The 16^th century English poet Thomas Tusser quite rightly urged us all to make ‘good cheer’ at Christmas time because it ‘comes but once a year.’ The problem is that five hundred or so years later the great majority of us aren’t facing an uncertain future and possibly starvation in the New Year so there really isn’t the same justification for eating about 6,000 calories in one day – which is what the average person is estimated to eat on Christmas Day.

In addition, what was once a one or two day holiday has now become a four week festival of parties and celebrations and with so much tempting food and alcohol on offer it’s incredibly hard to keep weight gain at bay. According to the British Nutrition Foundation most people put on around five pounds or two kilograms over the Christmas period which isn’t surprising when you consider that you only need to eat an extra 3,500 calories to put on one pound and just an extra sausage roll, glass of wine and mince pie a day can make your daily calorie allowance shoot up, and the winter pounds pile on.

 

And it isn’t just the tempting festive food and parties on offer that can cause diet and weight problems. Winter weight gain when the days get shorter and the nights longer isn’t just a myth; it’s a reality and statistics show that even people who don’t celebrate Christmas are likely to gain between three and four pounds during the winter months, despite their best efforts. There are lots of reasons for this, but cold is at the top of the list. When temperatures drop, we stay inside. Our metabolism slows to a crawl and we pack on the pounds. Fat is a great insulator and it really does a great job of keeping us warm. Before the days of central heating a few extra pounds could mean the difference between life and death. But the good news is that there are ways to avoid the seemingly inevitable winter weight gain and the even better news is that they don’t have to spoil your enjoyment during the party season. If you follow my simple ten point survival plan below you can still have a great time, without feeling hungry or deprived and without piling on the pounds.

 

1) Keep active

Go outside, even when it’s freezing. Bundle up and jog around the block or start a snowball fight with the kids. The sunlight will refresh your mind and the activity will boost your metabolism (fat burning) and put you in a better mood, making it easier to turn down those leftover sweets. If time is short, try to take a walk during your lunch hour. Even half an hour of fresh air and exercise a day can help boost your mood and stop you reaching for the biscuit tin.

 

Now is also a great time to take up a new sport or activity, like dancing, yoga, or rambling.  If it’s just too cold to do anything outside, consider swimming. Many leisure centres and gyms have heated indoor pools. Swimming is also one of the best ways to burn energy; it consumes more calories per hour than running and cycling.   And don’t forget to do some toning. Strength training is essential for maintaining a revved metabolism when temperatures drop, so aim for at least 20 minutes two to three days a week.

 

2) Don’t go to a party hungry                                                                      Use high-fibre fruits and vegetables to fill up before you go to a party. Eat a bunch of baby carrots, a big salad, or an apple, for example, to curb your desire for empty party-food calories. When we eat outside the home, studies suggest that we may take in 40% more calories than we would otherwise. So much of our eating is not related to hunger. The more variety of foods available at a meal, the more likely you are to eat more food and if you’re feeling nervous or bored at a party you are even more likely to eat without thinking. So when you are at a party, move away from the buffet table and focus your energy on what the party is all about – the other peope there.

3) Lay off the booze                                                                                     It’ll be tempting to guzzle spiked eggnog, brandy and good wine during the holidays, but don’t. Alcohol is loaded with empty calories and slows down your metabolism. So many parties involve drinking it is so easy to take in a lot of calories without even realising it. Limit yourself to just one drink a day if you must and if you find you have drunk more be sure to drink a glass of water after each alcoholic beverage to help pace yourself and to dilute calories. Even better still substitue alcohol with fresh fruit juice. Not only are juices and smoothies highly nutritious and good for your digestion but they are colourful and fun as well. The combinations can be endless – to get you going try adding some fresh ginger or a handful of parsely and mint to basic juice ingredients like apples, carrot and bananas.

 

4) Make your Christmas meal a healthy one

Many women tell me that they are good at making healthy food choices in the run up to Christmas day but then when it comes to Christmas lunch they over eat and find it hard to regain the discipline in the days and weeks after. To avoid this be sure to plan ahead so your Christmas meal is nutritious. For example, you could start with something light, like a grapefruit which is low in calories and top it with some digestion boosting cinnamon or ginger. Avoid duck and goose which are fatty birds and go for lean chicken and turkey, if you must eat meat. (Bear in mind that the fat tends to be nearer the skin so remove it before eating.) Instead of sausage stuffing, try chestnut stuffing which is lower in fat and higher in nutrients, like potassium. Even better why not break tradition and go for a portion of omega 3 salmon on Christmas day. If you are vegetarian then go for tasty tofu or nut specials. Cut down on creamed potatoes and serve roasted vegetables instead, such as parsnips, leeks, turnips and onions. If you toss lightly in olive oil and add some garlic cloves and bake until tender there is no need to add in butter. Make sure you have plenty of green vegetables too, like Brussel sprouts or if you don’t like them chose broccoli, green beans or asparagus. 

