Nutrionalist Tips on How to Avoid Festive Overindulgence ...

We all drink a little bit more at Christmas than any other time in the year, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t make healthier choices whilst still enjoying a festive tipple or two. Carbonated drinks and mixers always promote more gas build up and bloating, so instead of champagne and Prosecco, the best choice is a glass of white wine followed by a couple of glasses of water to aid digestion and nutrition.

You should be aiming to eat little and often, rather than sitting down to huge plates of foods every four or five hours. It’s tempting to totally pig out when you are off schedule at Christmas, but doing little things like having handfuls of nuts, a little goats cheese salad here and there ... little treats that feel festive but aren’t calorific. That’s the way to go for your health and metabolism.

Don’t get overexcited by all of the food on the table on Christmas Day. Be reserved with the plate that you make for yourself, and then proceed to eat it very slowly, taking more time to chew. Doing this will mean you ingest less air in between chomps, and it will also give your stomach more time to let your brain know that you are full.

Christmas can be protein heavy sometimes, but make sure that you still get your recommended amounts of fibre. Things like porridge for breakfast and lots of roasted veg in your main meals can help to keep you on the right track in terms of fibre intake.

If yours is the kind of family who has a choice of different meats out on the Christmas dinner table, always opt for the turkey over things like pork, game, ham, and beef. It is high in potassium, and potassium is great for helping to balance fluids and salt levels in the body.