6 expert ways to beat stress at Christmas and feel calm TODAY

It’s meant to be ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ but the pressure of the holidays can often mean a stress overload.

Here’s what to do about it. 

Though you look forward to it all year, when Christmas arrives the experience can be pretty overwhelming. Trying to get everything ready in time can be incredibly stressful, especially for women – a third of whom feel more stressed in December than any other month, according to research. 

And small wonder.  Money worries, family tensions, pressure to socialise, and over-excited children on a sugar high is hardly a recipe for success. And, if you struggle to stay at your happy weight or often turn to food as a way of coping or rewarding yourself, being surrounded by treats and snacks over the holidays rarely has a happy ending. 

Managing stress levels is important for your health in the long term because stress is implicated in so many different chronic diseases, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, depression, gastrointestinal problems and asthma. 

If you’re thinking you don’t fall into the ‘I’m stressed enough to be making myself ill’ category, don’t be fooled. The drip-drip-drip of everyday stress can be as damaging as major life incident-related stress (such as death and divorce), so don’t wait to take action. 

It’s also worth considering that stress makes it very hard to lose weight, and you’re much more likely to store it around the middle. This is because the human body hasn’t evolved much since caveman times, when the extra energy was stored where it was most easily accessed, so it could be used to run away from the sabre-toothed tiger. 

Here are my top 6 ways to keep stress under control in the run up to the holidays: 

1. The 10-minute mind trick: Set aside 10 minutes a day for meditation. Simply sit down in a quiet room with your back supported and eyes closed. Try to clear your mind of all worries. Don’t worry if thoughts bubble to the surface, as this is completely normal! The more you resist the more it will persist. Simply bring your attention back to your breath and continue until the time is up. If you’re new to meditation or need more support, find a guided meditation app or CD to lead you through the process. 
2. Eat regularly: Erratic eating times and skipping meals can lead to a dip in blood sugar levels, which leads to the release of the stress hormone cortisol. It’s difficult when routines go out the window, but try to stick to three meals a day and your digestion will thank you for it. Base all your meals and snacks on protein (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, beans and seeds), fruit and vegetables and smaller amounts of complex carbs (brown rice, wholemeal bread or pasta). 
3. Cut back on alcohol and caffeine: I know it’s hard, especially at Christmas when socialising revolves around drinking, but try ditching (or significantly reducing) your alcohol and caffeine intake. Caffeine causes a release of stress hormones from the adrenal glands - the last thing you want if you are already stressed! At first, alcohol might help to relax you when you’re stressed out (by promoting the release of GABA, the calming neurotransmitter), but it is quickly metabolised to sugar that can lead to a restless sleep, which leads me onto my next tip. 
4. Prioritise sleep: Get into a sleep routine that includes relaxing practices such as taking a warm bath with Epsom salts, light reading or stretching. Introduce a digital detox at least an hour before bed (that means no phones, no TV, no laptops or tablets), so as not to disrupt melatonin production (the sleepy hormone). A light snack such as an oatcake with almond butter or a banana may help to support undisturbed sleep. 
5. Eat magnesium-rich meals: Magnesium relaxes the nervous system and muscles so eating foods rich in this mineral, such as leafy greens, avocados, sesame seeds and spinach can help reduce stress.  
6. Get to the cause: Look at the root cause to any stress in your life, and think about how you respond to it. If the effect of stress or just general busyness gets in the way of your efforts to stay healthy and you’d like to do something about it, I warmly invite you to book a FREE 30-minute health and energy review with me here.

Increase your antioxidants

Want to bulletproof your immunity? You need to stockpile those natural antioxidants (and not just the packets and tins of pulses!). When you supercharge this “antioxidant potential” you give your immune system a real boost.

And, if you’re wondering ‘where have I heard about antioxidants before?’ they’re the things skincare companies tell you their anti-ageing moisturisers are full of so double win.

Why are antioxidants important?

Viruses and bacteria produce oxidants, which are reactive forms of oxygen that damage cells and age you faster. Simply, they are bad news. We’re also getting our fill of oxidants from eating chargrilled/ blackened foods or breathing polluted air, and maybe you’ve had a less than great diet over the years. Where you can end up is a situation in which you have too many oxidants and not enough antioxidants.

Revving up your antioxidant status at times like these is a really good idea. While vitamin C seems to get all the praise when it comes to immunity, there’s another molecule that is the under-recognised supporting actor who deserves the starring role – glutathione.

