Get into that Little Black Dress by turning your festive vices into virtues

With the festive season being all about indulging yourself on the food and drink front, you may think that trying to eat healthily over Christmas is a lost cause. But it needn't be so. Andrea Wren investigates how you can indulge and still fit into that LBD.

Three mince pies, two glasses of sherry and a chocolate from the Christmas tree? With the festive season almost here, you're ready to eat, drink and be merry. The goodwill is plentiful, but where is the willpower? Potentially, Christmas is the unhealthiest time of the year, with fine intentions slipping away under the tree. When your main activities revolve around pigging out and drinking until you drop - the gym a far distant memory - you wonder how your body will recover. Yet you'd be surprised to find that it's not all bad news. A little of what you shouldn't have may be just what you need sometimes.

Here are some reasons why December doesn't have to be a write-off in your year-long healthy-living plan:

Hiccup!
Booze isn't all bad, believe it or not. It's the type of drink and how much you imbibe that matters. In moderation, alcohol can actually provide benefits that non-drinkers go without. For example, a recent British study showed that up to eight drinks a week (such as eight 125ml glasses of wine), or around one drink a day, can protect against osteoporosis.

As the polyphenols found in red wine and sherry may protect against heart disease, make red wine your tipple and you won't have to miss the Christmas cheer. Drink too much, though, and you'll have a thumping head - red wine is high in congeners (flavourings and colour), which make hangovers worse.

Stay away from sweet, sugary drinks such as alcopops. High in calories, sugar and alcohol content, they won't provide any health benefits.

Booze isn't all bad, believe it or not. It's the type of drink and how much you imbibe that matters. In moderation, alcohol can actually provide benefits that non-drinkers go withoutBurp!
Surprisingly, the festive season means lots of nutritious food. When else do you eat your full quota of vegetables than when you have your Christmas dinner? Pile up your plate with leafy greens, carrots, swede and roast parsnips, with just a couple of potatoes and lean turkey, for vitamin-, mineral- and fibre-rich food.

Nuts are plentiful at Christmas and you probably feel guilty every time you scoff a few. The good news? Though high in fat, they contain the unsaturated type necessary for good physical and mental health. Full of essential omega oils and other nutrients, unsalted, raw varieties of nuts such as walnuts, brazils and almonds make great snack choices in small amounts.

How many boxes of chocolate will you be unwrapping this Christmas? Go easy, but a few pieces will fill you with the 'feel-good factor' - chocolate is a source of phenylethylamine (PEA), which enhances endorphin levels in your brain, to make you feel happy.

Keep the unhealthy fats to a minimum, but don't restrict yourself too severely and miss out on the occasional mince pie - it is Christmas, after all, and enjoyment is as important as any saintly salad!

Thud!
Though you may be over-indulging on yummy food and boozing more than usual, you can still find opportunities to work off those extra calories in the festive frolics.

Running around with squealing youngsters and their new toys will help stop the brandy pudding resembling, err, pudding, on your thighs, so get out and play!

Going partying? Dance like you're auditioning for Saturday Night Fever and you could burn about 300 calories an hour showing off your sexy moves.

And one vice that is best just left as that? Sex! Another great calorie-burner, the extra Christmas quality time with your man provides plenty of opportunity to get jiggy. Make this as sinful as you want, but watch out for the pine needles!

 

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