Tuesday, December 21st, 2010
With Christmas just around the corner, we are embarking upon the season of eating and drinking – but this year, why not make it the season of being healthy too?
It is perhaps inevitable that we will over-indulge at this time of year (and after all it is the party season!) But by making just a few small changes to our usual habits, we could do ourselves the world of good.
All too often, we make an ongoing effort to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle throughout the year – and then simply abandon this at Christmas, loading our bodies full of food and alcohol, and quite forgetting the negative effect it has on the digestive system – and indeed our body as a whole.
So here are a few pointers on how you can enjoy the eating, drinking and merriment whilst still looking and feeling your best!
Food
- Rather than tucking in to the family size box of chocolate assortments, why not stock up on healthy snacks such as juicy little satsumas and even fresh figs – delicious and healthy too!
- If you’re a real chocolate addict, opt for dark chocolate – its intense flavour and more bitter taste usually means you don’t want to eat as much!
- Savoury snacks such as pretzels, twiglets or unsalted nuts (which contain good fats) are always a healthier alternative to crisps.
- Christmas dinner is your perfect opportunity to work towards your five-a-day portions of fruit and veg – so make sure you load up on Brussels sprouts and carrots as they are full of antioxidants.
- When it comes to puddings, if you’re going for a traditional Christmas pudding, then for a healthy change why not try custard made from skimmed milk or even fresh fruit as an alternative to brandy butter.
Below are some other healthier alternatives to all those traditional Christmas indulgences!
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Traditional festive treats
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Healthier alternatives
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Calorie savings
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Sweet Sherry
136 kcal (175ml)
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Dry fino style Spanish sherry 96 kcal (175ml)
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40 kcal
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Small Packet of crisps
181 kcal
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8 sesame rice crackers
60 kcal
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121 kcal
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Cream liquors (eg, Baileys)
Kcal 130 (37g serving)
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Grappa or limoncello
75 kcal (37g serving)
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55 kcal
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2 tbsp double cream
269 kcal
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2 tbsp Low fat Greek yoghurt 63 kcal
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206 kcal
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A handful of chocolate assortments 269 kcal (5 pieces /40 grams)
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A handful of unsalted almonds 122 kcal
(26 pieces/ 28 grams)
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147 kcal
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A portion of trifle
437 kcal
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A portion of satsumas in brandy 150 kcal
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287 kcal
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A slice of Christmas cake
646 kcal
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A slice of Italian panettone
300 kcal
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346 kcal
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For more information about your Christmas calories visit www.thedailyplate.com
Exercise
- Don’t forget about your usual fitness regime completely just because it’s Christmas. If you can’t get to the gym, go for a long walk, check out your local outdoor Christmas ice skating rink – or take advantage of the current snowy situation and burn off calories by building a giant snowman!
- Remember to keep stress levels down, Christmas day is without doubt one of the most celebrated days of the year but can also be the most stressful; make sure you take time to relax. Exercise helps reduce stress levels – wrap up warm and take a brisk walk to the park with your iPod or personal stereo in tow and listen to some of your favourite Christmas songs!
- Try to plan activities after dinner and take the opportunity of having the whole family under one roof; board games can be fun, especially Twister which is a great way of getting a bit of exercise in at the same time!
Social/Christmas parties
- Christmas without all the numerous glasses of sherry, mulled wine and creamy liqueurs may seem odd – but alcohol can irritate the stomach and aggravate indigestion, so try to alternate between alcoholic and soft drinks (or better still, water) to reduce your alcohol intake.
- Lower-calorie alcoholic drinks such as a single measure of spirit with a diet mixer (50 calories), dry wine or fino style Spanish sherry (96 calories) are better alternatives to sweet sherry or mulled wine.
- If, despite your best intentions, you wake up feeling sluggish and bloated after the big office party, a smoothie with milk or yoghurt can help settle your stomach and neutralise any acid reflux.
- Remember, never drink on an empty stomach as food in the stomach helps to delay the absorption of alcohol into your blood stream. So, if you’re rushing to a party straight from work, make sure you have something to eat beforehand.
Above all, have a happy healthy Christmas – this blogger is now off until the New Year, so see you all again in 2011!
Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Thursday, December 9th, 2010
Nutritional therapist Melanie Flower offers some diet advice:
- Fibre provider: A dry mouth or tooth loss can make it harder to eat fibrous foods as we get older. Softer versions such as porridge, fruit smoothies and hearty vegetable and lentil soups are still great sources of fibre.
