Live on the Healthier Side of Christmas

There are times during Christmas when you simply want to indulge, but go easy if you want to avoid that post festive bulge. There's no reason to make getting into shape difficult for yourself in the New Year. Julia Davidson, Coca-Cola Great Britain resident nutritionist, explains the benefit of looking after yourself during the festive season "it's important to give your body a head start when it comes to the excesses of Christmas and follow these tips to a healthier and fitter festive period so you don't end up feeling like you've overdone it by the time January comes around. Christmas is the festive season and your diet shouldn't ruin your fun, or your enjoyment of the special foods on offer and so long as you limit this to the week of Christmas then it won't ruin your waistline".

Handling the Christmas buffet

• Don't stand by the food, you'll only eat more!
• Avoid fatty, fried foods such as pastries and stick with lean meat, cut off the visible fat from beef or ham and don't eat the skin on chicken
• Go to the buffet once and have a normal sized portion (rather than several visits when you can't keep track of what you've eaten)
• Choose crudités raw vegetables and look for tomato based dips such as salsas rather than hummus or guacamole which can contain a lot of oil and be high on calories
• Avoid mayonnaise and dressings - these can add unwanted calories
• Don't over do the puds, a spoonful of what you fancy stops you from feeling as though you're missing out. Even better, look for fruit salads or fruit kebabs without cream

Christmas snacking

• Swap a handful of salted popcorn for a handful of nuts and save on calories
• Crudités with dips such as tomato salsa are a good alternative but avoid creamy dips that often contain mayonnaise
• Satsuma segments are refreshing, seasonal and packed with vitamin C so a great nibble when settling in to watch Christmas comedy re-runs

How to stay feeling fresh

• If you've had a particularly late night or over-indulged, take it easier the next day:
  - Have lighter foods
  - Keep hydrated: drink lots of fluids, aim for around 2litres a day (water, soft drinks, herbal teas all count)
  - Drink fruit juices such as 'Minute Maid', which have added benefit as they provide the body with nutrients, especially vitamin C
  - Make sure you have breakfast, no matter how small - fruit, juices, cereal or toast. Bananas, chopped onto cereal with milk or yoghurt along with a glass of 'Minute Maid' fruit juice would be a good choice

Lower calorie desserts

• Use low-fat Greek or live bio yoghurts instead of brandy butter or cream on desserts. Use skimmed milk to make custard and replace the sugar with sweetener if you are watching your calorie intake
• Make low fat desserts such as sorbets and fruit jellies
• Opt for an exotic fresh fruit platter for a refreshing and delicious healthy option
• Make mince pies with filo pastry rather than short-crust for a lighter touch

Healthy cooking options

• Steam or lightly boil and sprinkle vegetables with herbs rather than butter or oil. The steaming is quick and will help to preserve nutrients
• When roasting potatoes, cut larger pieces and parboil first as this reduces the surface area for oil absorption
• Remove skin from turkey and chicken
• Use vegetable based stuffings rather than sausage meat
• Grill the sausages rather than cooking or frying them in the meat fat
• Instead of cream sauces to go with meat, make vegetable purées such as red pepper and onion

On the move

• Don't forget, you're normally up and about burning calories going to work or about your daily chores so don't get too rooted to your sofa over Christmas
• Make sure you take a walk before or/and after dinner
• If you normally do a regular exercise class, try not to miss it
• At Christmas parties, hit the dance floor and let yourself go. Dancing can burn up around 300 calories an hour!
• Take the family out for a festive, crisp country walk or bike ride…enjoy the fresh air (don't be put off by the rain put on your raincoat and wellies) and work up a real appetite!

Notes to Editors:

• 'Minute Maid' is a registered trade mark of The Coca-Cola Company.