Christmas time and the festive period are the epitome of unhealthy habits and foods. But you can simply crowd out the bad stuff, introducing more healthy wholefoods in your diet.
The festive season is rich in foods that are beneficial for our health and at the same time can be an integral part of the atmosphere, colors, smells of the Christmas season.
- WALNUTS. Rich in healthy fats, several anti-oxidants and minerals, walnuts are delicious as a snack and as and addition to you festive season meals. You can add them to pesto sauces, breakfast bowls and salads. See all my walnuts recipes.
- RADICCHIO. Like all bitter plants foods, radicchio helps digestion and in particular it aids the liver process fats, so it is a great addition to salads and to complement those cheese boards and crostini pate’. Leftovers can be used for risottos and even frittatas.
- ROCKET. Like many of the Brassica family vegetables , rocket is a great support for liver detoxification. It is also a wonderful source of minerals, vitamins and other phyto-nutrients, that can support the health of the whole body.
- RADISH. This little vegetable is a powerhouse of nutrients, and like radicchio and most bitter vegetablesit is great for the live. A great choice to accompany those Christmas chees boards. Try it in a salad together with rocket or a on its own as a crudite’.
- SWISS CHARD. Another green leaf vegetable, rich in folates, magnesium and vitamin K, but more importantly rich in anti-inflammatory properties. Its mildly sweet taste is great for kids and a great complement to those bitter vegetables above.
- PUMPKIN. Who does not love punpkins? They are the epitome of winter festivity, and can figure in so many different recipes, from pancakes to stews and soups. I love them in my winter healing soup, that works really well when I have a cold. Pumpkins are rich in vitamin A, that protect our eyes, immune system and support thyroid function, plus a great amount of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.
- POMEGRANATE This Middle Eastern fruit, is an amazing anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory. Try it scattered over salads for that festive look and feel.
- GRAPEFRUIT Another bitter fruit that is believed to help digestion, especially the liver. You can scatter it on salads, or have it in juice together with orange to buffer its own bitter taste.
- CLEMENTINE What scream more Christmas than clementine’s? Keep them on fruits baskets and Christmas stockings together with walnuts, and use them in mixed agrumes juices, vinaigrettes like this one used on my special Christmas salad, and obviously on their own as a perfect snack.
- PINEAPPLE. Rich in anti-inflammatory properties, pineapples are also rich in enzymes that can be beneficial for digestion after an indulgent meals. They are mildly diuretic and can help detox. Try them on its own, in a fruit salad or in my special juice that you can view on here.
Health coaches are trained to help you create tasty recipes that are also beneficial for health, crowding out the bad stuff, to help you rebalance your diet without stress and deprivation. If you need some help designing a healthy Christmas meal, or get into more healthy eating habits at the beginning of the new year, get in touch on here.
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