With all the extra planning with the festive season, it’s no surprise that most of us spend December feeling irritable and vowing never to set foot in the kitchen again. To beat stress, it’s vital to eat regularly – skipping meals will make your blood sugar crash, leaving you tired, hungry, bad-tempered and stressed.
Carbohydrates
Swap white, processed carbs such as bagels, regular pasta, cornflakes and white rice for brown, unprocessed ones such as wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta and cereals, oats and brown rice.
Wholemeal bread
Tryptophan
Lean red meat, poultry, fish such as salmon, eggs, cheese, nuts and seeds are all good sources of tryptophan, so to boost serotonin (a feel-good chemical in the brain that acts as nature’s tranquilliser to make us feel calmer) it’s important to eat more of these foods, too. At Christmas: Turkey is packed with tryptophan, as is salmon.
Salmon
B vitamins
Anxiety and stress can quickly deplete B vitamins, which work together to release the energy from food and keep nerve and brain cells healthy. Eat wholegrain cereals, oats, brown rice, low-fat dairy products, lean red meat, poultry, fish, such as salmon, eggs, liver, pulses, nuts, seeds and green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, plus yeast extracts, such a Marmite. At Christmas: Brussels sprouts are great for topping up folate, a B vitamin that keep the nervous system healthy.
Spinach
Magnesium
This mineral fights stress, relaxes muscles, prevents an irregular heartbeat and promotes a good night’s sleep. Magnesium is found in wholegrain cereals, wholemeal bread, brown rice, green vegetables, such as broccoli, nuts, seeds and seafood. At Christmas: Nuts are a rich source of magnesium and stress-relieving B vitamins.
Broccoli
Vitamin C
Stress zaps the body’s stock of vitamin C, an essential nutrient for a strong immune system. This can leave us vulnerable to infections, like colds. Eat berries, green leafy vegetables, such as watercress, tomatoes, peppers, pomegranates, kiwi fruit and citrus fruits, such as oranges, and their juices. At Christmas: Satsumas are a fabulous source of immune-boosting vitamin C.
Watercress
Probiotics
A daily probiotic drink or yogurt in the run-up to Christmas may prevent tummy troubles. Boosting levels of good bacteria in the gut strengthens both our digestive system and immunity.
Asparagus
It’s also important to stock up on prebiotics – foods that feed these good bacteria. These occur naturally in garlic, onions, leeks, shallots, asparagus, spinach, Jerusalem artichokes, chicory, pulses, oats, bananas and wholegrains.
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Holidays are indeed a time to have unlimited fun, but they do bring a lot of stress, as people forget themselves while enjoying the festive period.
Hence, here are the keys to enjoy this holiday season:
1. Manage your expectations: With so much going on, particularly with other people, this may not be the best time to expect perfection. Don’t set yourself up for undue stress by hosting parties for dozens of people, complete with a gourmet menu and stunning decor. Starting with modest and achievable expectations increases the likelihood that you will avoid disappointment.
2. Add a good night’s sleep to your ‘to-do list’: Don’t deprive yourself of sleep to get more done. Sleep deprivation is a major mood killer-consider scaling back your to-do list and get some rest.
3. Avoid “crashing”: The holidays are filled with foods that initially boost our mood and then produce longer-term sugar crashes, sluggishness, and bloating. Eat healthy meals throughout the holidays and snack on healthier options such as fruits and vegetables before a party so that you are less likely to fill up on junk food and sweets.
4. Know your limits: We all know the holidays can be a prime time for the airing of family issues and grievances. If visiting a particular relative ruins the holidays for you, devise a new plan that limits your exposure to that person or situation. It’s better to exercise good self-care over the holidays than to agree to plans that will result in a tense atmosphere and hurt feelings.
5. Make time for you: People often forget to prioritise themselves throughout the year and it gets even worse over the holidays. Take some time just for yourself.
6. Still tossing and turning all night?: If you find yourself lying in bed with visions of budgets, menus and obligations running through your head – get out of bed. Leave your room to find something that relaxes you and return to bed when you are sleepy.