EXERCISE

Here’s a secret: December is the smartest month to embark upon a new fitness regime, not January. January is every gym’s busiest month, whereas December sees numbers dwindle and members regularly cancel classes due to social engagements. This means that many gyms, fitness clubs and yoga studios offer great deals on memberships. I now see this month as a particularly brilliant time to try something new, or resuscitate an old habit or sport I used to love. Last year I made the most of a Hotpod yoga two-week trial (hotpodyoga.com) and committing to a class every morning for two weeks transformed my December. I find there’s something deliciously rebellious about heading to the gym after work in December, too; it helps me feel like I’m reclaiming the month and making it my own, rather than blindly following the crowd. To the pub.

If you can’t afford the time or funds to get to the gym or yoga studio, December is also a particularly brilliant month to get back into that running or powerwalking habit. The temperature has dropped, making a sweaty run a lot more appealing than in summer, and during such a people-packed month, I really relish the solitude of a morning run in the park, or even a walk to work in the morning. If you need a bit of a boost to get you back into running, the excellent NHS Couch To 5K podcast series (nhs.uk) will hold your hand as you get your trainers on.

When it comes to exercising in December, I’ve found that the trick is to build my week around the positive steps I’m taking, rather than expecting to fit fitness in around the edges. I now make exercise virtually nonnegotiable, by putting gym or yoga sessions into my diary before it fills up with social plans, and then organising drinks and dinners around that evening yoga class or post-work run. It takes some organisation, but you can always fit both a little bit of health and a little bit of hedonism into your day.

I’d also strongly recommend getting some friends or family members in on the pre-tox act; in a month where boozy nights out seem like less of a treat and more of a chore, suggesting a yoga class together will feel like a luxury. So instead of an entire night in the pub with an old friend, suggest that you take a class together and then catch up over one or two drinks. It won’t always feel appropriate, but take a look at your plans and think about who might be up for swapping a dinner date for a gym date. You’ll be surprised how often this sort of suggestion is greeted with a sigh of relief. We all need to get better at resisting the idea that quality time invariably involves drinking and eating too much; by bringing an element of self-care into plans with friends, you might just turn someone’s week around. And that’s what friendship is really about.

A sour experience with sourdough

On the topic of staff, I helped my mum out behind her marmalade stall at a Christmas fair in a Hampshire village hall last week (she didn’t shout at me, but my wages were naught). It was revealing. Behind a counter, a till, or even 80 jars of marmalade, you are invisible to certain people. These sorts would saunter past the table, try a taster of marmalade which Mum had carefully spread on a small piece of sourdough, then curl their lip and walk on. We were sitting RIGHT there! Rude. Shopping at stalls can be awkward, but still… If you’re someone who walks around a fair tasting everything but not buying (bravo to mothers with babies s strapped to their chests having a gay old time while pounding the rhubarb vodka), then n at least be polite.

Citrus-glazed carrots with spiced pistachios

A vegetable peeler makes quick work of preparing the carrots, or you could carefully use a mandolin to slice thin ribbons or the widest setting on your box grater, if you find that easier.

the oven on and spread the leaves on a baking sheet, leaving no overlap.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in the hot oven for eight minutes until they’re crisp and deep green.

Once cooked, remove from the oven and peel away the foil from the cooked beetroots to let the steam escape. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then rub off the skins under cold running water and halve, quarter, or coarsely chop depending on the size.

Spread the labneh or yogurt on a serving platter and sprinkle over the za’atar. Scatter the chopped beetroot over and drizzle more olive oil over the top, to serve.