Celebrate New Year’s Eve in a healthy way and start 2017 with lots of positive energy

There aren’t many days left to the end of the year and the start of 2017. Looking forward to it? We are going to give you some easy-to-follow guidelines to help you stick to your healthy habits.

1. Don’t take out the sweet things until the day you are actually celebrating: even though they have been on display in supermarkets for days, it’s better if you save them for the special day as they have lots of calories.

2. Try to eat more fruit and vegetables, as they provide water and help clean the body. Try and add a piece of fruit at breakfast, another mid-morning and a third as dessert at mealtimes.

3. Make the most of seasonal vegetables: make butternut squash cream soup, spinach cream soup, sautéed Swiss chards, cardoon with potatoes or baked artichokes. You can use the vegetable stock and have it before meals as it is calming, speeds up intestinal transit and eliminates toxins.

4. After a festive banquet, the digestive system needs a break. Don’t fast the day after because that will only put your metabolism out of synch. Just follow a clean diet and one that is easy to digest. Have fruit and a bowl of muesli for breakfast, salad and grilled chicken for lunch and vegetable purée with a French omelette for dinner.

5. Have a purifying infusion to help prevent fluid retention and help prevent the accumulation of gas, such as horsetail, camomile, or pomegranate tea.

6. Plan the rest of your daily menus, that way you can make up for missing nutrients and vary your diet. Remember that it is always better to eat five or six times a day and take smaller portions to keep your body busy getting energy.

Exercises to start 2017 in shape

If the weather is not good enough for going for a walk, a run or hill climbing, you can always do this workout at home:

1. Warm up for 10 minutes, walking on the same spot or dancing to a couple of songs.

2. Start with a series of 50 squats, with your legs slightly apart and your back straight.

3. Lying face up, raise your legs together to form a right angle. Breathe in and raise your shoulders, breathe out and lower them without touching the floor. Repeat 50 times.

End up with a planche press up for a minute. Face down, hold your body weight with your forearms and the tips of your toes. When you finish, stretch all the muscles and joints and… you’re done

With just little moderation, you can welcome in the new year with optimism, health and vitality. You will still be in shape and full of energy and your body will be read to start a fantastic 2017.