 

As far as Christmas pudding is concerned consider a no added sugar version where the sweetness comes from the dried fruit and use home made custard, sweetened with maple syrup instead of cream. Alternatively, you could just have some fresh fruit salad with an organic, live yogurt instead.  Or make a tasty apple pie made with eating apples (rather than cooking apples so they don’t need sweetening) and raisins and topped with a wholemeal crust. 

 

You should leave the Christmas lunch or dinner table feeling satisfied not stuffed. Christmas day shouldn’t be a day you look back on with regret because it led to a bout of overeating and with a few simple changes and a little forward planning that Christmas day bloated feeling can easily be avoided.

 

5) But don’t forget to have a little of what you fancy

Wintertime is chock-full of sweets, pies and chocolates of all kinds. It’ll be nearly impossible to avoid them all, so don’t. Have a few – but only a few – treats to satisfy your cravings because if you don’t you may end up feeling deprived and resentful and are more likely to comfort eat or binge. If you’re exercising, the extra calories won’t make a huge difference. When you’re faced with a big holiday dinner, don’t deny yourself; it’ll just drive you crazy. Instead, load your plate with good quality protein and vegetables.

 

6) Eat slowly

This rule applies at any time of the year but it is especially important during the winter months when the temptation to overeat is so strong. If you eat slowly and really chew your food not only will your digestion improve but also you will have a better idea of when you’ve eaten enough so you can stop eating when you are full. Put your knife and fork down after every bite and really savour your food. If you finish a meal and still feel hungry wait twenty minutes before eating more as this is the amount of time your brain needs to register when you are full.

 

7) Don’t starve yourself or skip meals

If you starve yourself or skip meals this will lead to blood sugar imbalances which can trigger food cravings so every day, make sure you have a healthy breakfast followed by a mid morning snack, lunch, a mid afternoon snack and supper. Don’t leave more than a few hours between meals and snacks. For example, you could have a boiled egg and fruit juice or a bowl of porridge in the morning to keep you going, followed by a mid morning snack of fruit and a handful of nuts and seeds, followed by a nutritious salad sandwich on wholemeal bread for lunch, followed by a mid afternoon bowl of vegetable soup, followed by a light supper of grilled fish, brown rich and vegetables.

 

8) Don’t eat late

If you like to eat very little in the day to save calories for your evening meal you could be making a big mistake as far as your waistline is concerned. It’s far easier for your body to digest food and burn off calories during the day, rather than in the evening when all you are likely to do is go to sleep for eight or so hours. So try to avoid eating after 8 pm if you can and notice how flatter your stomach and how much lighter and more energetic you feel in the morning.

 

9) Choose your nibbles carefully

It’s not always easy to tell which snacks are high in sugar and calories because they are often so small and easy to pick up and eat without thinking but a couple of sausage rolls and cheese balls and the calories soon mount up. If you are the person providing the snacks put out healthy ones. Figs are a good source of potassium, iron, magnesium and calcium as well as being low in fat and high in fibre and dates are a good source of potassium too. Unsalted nuts provide zinc, calcium and essential fats and a cheese and pineapple stick is a tasty and nutritious alternative to sausage rolls or breadsticks.

 

If you aren’t responsible for the snacks, steer clear of anything that’s been deep-fried, such as crispy wontons or battered prawns. Opt for the salads, dips like hummus and tzatziki, crudités and breadsticks. If canapés or nibbles are constantly being offered to you while you’re chatting, avoid the temptation by keeping your hands full. A napkin in one hand and a glass of water in the other should do the trick. Choose your accompaniments for cheese carefully. Chunks of French bread and butter or a handful of cream crackers will double the calories. Instead, go for water biscuits, crisp breads or breadsticks – and fill up on the grapes, celery and fruit. If you’re tempted by the cheeseboard, cheddar, stilton, goat’s cheese and red leicester are better choices than brie, camembert and edam.

