The Christmas Survival Guide

Hi, there

This article was e-mailed to me yesterday and I found it very interesting. There is nothing worse than coming through the holidays feeling worse than you did before and still feeling like you need to rest, because of all the partying and food and sleeping that happened during the holidays. I’m sure these 10 tips will help make this holiday season a little easier and aid you feeling more rested.

The article is by Patrick Holford, world renowned nutritionist (I get his newsletter e-mailed to me every now and then and they really are very interesting with useful tips on how to stay healthy through what you eat.

Happy reading.

Regards,
M.

The Christmas health survival guide

Top ten tips to remain healthy this Christmas

Don’t let ill health ruin your Christmas. What should be a wonderful time of year is easily ruined by aches and pains, allergies, indigestion or migraines. It is so easy to over-indulge when everyone is letting their hair down, but often your body will make it all too obvious that it is not enjoying the effects of your excesses. Most of us will recognise that awful sloth-like feeling of lethargy and general malaise that hits after a few days of full-on Christmas festivities. Too much food, or too much of the wrong food, extra alcohol, no exercise and less sleep all take their toll. If you want to feel and look your best this year, follow my Top Ten Tips for a happy, healthy Christmas:

1. Have yourself a low GL Christmas - follow these golden rules and try some of my low GL Christmas recipes including my Christmas pudding recipe.

2. Exercise restraint – don’t go mad on food and drink you wouldn’t normally eat. Ask yourself if it is really worth the after effects (such as headaches, weight gain, poor sleep)

3. Snack on fruit and nuts rather than crisps and chocolate. If you want a treat, choose Brazil nuts coated in dark chocolate, as the nuts provide plenty of antioxidants and selenium, while good quality dark chocolate (around 70% cocoa solids) is low in sugar and high in magnesium and iron

4. Alcohol – minimise the damage. Drinking too much taxes both the liver and your digestive tract. You can minimise the damage, and any hangover symptoms, by simply supplementing an extra 2,000mg of vitamin C and a heaped teaspoon of glutamine powder, last thing at night with water.Try and also match each alcoholic drink with a glass of water to stay hydrated

5. Don’t stop exercising just because it’s party time. It may be cold and dark in the mornings, but the endorphins released after you go for a run or to the gym more than make up for the rude awakening. Plus, exercise not only helps you control your blood sugar, it also boosts the immune system

6. Follow the Rainbow Rule – make sure your plate is piled high with different coloured fruits and/or vegetables, so that you eat a full spectrum of colours each day. Brightly coloured fruit and veg contain phyto- or plant nutrients that are incredibly important for fighting disease and keeping you looking your best. Satsumas, Brussel sprouts, purple cabbage, cranberries are all classic Christmas foods that offer a range of colours to help keep you healthy

7. Christmas can be inflammatory in more ways than one. Not only can relatives drive you mad, but you are more likely to eat foods that cause inflammation than at other times of the year. Meat, dairy products such as ice cream and brandy butter and milk chocolate, and sugar all produce inflammation in the body, which exacerbates any inflammatory conditions like asthma, eczema and arthritis. Make sure you eat plenty of anti-inflammatory foods like fruit, vegetables, whole grains, oily fish, nuts and seeds to help restore balance

8. Don’t ignore allergies – if you have an IgG intolerance to a food or foods I’m afraid that your immune system doesn’t know that it is Christmas and won’t give you a rest for a few days. The only way to eliminate IgG intolerances is to avoid the allergen for at least 3 months to give your body a chance to repair any damage to the digestive tract and allow your immune system to restore a natural response to the offending food. Don’t undo any good work by ‘having a break’ from avoiding dairy products, or whatever food you have found to cause you problems.

9. Fight infection by upping your intake of superfoods – garlic, ginger, turmeric, shiitake mushrooms and berries are all foods rich in antioxidants that help to keep the immune system functioning to fight off infections

10. Eat cinnamon – not only is the flavour of this spice perfectly suited to seasonal foods like stewed apple and mince meat, a teaspoon of ground cinnamon a day has been shown to help your body deal restore blood sugar balance, to help you cope with any sugary treats