Could your Christmas dinner actually be good for you?

With the party season upon us the risk of over-indulging could mean that you consume on average 8000 calories if you are not mindful about what you eat. Stress also cancels out your willpower and increases the release of cortisol in your brain which can make it hard for you to make sound decisions, as a result you may eat more foods high in fat and sugar or drink more, which can lead to the inevitable hangover which is 50% dehydration and 50% intoxication, then the headache comes once the liver can’t detoxify the alcohol anymore.

We all know that drinking water will help, but there are some festive foods rich in vitamins and minerals that will help too.

Think about upping your intake of Vitamin B as this is destroyed by the alcohol, and vitamins A & C as these protect the liver.

Foods you should include are cauliflower, sprouts, lamb, peas, broccoli, milk, asparagus, mushrooms, tuna, chicken, salmon, turkey, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and tangerines.  

So, your Christmas dinner might just help you stay healthy if you have over-indulged in the run up to the big day!

If you want to keep your calorie consumption under control here are few more festive tips that will help:

• Instead of a full fried English breakfast and toast with lashings of butter, why not opt for one slice of toast, some grilled bacon, boiled egg and a grilled tomato. Wash it down with a cup of tea or coffee instead of a sugary fruit juice.

• When eating your Christmas dinner try to have the majority of your plate filled with steamed veg and some boiled new potatoes along with your meat of choice.

• Pudding time! most puddings are going to be full of sugar to be fair, so it will be hard to make a choice other than having nothing! But an apple crumble made with oats on the top would be a nice choice.

• Snacking! You might think that opting for some dried fruit would be a good option, but the natural sugars need to be eaten in moderation too! Try a handful of nuts with your dried or fresh fruit as this will help control your blood sugar.

Above all else, enjoy the festive season!