Posted on 07 Jan, 2009 -
Try The Feel FANTASTIC Diet
Great comfort foods that will help you lose weight instead of gain it
Foods that help you fight winter colds, challenged digestion and a lack of energy
PLUS: Treat irritable bowels and thrush with raspberries. Kale for winter health. Asparagus and avocado for your emotional and mental wellbeing
It’s that time of year again. All that remains of Christmas is the last of the cake, half a bottle of port and that shred of tinsel stuck on a drawing pin that you couldn’t quite reach.
Our spirits are perhaps a little low and our digestive systems if not our health in general is suffering a little. We may also be feeling somewhat sluggish and perhaps a little heavier than we were before.
And the last thing we want, of course, is another mince pie or huge plate of rich meat.
So where do we go forward with our food requirements and meal plans from here?
With the help of a pile of books on nutrition and a new book I picked up at the bookshop called The Top 100 Health Tips by Janet Wright, I have put together for you today a list of 18 great winter health-boosting, mood-lifting, weight-shifting foods that will not only inspire you to eat well and feel fantastic, but may also help cure some of your ills as well.
So step forward brightly into the culinary newness of 2009 with some of these delicious treats…
Eating the right foods can be exactly the pick-up your health needs at this time of year
Raspberries. I have put this one first because the idea of a delicious red refreshing berry jumped out at me from the pages of my health books - despite my arguments with myself that it was far from a winter food and far from in season. Thanks to the flavonoid that this fruit contains called anthocyanins (which also gives it its great colour), raspberries have an antimicrobial effect that is great against thrush and irritable bowel syndrome. They also, of course, promote general overall health.
Kale is definitely a wonderful winter vegetable and one that is perfect for your health at this time of year. Containing a great amount of vitamin C, it will do wonders for your immune system. Its anti-inflammatory properties will help ease joint pain, calcium keeps up your bone strength and the high fibre content is great for your energy, weight loss and digestion as well!
Spinach is another dark green winter vegetable that you know your body really needs at this time of the year the instant you think about it. It is packed with an amazing list of nutrients that will work wonders on your ailing body and would be perfect in a potato, spinach and cheese pie…
The humble apple, thanks to its pectin and fibre content, is brilliant at clearing any constipation and or built-up toxins in your digestive system. Feel 10 pounds lighter and a whole lot brighter by eating a nice crisp one every day.
On the subject of your digestive system, of course, don’t forget prunes. Whether your digestive system is working too quickly or too slowly, prunes can help regulate it. Try them stewed and chilled with yoghurt for breakfast.
Another great vegetable for detoxification and warming winter soups is the beetroot. It not only increases the liver’s production of detoxifying enzymes but has also been found to combat the effect of harmful nitrates found in such processed meats as those Christmas day pigs in blankets…
Can’t face getting out of bed or leaving the house in the morning? Try having half a grapefruit to start your day. In a 2004 study at the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California, researchers investigated the effect of grapefruit on weight loss and found that eating half a grapefruit before a meal can actually help people drop weight. In aromatherapy, grapefruit is also good for a lack of energy and as an appetite suppressant.
Eat chickpeas for energy, especially if you’re a woman and as a great alternative to meat. Full of essential minerals that we’re often lacking, eat chickpeas to help your body and energy levels cope with yet more weeks of hard work and toll.
Another great protein alternative is the strength-building lentil. It’s easy on your digestive system and gives you energy throughout the day. Add a few handfuls of red lentils to a vegetable soup and turn your kitchen into a happy-smelling haven.
If you’re suffering from asthma, coughs or other respiratory challenges, try eating some kiwi fruit. Also great against high cholesterol and for an energy-giving afternoon snack. Don’t, however, give kiwis to small children as it can cause allergies.
Spice up your mood, boost your immune system and add some excitement to your meal plans
As the cold weather continues, what better to keep you warm and healthy than mustard seeds and black pepper. Mustard seeds are used as a remedy for both flatulence and respiratory ailments. Black pepper promotes more effective digestion and the elimination of toxins. Both add a great warming effect in winter food.
Chili is also a brilliant spice to add to your diet in the winter. In Chinese medicine it is used to speed up metabolism and make you feel brighter and more energetic. It is also believed to be effective in warding off colds.
Finally, of course, don’t forget the garlic. Another Chinese ‘yang’ food used for weight loss, garlic is also one of the most recognised super foods for fighting infections such as colds.
Great comfort foods that will help you LOSE weight instead of gain it
If you’re feeling a bit down after the end of the festive season, here are a few ideas for some comfort foods that will make you feel both happier and slimmer too!
Grilled bananas, for example, will make a warming sweet dish that’s good for you in so many ways. They are a natural mood enhancer, can help prevent high blood pressure, and help relieve irritability and fatigue!
Asparagus, according to Janet Wright, are a “forceful weapon against lethargy and low spirits”. They contain a good supply of the kind of minerals and B vitamins that you may be lacking after the festive season. Great for mental and emotional health.
Another lovely mood-boosting food is the avocado. Not only do they help increase the amount of happiness-promoting serotonin in your body, they also provide a healthy fat as an alternative to all those unhealthy ones that our bodies sometimes believe they really need!
Sweet potato is another great cockle-warming treat. Bake it in the oven like a jacket potato (only for a little less time) and you have an instant savoury yet sweet treat that’s also really good for you. It’s vitamin B6 content helps prevent food cravings and relieves depression. By keeping blood sugar levels high it also helps prevent mood swings.
Instead of resorting to the old cheese and ham toastie (as I did for lunch today), think ahead and give your body the extra help it needs. You’ve been working hard over the last month to make other people happy. You deserve the little extra time, care and expense now to look after your own strength and health.