 

10) Give yourself the gift of health

Enjoy yourself on Christmas day and Boxing Day without going overboard but try not to let the big meals and festive food buffets continue after that. Keeping the celebrations to a couple of days makes it much more of a treat because if you let the good times drag on and on you may find that you simply can’t bear the sight of another mince pie or sausage roll. And when it comes to Christmas presents ask for or give yourself and others something health related. Gifts like gym memberships, spa breaks, activity days, aromatherapy or massage treatments, healthy recipe books or workout gear will help you and those you care about keep their New Year Resolutions to stay healthy.

Eating healthily over Christmas is one thing when you’re in the comfort of your own home but everything changes when you get a party invite. It’s so easy to overindulge when music and conversation distract you. Here are some tips to help you eat healthily at parties.

1) Read your napkin. If hors d’oeuvres are circulating, use a fresh cocktail napkin for each one. Before you reach for seconds, check your napkin for grease spots. If the paper’s soaked through or the spot is huge, make a different selection next time. 
 

2) Switch hands. A sneaky but surprisingly effective trick: Hold your drink in your right hand if you’re a righty, or vice versa. It will make grabbing food a bit more difficult – so you’ll eat less. 

 
3) Cross-examine. As friends pass you what they’ve prepared, exclaim, “That looks terrific! What’s it made with?” (Ask the same of the hostess at other parties.) You’re likely to get valuable information that’ll help you decide how deeply you want to dig in to a dish. If you’re at a buffet table inspect the food you pick up before you eat it. For example, go for food that doesn’t contain pastry and doesn’t shine (suggesting it’s covered in oil), 
 

4) Dance the night away. It’s gotta be the happiest way to burn off calories! With party disco dancing you will burning off abut 350 calories per hour (based on a 10 stone person.  Keep the fun coming and you may forget all about christmas pudding. 
 
5) Avoid wasting calories on alcoholic beverages. The average alcoholic drink contains 150-200 calories per glass. Indulge in just 2-3 drinks and you’ve drunk the equivalent calories of an entire meal. If you have these drinks, choose wisely. For example, instead of having a full glass of wine, try mixing half a glass of wine with sparkling water. This will help cut your calories in half. Another great way to cut back on the drinking is putting your drink down in between sips so you won’t be tempted to keep swigging without realising

 

6) Don’t linger at the buffet or in the kitchen. If you loiter in close proximity to all the guilty temptations, you’ll struggle to keep from unconsciously shovelling food into your mouth. Focus on socialising Remember one of the great things about the holidays is spending time with friends and family. During get-togethers spend the majority of time sharing conversation instead of sharing desserts. 
 

7) The key to resisting unhealthy foods and to a successful healthy eating Xmas is to eat little amounts often. This is because the hungrier you feel, the more likely your resolve will weaken – hunger makes you think more about food. Fill yourself up with plenty of healthy snacks every few hours. Drink lots of water to fill your stomach up, add a slice of lime and lots of ice. Herbal tea is also an excellent alternative to cappuccinos and lattes that are packed with calories.
 
8) Wear something snug and well fitted so you look great and feel good. Wearing well fitted clothes is a great way to remind yourself not to overindulge and stay on track with the healthy eating. So put on your little black dress or tight fitting jeans and start dreaming of a light Christmas.

 

Switching to a healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables, whole grains and low in unhealthy fat and refined sugars for as little as three months or 12 weeks can boost your lifespan and protect against killer diseases.

For the first time a new study has shown the beneficial effects of healthy eating on the ageing process within the body. They believe that along with taking a daily vitamin and mineral and fish oil supplements, regular exercise and stress management people can reduce their cancer risk and the delay the ageing process. And the research team have called for urgent further research to discover just how powerful a factor diet and lifestyle is on overall health.

 

It is estimated that one in four women will develop cancer and rates are thought to increase with age. Although cancer risk can be linked to genes and the environment, researchers are now convinced that diet and exercise also play a crucial part. According to Cancer research, UK, approximately one in four of the 15,000 cancer deaths each year are connected to poor diet and resulting weight gain, but until now the link has been unclear. Previous studies that compared what people ate with their risk of illness were notoriously unreliable because most people can’t recall exactly or reliably what they eat. The latest research, however, from the Preventative Medicine Research Institute in California, published in The Lancet Oncology, looked at a new part of the human system that was not based on dietary surveys. It showed that cancer sufferers who switched to healthy eating saw a significant increase in an enzyme, called telomerase, which protects cells from damage.

 

The research supports existing studies that show there is a clear link between cell ageing and factors such as diet and stress.  In my opinion the findings of this latest study are of enormous significance and will help take science even closer to discovering exactly why and how diet is so important for our health and wellbeing.