TALKING HEALTH 12

4. Make healthy choices When eating at home, plan what you are going to eat with your health and heart in mind. Lean meats, white meats instead of red, and plant- based meals. You will feel the benefit and have more energy.

5. Enjoy the turkey Turkey is a good lean meat option full of protein. The danger lies in all the trimmings. Seriously - how many roast potatoes do you need to eat! Bulk out on the vegetables as long as they are not dripping in butter.

6. Watch the salt! We know salt is a killer, yet how many of us ignore the fact it is damaging our heart and raising our blood pressure. Sausages wrapped in bacon – rich gravy? You already know, without me telling you, that these contain high amounts of salt.

7. Salt makes you drink more As well as damaging your heart, salt makes you thirsty. Why do you think they put salted peanuts, crisps and salted pretzels on the bar when you order a drink? To make you drink more! The oldest bar ploy in the book. The more you eat the more you want to drink. Plus, salted nuts and crisps are high in saturated fats.

8. Be drink aware It is important to stay within the safe alcohol consumption guidelines to avoid damage to your heart, kidneys, and liver.

According to nhs.uk:

Knowing your units will help you stay in control of your drinking.

• men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis • spread your drinking over 3 or more days if you regularly drink as much as 14 units a week • if you want to cut down, try to have several drink-free days each week • 14 units is equivalent to 6 pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of lower-strength wine – a week.

9. Dangers of TV eating Christmas movies, Christmas TV catch ups all mean one thing – feet up on the sofa with a glass of wine or beer and foods to satisfy the “munchies”. This is often mindless eating. How many times have you looked and suddenly the whole box of Maltesers has disappeared!

10. Quick fix January as an excuse for overindulgent December? How many times have you said, I will wait until after Christmas – after all it is Christmas – time to pig out! I will be good in January! I will exercise! I will watch what I eat! Seriously – why give yourself all that extra hard work in January. Be good now.

Enjoy – don’t see it as a chore to eat mindfully. It’s not a torture! It’s your health. You are worth it.

Love Moira

Moira Carmenate, The Elite Wellness Group

CHRISTMAS - ‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE MERRY’ (OR MISERABLE?)

Christmas can put a lot of pressure on people as they feel they should be happy and excited about all the festivities. In fact, it can negatively affect mental health in many ways, especially if:

Managing finances and people’s expectations can be challenging at such a demanding time of the year.

Ways to survive Christmas will be different for everyone but as they say, where there is a will there is a way.

You have had a relationship break-up or divorce.

Your partner or someone close has passed away.

You can’t be with family because they are too far away.

You are struggling financially and can’t afford to buy presents and Christmas foods. You have health problems.

People not accepting you or your partner because of racism, sexuality or status or they just don’t like your partner.

You are struggling with alcohol or food addiction, and you are surrounded by excessive amounts of food and drink.

You have flashbacks of previous Christmases that were traumatic and scared of facing it all over again.