How to keep healthy this Winter

Nutritional tips for December

Date: December 2008
Author: Sam Silvester

The party season is upon us. It is a time to eat, drink and be merry…. in moderation.

Most people over-indulge a little over the festive period, but it can do more harm than you think. Apart from headaches and nausea that accompanies too much alcohol, it plays havoc with blood sugar levels. If you drink too much or on an empty stomach, blood sugar is elevated too quickly and then drops too low, causing confused thinking, shakiness and cravings for all the bad things. Blood sugar levels can continue to drop during the night causing night sweats, shakiness or palpitations. This can continue into the next day when people often crave high carbohydrates or sweet things.

The answer is not to overindulge! Make sure you don't drink on a empty stomach - eat a light meal first if you are going somewhere where there are only nibbles or canapés and stick to the crudités rather than the pastries. Try and dilute drinks with sparkling water or alternate alcohol with a glass of water (not high sugar fizzy non alcoholic drinks). Avoid coffee (even decaf) which will further dehydrate you and choose peppermint tea. Have plenty of water at bedtime and take more water to bed with you. Have a light snack if needed at bedtime of oatcakes or Ryvitas with a slice of chicken or ham, this will help to stabilise blood sugar during the night. Take 1000 mg of vitamin C to help the liver break down toxins and B vitamins (in a 50 mg B Complex) as these are depleted by alcohol. Milk thistle is a herbal tincture available in all health food shops that helps repair the liver cells.

A good breakfast is a fruit smoothie made from berries or mangoes with banana, sesame seeds, natural yoghurt and some apple juice or rice milk. Follow with some scrambled eggs on toast if needed. Drink well diluted fruit juice or water during the day, avoid refined carbohydrates (anything made from white flour) and eat a little protein (seeds, chicken, fish, eggs) with each meal or snack and complex carbohydrates such as brown rice. This will help return blood sugar levels to normal.

With regard to Christmas dinner, you don't need to pile the plate up just because it is Christmas! Have a normal portion and save the extras for boxing day. Eat your Christmas pudding later on or have my lighter version of Christmas Pudding (below). Don't forget to stock up on sprouts which have sulpher compounds that can combat cancer of the lungs and colon. They have detoxifying enzymes and plenty of vitamin C (as long as you steam them).

Christmas Pud (without the Pud) - taken from Delia Smith Vegetarian Collection

For the compote: mixed dried fruit - apricots, prunes, large raisins, figs, mixed spice to taste, marsala wine. Mix all the ingredients and leave covered overnight in a cool place. The next day place in an pan and simmer, then transfer to the oven and cook very slowly at 130 degrees for a couple of hours (check there is sufficient liquid from time to time). Leave to cool and then chill. Mix in toasted flaked almonds and serve with a spoon of greek yoghurt sprinkled with grated chocolate and nutmeg or cinnamon. The compote will keep for up to 7 days.

If you are hosting a party, here are some ideas for healthy party food:

• Asparagus bundle wrapped with parma ham
• Smoked chicken piece & mango on cocktail stick
• Smoked salmon, crème fraiche and chives on oatcake
• Melon & king sized prawn on cocktail stick
• Smoked ham & cucumber on oatcake
• Basil, mozarella & tomato on cocktail stick
• Avocado slices & tapenade on sato cracker
• Tuna, beetroot & horseradish on cocktail stick
• Duck & dried apricot in chickory boats
• Chilli pumpkin seeds
• Mini fruit salad kebabs (mango, pineapple & strawberry)
• Dates stuffed with light cream cheese and a walnut