IS your shopping trolley full to the brim with seasonal sweets and Christmas treats?
When it comes to Christmas food, there are a lot of goodies on the naughty list - from chocolate boxes to decadent desserts. So let's spare a thought for some of the healthier options and see what is on the nice list of the season's best right now.
Brussels sprouts - part of the brassica family of vegetables, these little gems are super powered from a nutritional perspective. They are loaded with sulphur rich ingredients that help support your body's detoxification pathways and are thought to have immune protective and hormone balancing effects. If you are unlucky enough to have the gene that means you have a hatred of sprouts, then choose from some of the other vegetables in this group including broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower or rocket.
Turkey - it wouldn't be Christmas without turkey. This lean meat is a good source of protein, B vitamins and an interesting amino acid called tryptophan. Tryptophan is the precursor to the sleep hormone melatonin, and the mood-lifting neurotransmitter serotonin. Maybe that is why we feel like a snooze after Christmas lunch... How meat is produced is not only important for animal welfare, but free range turkeys tend to have a higher omega 3 content, so better for your health too.
Clementines, mandarins... or 'wee oranges' by any other name. Well known for their vitamin C content, oranges have an abundance of glorious antioxidants under their skin. Some of the most beneficial bioflavonoids are in the white pith of all citrus fruits and research shows them to have antiviral, anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory and immune supporting abilities. They also enhance the natural effectiveness of vitamin C, which is why vitamin C supplements often list bioflavonoids as a co-ingredient.
Nuts have traditionally been part of the Christmas fare for generations. Walnuts, Brazils, hazelnuts, almonds are packed with essential omegas, zinc, selenium, calcium and magnesium. Opt for the unsalted and unroasted varieties of course.
Christmas spices like cinnamon, ginger and cloves not only taste great, but they have some interesting benefits for our health. Cinnamon has been shown to help support a healthy blood sugar balance, and tends to make foods taste a little sweeter (so try cutting back on the sugar in your recipes a little). Ginger has anti-inflammatory effects and can have a calming effect on digestion, and cloves are a rich source of antioxidants with antibacterial actions.
Prawns and salmon are the traditional choice for a Christmas day starter. Their pink colour is thanks to an antioxidant pigment called astaxanthin that has some nutritional benefits for eye and skin health. If you opt for the salmon starter, you will add a little pop of omega 3 to your meal too. Always buy from a sustainable source - ask your fishmonger, or look for the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) logo.
Olives and pickles have surprising health benefits. These are naturally preserved through a process of fermentation, which produces a little pot of probiotics. Lactic acid bacteria produced by the fermentation process are super for digestive health, Look out for some of the local producers making pickles, kimchi, sauerkraut and relishes and enjoy with some locally produced cheese for an extra pop of probiotic bacteria.
Chocolate has to be on everyone's festive shopping list of course. Of course chocolate is good for your health, but I'm not talking about the sugar-laden stuff that most of us think of. Instead opt for higher cocoa content chocolate - at least 70-85 per cent for optimum benefits. Containing less sugar, and more polyphenol antioxidants, this stuff tends to be more satisfying, doesn't trigger cravings and is better for your health.
So when you are packing your trolley, spare a space for some healthier treats.
