Unless you’re the Christmas Grinch I’m sure you’ve heard the popular Christmas song, The Twelve Days of Christmas.
In the lead up to Christmas I thought we’d have a look at the 12 gifts in this song and how they can be a gift to the health and well-being of your body (or not as the case may be!).
Christmas - a time for joy and laughter
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree…
Did you know that according to Greek legend the first partridge appeared when Daedalus threw his nephew, Perdix off the roof in a fit of jealous rage? Now I’m not advocating that you add nephew tossing into your fitness repertoire, but something you may not know about partridges is that they are seed eaters? If you want to increase your metabolism and keep your brain alert, try snacking on seeds, such as pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, in between meals.
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me two turtle doves…
Turtle doves symbolise love and deep friendship. During this Christmas season, take the time to show those you care about how much they mean to you. Sometimes the end of the year and the lead up to Christmas can be stressful and the ones who usually bear the brunt of your stress are those you love the most. I’m sure you’ll have a much happier and healthier Christmas if you show a little extra love to your friends and family. And if you’re really struggling to get rid of that stress, come along to a Yoga Class at Geelong’s Gym and watch it just melt away. I’m sure your family will thank you for it!
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me three french hens…
Did you know that french hens are actually a variety of chicken in France? Chicken is a low fat protein and is, in fact, one of the best sources of protein. However, if you suffer from heart disease or high cholesterol then chicken is something you should try to avoid or at least eat very little of – chicken has a considerable amount of cholesterol, almost as much as red meat. So check with your doctor before you indulge in a whole lot of roast chicken on Christmas day!
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me four calling birds…
Here’s an interesting fact for you… in the original version of the song the calling birds are actually “collie” birds, a variety of black bird in England. Does anyone remember the song Sing A Song Of Sixpence where the black birds were served as a meat pie? Now it’s difficult to find many health benefits in pie, since it’s loaded with buttery pastry and many other things we shouldn’t be eating. But let’s face it, Christmas is a time when we should be able to loosen up a little and if necessary open the top button of our pants to create a little more room. Let yourself indulge a little, because you can always work it off in the gym in the New Year. Afterall, that’s what New Year resolutions are all about!
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me five golden rings…
I bet you’re wondering how I’m going to turn gold rings into a health benefit, right? Well aside from the weekly massages you could probably demand if you gave your true love a gorgeous ring, there are actually some health benefits to wearing rings, or copper ones at least. Copper has been used to promote health since ancient times, although the greatest benefit it has is through ingesting small amounts as recommended by a doctor. However, there are many people who swear by wearing copper jewellery to target specific areas and alleviate things like arthritis.
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me six geese a-laying…
Once again we’re back to food, which I guess isn’t that surprising considering so much of Christmas revolves around eating! Goose eggs are highly sought after, especially since they’re much larger than your ordinary chicken egg. But I’m sorry to say that goose eggs are incredibly high in cholesterol and so for the greater good of your body, I recommend staying away from these.
Tune in next blog post for the remaining six days of Christmas.
