I’m dreaming of a light Christmas

How to get through the festive period without piling on the pounds.

Here are five ways you can have a first-class festive season where health and fitness are at the forefront of your thinking… not tucked down the side of the sofa with the Cadbury’s Roses wrappers!

1. Drink plenty of water

Make sure that you keep hydrated throughout the festive period… with water!

Okay, so it’s no crime to treat yourself to the odd tipple or three, but taking on other regular fluids, and water in particular, will balance your body out, helping your liver at a time when it takes most punishment, whilst aiding digestion too.

And on that note, it’s worth remembering that drinking water can stop your hunger from getting the better of you. Research shows drinking a glass of water prior to eating will reduce appetite by a third.

2. Lessen your cheese overload

It’s a fair assumption – rather than investing in large portions of chocolate cake or the decorative delights of selection box sweets, switch instead to a dairy option, and the light delights of the cheese and cracker combination.

Unfortunately, while cheese obviously has less sugar, it also contains more calories.

The solution is to have a smaller quantity of a strong cheese (Roquefort or Stilton, for instance) –the strength has actually been proven to act as a tastebud deterrent after the first few mouthfuls.

4. Veg out

And if you just can’t resist chocolate, ensure it’s dark chocolate, which is proven to lessen the chance of heart disease due to the presence of antioxidants.

3. Go nuts and not crackers

Look at avoiding crisps and baked snacks as much as you possibly can and, instead, try satsumas and nuts. Both contain high quantities of vitamin C and healthy oils, and are much lower in fat.

Replace crackers with oatcakes - their slow-release sugars mean you feel fuller for much longer. Oatcakes also have soluble fibre that’s friendly on the heart, assisting in cholesterol-shifting from the bloodstream.

Of course most of us prefer the protein and carbohydrate elements when it comes to big meals over the Christmas period – potato-based elements and meat can, for some of us, feel even more resistible than usual, particularly on a cold, dark day; yet the better your vegetable ratios, the healthier the meal.

5. Fish risk

Smoked salmon is always a festive favourite, in various forms, but try to avoid butter; and instead of hollandaise sauce, make it with freshly squeezed lemon and black pepper.

Similarly, for prawn cocktail, use Greek yoghurt instead of the typical high-fat mayonnaise option.

Unscramble The Letters

1. MITSCRHSA ……………………

2. TSPERENS……………………..

3. ANATS ………………………..

4. VLESE…………………………

5. LYLOH………………………….

6. PHDORUL……………………….. ME

Christmas Sudoku