Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TH the rts stay thy at stmas! 26 27 28
“Staying hydrated might seem a cliche but it’s even more important hristmas. Dehydration triggered by hol and stuffy central heating can lead tigue, headaches and even the aken feeling of hunger leading you to k more – dangerous with all that olate lying around! drink a tall glass of water just before and carry a water bottle with me to t all times.” ind myself letting everything get on of me at Christmas, as well as using a drops of calming Rescue Remedy
99, from Boots), I find this simple thing technique helps me relax:
Sit or stand in a relaxed position Slowly inhale through your nose, ting to five
Let the air out from your mouth, ting to eight
Repeat several times. “It’s so easy to overindulge at Christmas with all the yummy food around. To ease heartburn I stock up on antacids such as Superdrug’s Indigestion Relief Tablets (£2.99) to help relive my symptoms.” “To look after my gut health I eat slowly and avoid foods I know upset my digestion, and make time to use the toilet. This may sound obvious but people forget to slow down during the frantic festive period.” “It’s hard not to pile up your plate in the holidays, but Christmas foods tend to be fattier and richer than your normal diet. One seasonal healthy food swap I make is sweet potatoes in place of white potatoes. They’re packed with vitamin A, beta-carotene and fibre, and another advantage is they roast really well.”
“I find the herb rhodiola can take the edge off stress in the run up to Christmas. Extracts of this plant have been used traditionally to treat stress for many years, with recent research confirming it can ease irritability, fatigue and tension”.
Try Vitano Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract (£13.99, from Boots). “Christmas often means too little sleep and before you know it, you’re running on empty. I always schedule in a couple of early nights each week in December – right up until Christmas Day.”
“Come December I swap my smooth soled work shoes for thicker soles with better grip to avoid slipping on wet leaves and ice. I also take shorter step lengths and broaden where my feet are on the ground to add stability and prevent slipping – especially when trying to round up the kids during the post-lunch walk!” “I love Christmas, but hate the family conflict that often goes with it, so over the years I’ve learnt ways to avoid it. For example, some family members insist on giving me unhelpful and unwanted advice. But instead of arguing about it, now I just smile and say: ‘Thanks for your opinion’. Then I completely ignore it and carry on living my life the way I want to!” “I remind myself that real happiness isn’t going to come out of a box under the Christmas tree. So instead of focusing on presents, I try to maximise the time I spend with my loved ones and make plans for the coming year, such as arranging trips, shows or activities. Having events to look forward to also helps us feel festive for longer.” “Christmas foods and cold winter weather can trigger tooth sensitivity, so I use a specialist toothpaste such as Sensodyne Rapid Relief (£4.50, Boots) to ensure a pain-free party season.” “A good lesson I’ve learnt is to stay away from dark spirits as the tannins affect hydration levels and will make a hangover worse. So if you’re having cocktails, stick with those containing light spirits such as gin or vodka or white rum.” “To manage anxiety levels, I make sure I carve out some alone time over Christmas – in amongst all the get-togethers. I let others know that I’m recharging and take myself away for some much-needed peace and quiet.”
“I have a smoothie every morning in December with a scoop of plant-based protein powder – this could be spinach, banana, date and almond milk for example. This nutrient dense breakfast helps me to stay fuller for longer and is a good metabolism kick-starter. It also helps to regulate my blood sugar levels as it’s high in fibre, helping reduce food cravings.” “It’s tempting to get online Christmas shopping done in bed to save time, but this can wreak havoc with seasonal sleep, as the blue light emitted from phones and tablets has been shown to have a negative effect on sleep quality. I avoid screens for an hour before bed.” “Despite changing food trends, I stick to cooking turkey on the big day, as it’s a leaner meat than duck or goose. I also swap out the ‘bad fats’ in pigs-in-blankets for more veg – especially brussels sprouts which are one of the healthiest parts of Christmas dinner, being packed with fibre and vitamins C and
K.