FESTIVE FOOD SMART SWAPS AND TWEAKS

HANDS UP - do you love Christmas - or do you just have to get through it?

Or perhaps something in between? Here are my top tips for enjoying a bit of mindful indulgence without losing sight of your goals - plus a few food and drink swaps to try.

*Enjoy yourself! Avoid restriction, which starts a negative cycle. But remember Christmas is only really a few days - it’s not a green light to eat crisps and mince pies every day just because it’s December!

*Pace yourself, and don’t peak too soon. You still want to look forward to the next meal or party without feeling jaded.

*Eat well on quieter days - this is key. Make sure you eat three nourishing meals full of vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats, and drink plenty of water, to keep your metabolism and digestion in good shape.

*Eat mindfully - avoid mindLESS snacking. Put temptation away in cupboards, but keep the tangerines and nuts handy.

*Eat breakfast - your appetite works with your circadian rhythm. Have three meals with protein, fibre and fats, and you’ll have fewer cravings and better emotional resilience.

*Party food - don’t arrive starving at the party. Have a healthy snack before you go, to avoid mindless eating and drinking. Then choose protein nibbles such as cheese or meat, so you’re less likely to keep grazing.

*Alcohol - be aware alcohol spikes appetite, and the munchies can mean mindless snacking! Alternate with water between drinks, or have a spritz.

*If you overdo it, all is not lost. Every meal is a chance to make a good choice and get back on track.

The good news is: lots of Christmas food is great. Think turkey, salmon, beef, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, parsnips, chestnuts, cranberries, tangerines, dark chocolate, nuts, cheese, dried fruit…so eat them up. You can eat smart: give your digestion a rest between meals, skip snacking. Start meals with a leafy green salad to get your digestion working well.

HAPPY HORMONE CAKE (definitely not a Christmas cake! But a tasty and really wholesome option to offer yourself or any health conscious guests. It’s more of a fruit tea loaf than a cake, and is delicious just as it is or toasted.

Soya, flaxseed and some dried fruits are rich in phytoestrogens, compounds which mimic oestrogen and may help keep your hormones a little more in balance. It’s wonderfully rich and moist, full of polyphenols and fibre and wholesome ingredients.)

INGREDIENTS:

4 chopped Medjool dates, 4 chopped semi-dried figs, 4 chopped dried apricots, 5 brazil nuts, 6 walnuts (roughly broken or chopped), 2tbs ground flaxseed, 150ml freshly-brewed Earl Grey tea

100g finely grated carrot, 1tbs desiccated coconut, 1 rounded tsp cinnamon, 1rounded tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, 150g wholemeal spelt flour, 1tsp baking powder, 1 egg, 125ml soya milk, a generous pinch of sea salt

METHOD:

The night before you’re going to make this, or up to eight hours ahead, put the dates, figs, apricots, nuts and flax seeds into a bowl. Pour over the tea, cover and leave to soak so that all the tea soaks into the fruit.

When you’re ready to make the loaf, preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 450g loaf tin with baking parchment/loaf liner paper.

Add the carrot, coconut, spices, flour, baking powder, egg and soya milk to the bowl of soaked dried fruit, nut and seed mixture, along with a good pinch of sea salt, and mix well. Spoon into the prepared loaf tin, and bake in the oven for about an hour, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 15 minutes before you lift out of the tin and cool on a wire rack before slicing. Store sealed in a sealed bag in the freezer, or in an airtight tin for a week.

CHOCOLATE DATE BRAZILS (a great sub for the tin of Quality Street! Dark choc is full of antioxidants, fibre and minerals, while Brazils contain selenium for thyroid health. Dates are a good source of fibre, magnesium and iron – and while sweet, dates tend not to spike blood sugar.)

Get some Medjool dates and remove the stones. Replace them with a whole Brazil nut, and gently close the date around it to seal.

Melt some dark chocolate and dip each date into it, before laying on a lined baking sheet. Scrunch a very little flaky sea salt over the top and set them in the fridge or freezer to set.

These keep really well in the fridge, or can be eaten straight from the freezer.

NIBBLES: go for protein and fibre eg smoked salmon, prawns or ham, cheese, nuts and dates. Make your own spicy roast chickpeas, edamame beans with lime and chilli, things on cocktail sticks eg olive+mozzarella ball+anchovy/artichoke/sundried tomato, or baked prunes and chestnuts on sticks.

PUDDINGS AND TREATS – eat at end of meal. Date with blue cheese, figs and tangerines, dark chocolate and fruit, make a winter fruit compote with poached pears, apples, prunes or plums, with zest and juice of an orange/lemon and cinnamon

FESTIVE ‘DRY’ DRINKS (for when you’re skipping alcohol but still want a grown-up drink)

Equinox Kombucha. OSU and WILLYS cider vinegar make a lovely refreshing drink just topped to taste with cold sparkling water/ice. You can also buy great zero alcohol and botanical options.

For a zingy GIN AND TONIC, mix a shot of zero alcohol gin with juice of 1 lime and 150ml tonic, and ice.

REAL Sparkling Tea Royal Flush – great non-alcoholic alternative to champagne

Warm beetroot and apple juice quick and easy alternative to mulled wine