happy healthy travel, allowing business functions to be enjoyed and not become an exhausting chore.
© ExtraVitality 2015
