For many of us, Easter has become an occasion marked by the consumption of sick-inducing quantities of sugar filled chocolate eggs, hot cross buns and other ‘festive’ treats.

Enjoying Easter really doesn’t have to entail a week-long sugardemic though - and we’re here to show you how and help you come up with a plan so that sugar doesn’t get the best of you.

 Whether you’re religious or not, the real meaning of Easter - the idea of celebrating and respecting new life - should be motivation enough to use this time to ramp up your healthy habits, rather than derailing them. Here’s our tips:

1. Maintain your exercise routine or add in new workouts

At this time of the year, the weather is at its peak for outdoor exercise - it’s not too hot, the mornings are fresh and the atmosphere light. This is the perfect time to fit in some runs, walks or exercise classes in the outdoors, and to give your workout routine a bit of a ’spring clean’. 

Mix up some cardio sessions with weights, use your days off to catch up with friends for a walk along the beach or take the kids to play in the park - staying as active as possible will help keep your fitness and motivation levels high, and will safeguard you against any extra calories you may accumulate through Easter eggs!

2. Make your Easter treats the healthy way

There’s no doubt that Easter treats are delicious, special and well-loved and we doubt many people can successfully resist the smell of a freshly baked hot cross bun! 

However, there are plenty of ways that you can ‘healthify’ your favourite Easter treats to instantly half the sugar content and keep the calories lower.  Keep an eye out for our favourite low-sugar Easter recipes we'll be sharing over the next week!

3. Don’t deprive yourself, but do set boundaries 

We’re definitely not saying that you have to deny yourself from eating your favourite Easter treats - but there is huge power behind doing so mindfully. If you want to indulge this Easter, pick your favourite chocolate or treat, whole-heartedly enjoy one serving and move on with the rest of your day. Don’t let one cheeky Easter egg turn into a whole bag being demolished.

Everything is healthy in moderation - so take the stress, guilt and extremes out of your approach, and use this time to treat your body well and with a little balance of the foods you enjoy. Remember - you have the power over what you consume, not the other way around!

4. Celebrate without the food-focus

Celebrating Easter can be enjoyable without making it all about the treats and sweets, and there’s plenty of alternatives that you can have fun with.

Try decorating hard boiled eggs with dye or paint, organising an Easter hunt without the eggs - or replacing it with a spoon and egg race, get crafty with some Easter-themed decorations or attending a religious service if that’s what Easter means to you.

Whatever the case - remember Easter is not just about Easter eggs!