How to be Healthy on New Year's Eve

Happy New Year 🎊 As the door closes on another year, a new one opens. The Gregorian calendar reflects the natural cycle of the earth around the sun, and as such, this time of year lends itself to a natural sense of ending, beginning and transitioning.

Just like a birthday for the planet, most of us celebrate this milestone. It gives us a chance to reflect on what has been and consider what may be. Plus, just like any other birthday, many people often do this with a bit of a late night … and alcohol.

Like many, I’ll celebrate New Year's Eve. The way I do so has changed a bit since I’ve had kids, but as a family we’ll all try to stay awake and see in the New Year. We often have dinner with extended family, watch the fireworks, Holly and I will have a couple of drinks, and none of us make it much past 12:30am. However, for many, New Year’s Eve can be a night that leaves them very hungover the next day.

"Now is a wonderful time to connect with others to celebrate what has been and what is to come."

How to Enjoy a Healthy New Year’s Eve Tonight (and Enjoy New Year’s Day Tomorrow)

• Live as normal as possible today
  Being New Year’s Eve, your routines are probably all out the window. Still try to eat as normal throughout the day, at the same times, and the same foods.
  
  
• Drink plenty of water 
  When your routines are thrown out, it’s very easy to forget to continue drinking water, especially if you’re super excited for this new years eve in particular. Many people start “drinking” (alcohol I’m referring to) early. It can be easy to not drink enough water throughout the day and hence, be dehydrated by the time your night even begins.
  
  
• Eat a big healthy meal for dinner
  Incorporate a nice big, healthy meal with friends or family as part of your celebrations. Don’t start drinking if you haven’t fuelled your cells with the nutrients they need. If you do, those cells will be searching for nutrients at some point in the night, or tomorrow morning, and that alcohol is like poison to them, resulting in making you feel terrible tomorrow.
  
  
• Know your drink number
  I’m not going to say go one-for-one with a glass of water — you should be hydrated already. So long as you continue to consume a few glasses of water throughout the night to maintain your hydration, you shouldn’t need to be doing a dance with your drinks. Just enjoy the drinks you’ve chosen and steadily enjoy the night.
  
  
• Don’t do shots
  Let’s face it, shots are designed to get you smashed. They deliver a lot of alcohol (and sugar) to your bloodstream really fast. Plus, they’re super expensive. If you must, do one and leave them alone. Go back to enjoying your drinks, and your night.
  
  
• Give yourself permission
  I say this a lot. Discipline is like a muscle. It’s a mental muscle. And when you continually flex it, it becomes fatigued. When you flex it and flex it and flex it, and finally the muscle gives way, you no longer have the capacity to effectively regulate your behaviour. This is when many people lose control and everything implodes. Give yourself permission to enjoy yourself this New Year’s Eve.

Our lives consist of cycles and we measure the cycle of the earth around the sun with the Gregorian calendar. Like a birthday for the earth, this time of year lends itself to naturally reflecting on the past 12 months and considering what may come for the next. As we all do this at the same time, we all come together to celebrate a common milestone — New Year’s Eve. This leads to a natural sense of conclusion and beginning. Now is a wonderful time to connect with others to celebrate what has been and what is to come.

What are your plans for this New Year's Eve? 

[Photo by Vernon Raineil Cenzon on Unsplash]