- Good bacteria: Aim to consume ‘probiotic’ and ‘prebiotic’ foods. Probiotics place high numbers of ‘good’ bacteria directly into the gut; prebiotic foods (such as onions, asparagus and garlic) ‘feed’ these bacteria. Probiotics and prebiotics can help to improve the transit of food through the intestines, which may help ease constipation.
- Stay hydrated: Water is vital for good gut health – it helps food pass through the digestive system and helps to soften stools. Aim to drink eight glasses each day.
Dr Nick Read, consultant gastroenterologist and psychotherapist, medical adviser to The Gut Trust, shares general guidelines for good gut health:
- Sleep tight: The digestive system needs plenty of rest. Aim for eight hours’ sleep each night; go to bed and get up at set times – and avoid eating close to bedtime.
- De-stress: Stress does not stop once we retire. Try to understand what might have happened to upset the natural movement of your gut. Lead a balanced life, allowing time to relax.
- Look after your colon: A well-balanced gut flora containing high levels of ‘good’ bacteria can stimulate the immune system and prevent pathogens from taking hold. Eat enough fruit, vegetables and cereal fibre. Do not take antibiotics unless unavoidable and consider taking a probiotic to top up levels of good bacteria within the gut.
Personal trainer Sophie Christy offers exercise tips:
- Keep it light: Aim for 30 minutes of exercise five times a week. However, this need not be overly strenuous – build exercise into your daily routine with a lively housework or gardening session!
- Club together: Exercise can be more fun in a group – so why not set up an activity club with friends? Opt for gentler options such as swimming, yoga or Pilates.
- Walk the walk: Walking can have a positive impact on stomach muscles – and therefore overall gut health. Walk with your chest lifted, back upright and tummy pulled in, and you should find that your abdominal muscles contract. Set up a manageable walking schedule, increasing distance and frequency gradually, and these muscles should strengthen over time.
[Caution: If suffering from any medical condition/s, always seek medical advice before embarking upon a new exercise regimen.]
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Friday, December 3rd, 2010
As we grow older, our digestive system undergoes various changes – gut muscles tend to weaken, whilst levels of good bacteria in the intestines decrease. This, combined with dietary and lifestyle changes, can leave us more susceptible to a number of digestive complaints.
However, there are plenty of small steps that can be taken in order to maintain good gut health. This week, we take a look at some of the factors responsible for a decline in gut health (below) – next week, some expert tips on maintaining digestive health in older age.
DIET AND EXERCISE:
As we get older, we tend to consume less dietary fibre – the indigestible carbohydrates found in plant foods such as fruit, vegetables and wheat. Dietary fibre aids digestion by helping to move food through the gut, absorbing water and thus softening stools.
When intake of dietary fibre is low, stools can become dry and hardened, making them much more difficult to pass – a condition commonly known as constipation.
Furthermore, exercise levels tend to decline with age. For a healthy gut, it is important to maintain a healthy weight – obesity is a known risk factor for a number of digestive conditions including heartburn and piles.
PHYSICAL CHANGES:
Ageing can affect our digestive system in a number of ways. Intestinal muscles can lose power (either naturally or as a side effect of medication), which can lead to constipation.
However, it is within the ‘gut flora’ – those trillions of bacteria resident in the intestines – that one of the most significant developments is seen. As we age, levels of beneficial bifidobacteria in the intestines tend to drop, whilst numbers of potentially detrimental bacteria such as clostridia and enterobacteria may increase, resulting in a less healthy balance.
And since the gut flora is an important part of our body’s natural defences – with the majority of the immune system located in the gut – this altered balance may contribute to the higher susceptibility of older people to infectious disease.
MEDICATION:
Antibiotics can also affect our gut flora. Antibiotics wipe out bacteria – and because such drugs cannot discriminate between ‘good’ and ‘bad’, they often destroy high numbers of beneficial gut bacteria, leaving us more vulnerable to infection.
This is why patients on a course of antibiotics can often develop diarrhoea – and since older people already have lower levels of beneficial gut bacteria, they are at increased risk. Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is often responsible. This bacterium occurs naturally in the gut of around 4% of the population, but is normally kept in check by the beneficial bacteria there.
However, if these good bacteria are wiped out by antibiotics, the clostridia can multiply, producing toxins and causing diarrhoea. Given that older patients are ten times more likely to develop C. difficile-associated diarrhoea*, it is it is important to take steps to maintain good digestive health over time.
* Karlstrom et al, 1998
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