Glutathione – the master antioxidant

Glutathione is one of the most important molecules in the body – almost like a magic elixir of health. Too little of it and you’re at risk of developing one of the most feared health conditions facing us today, including stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease.

If you’ve got good enough levels, that’s where the gold is… 

But when levels are adequate or high, that’s when the magic happens. You’ll not only have protection from the conditions above, but you’ll have amazing energy, glowing skin, healthy detoxification, strong heart and brain function, and possibly even a longer life!

Glutathione is made up of three amino acids called cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid (or glutamate). It’s often called the “master” antioxidant because it helps recycle all the other antioxidants in your body like vitamins C and E, as well as alpha lipoic acid and CoQ10. 

Research show glutathione primes the white blood cells of the immune system and helps them produce more infection-fighting substances so they can control both bacterial and viral infections. 

Foods to increase glutathione

Eating the right foods to naturally increase glutathione will help keep you fighting fit. There are a small number of foods that naturally contain glutathione. These include asparagus, avocado, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, spinach, broccoli, garlic, chives, tomatoes, cucumber, almonds, and walnuts. 

Some other foods contain the building blocks needed to make glutathione (they are the pre-cursors – the warm-up act); the foods containing cysteine and other sulphur-containing foods, and selenium. 

Good foods to choose are onions, spring onions, shallots, leeks, kale, bok choy, rocket, spring greens, watercress, radishes.  Some spices such as turmeric, cinnamon and cardamom - have compounds that can also help to restore healthy levels of glutathione and its antioxidant enzymes.

Alpha Lipoic Acid – glutathione’s reloader

Alpha lipoic acid (also called ALA) is a critical co-enzyme that helps to recycle many antioxidants, including vitamin C, E and also glutathione. It is well known for its anti-ageing effects on our cell’s energy factories, the mitochondria.

Good food sources of alpha lipoic acid include: 
• Organ meats
• Beef
• Brewer’s yeast
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Brussels sprouts
• Peas
• Tomatoes

Selenium – building block of antioxidants

Selenium is an important trace mineral that is key in the production of glutathione (it also happens to be great for thyroid function so if yours is a little off, consider getting more of this antioxidant a double win). Good dietary sources of selenium include:

• Seafood
• Oysters
• Brazil nuts
• Eggs
• Mushrooms
• Whole grains
• Organ meats
• Dairy products

So rather than reaching for an immune supplement, why not think about how you can increase these immune-supporting foods in your diet?

Or, if you're struggling for inspiration, why don’t you book in a free 30-minute health review with me – just click here.

How useful is the BMI?

If you read magazines, watch TV, see a doctor occasionally or have ever been on a diet, you’ll have heard of the BMI or body mass index. It is a number used to assess whether a person is underweight (BMI <18.5), of a healthy weight (18.5-24.5), overweight (25-30) or obese (>30). It is calculated by dividing body weight (in kilograms) by height (in metres) squared. 

Although widely used and known by all, the BMI is not actually a very useful parameter to assess health or even weight. Why? 

Take a chunky rugby player, six feet (183 cm) tall, weighing 16st (101kg). His BMI is 30.3, making him ‘overweight’. Yet he has a 32-inch waist, is all muscle and fighting fit. Now compare him to an armchair rugby watcher, also six feet tall, weighing 16st, but with a beer belly and a largely sedentary lifestyle. He would have the same BMI, but it doesn’t take an expert to see that the two men couldn’t be more different. For this reason, the BMI alone has limited significance in assessing good health because being ‘overweight’ or not according to BMI means nothing without knowing one’s body composition. 

The BMI does not account for a person's muscle mass. In very muscular people, it suggests ‘overweight’ when they really are slim and healthy. In older people, a ‘healthy weight’ can be anything but, because muscle mass decreases with age, and their fat percentage is high for their weight. In addition, the BMI categories used in Western countries are less suitable for people of other ethnic backgrounds because they have a different stature than white people. 

What is body composition, and why does it matter? 

'Body composition' is the body's ratio of water, muscle, bones, and fat. A body fat percentage of 8-25% is considered normal for men and 20-35% for women. Knowing where the body fat is situated also gives clues about our health. Studies have shown that fat deposited in the abdomen is more problematic than fat elsewhere because it is metabolically active, upsetting hormone levels and causing or exacerbating inflammation. It can also surround and even penetrate vital organs, impairing their function. 

Muscle mass, on the other hand, is ‘expensive’ tissue. That means it burns more calories than fat. The basal metabolic rate (BMR) describes the minimum number of calories a body needs to function. Most people’s BMR lies between 1,000 and 2,000 kcal/day, depending on height, weight, sex, and age. If that strikes you as too little, you’d be right. This is just the absolute minimum of calories you need to lie down and breathe. Once you consider activity levels, the calorie requirement goes right up. A low BMR means your body doesn’t burn many calories in a rested state, and you are likely to put on weight quickly, finding it hard to shed. Building muscle increases the BMR because even when not in use, muscle tissue requires energy, i. e. it burns calories. 

How can I measure my body composition? 

Accurate body composition often reveals surprises. People with a favourable BMI may turn out to be TOFI: thin on the outside, fat on the inside. 

Elaborate methods are used in research to determine body fat percentage as accurately as possible. In a medical or nutritional practice, a so-called bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) can help to estimate the body fat percentage. It also usually calculates the BMR. BIA devices measure the resistance in the body and thereby evaluate the body’s water content. From this, in turn, the fat content can be roughly estimated. However, it is not necessary for most people to determine the exact body fat percentage. There are also commercially available scales that make it possible to estimate the body fat content using BIA.

Another measurement you can use is the waist-to-hip ratio. It is calculated by dividing the waist circumference in centimetres by the hip circumference in centimetres. A value of more than 1 for men or more than 0.85 for women is considered unfavourable.

Your body fat percentage is high. Now what? 

Now that you know, you can do something about it. If your BMI is high, your doctor may already have advised you to lose weight. It may surprise you that cutting calories is not the answer. 

If your body fat percentage is elevated, your BMR will likely be low. Many calories you eat are not burned, and any excess is deposited as – you guessed it – more fat. Eating less (fewer calories) seems to be the reasonable solution, but the body is not stupid. If less energy comes in, it will reduce energy expenditure (i. e. reduce its basal metabolic rate). You may feel cold and tired as a result. Muscle tissue may be burned for energy, with the added bonus that it is then gone and won’t cost the body any more of those precious calories. After a while, you’ll get fed up with being tired, cold and hungry all the time and start eating more again. But – surprise – you put any weight lost back on and then some because now that your body has turned down the dial, you are burning calories even less efficiently than you did to begin with. From now on, you are likely to put weight on even more quickly than before.

Increasing the BMR, however, is a lot more helpful; for this, you need to build muscle. More calories need to be burned to supply all this new muscle tissue with energy, and less gets deposited as fat. In fact, if you play your cards right, that pesky body fat can even be burned for energy. Your body composition improves as muscle tissue builds up and fatty tissue is reduced.

So, to improve your body composition, you must find a way to

• reduce your caloric intake without going hungry
• exercise to stimulate your muscles to build more lean body mass
• supply protein to enable muscle growth

Here are my tips to improve your body composition.

Low-carb eating for fat loss

Decreasing your intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates can have a beneficial effect on body composition. Numerous studies report improved body composition with a low-carb diet. 

Every time we eat, our blood sugar - or rather blood glucose - level goes up. Whether that's by a little or a lot depends on what the meal consisted of. If it was high in sugar or refined carbohydrates, the blood sugar level rises high. If it was a meal with few carbohydrates and most of those complex carbs, it might just go up a little. 

High blood sugar is hugely damaging to body cells. It ‘sugar coats’ cells, making them stiff and unresponsive. As that can be almost any kind of cell, the symptoms caused by long-term high blood sugar (aka diabetes) are highly varied and can affect the heart, the kidneys, the eyes, the nerves incl. the brain, and more. To avoid damage, if blood sugar (glucose) levels are high, insulin is released to bring them back down to a healthy level again as fast as possible. 

Insulin works by moving glucose inside cells, where it can be used to create energy. However, the cells can only take up so much glucose at any given time. What can’t be squeezed in will continue to circulate, and that’s not an option. So, another thing insulin does is convert excess glucose into fat, which gets stored in fat cells. It can be converted back into glucose if needed, though it usually never is. Instead, more and more glucose from sugary and starchy foods adds to the build-up of fat every day.

Foods that are low in carbs but high in fat and/or protein do not have that effect. Yes, even fat does not make you as fat as sugar and carbs! The food we put into our mouths is more than the sum of its components. What really matters is what our metabolism makes of what we supply. Therefore, it is not as simple as: “Fat makes you fat”, no matter how logical that sounds. 

If glucose levels rise fast and high (as they do after sugary or starchy foods), a lot of insulin is released at a time to deal with the problem as quickly and efficiently as possible. As a result, the blood sugar level drops again, now overshooting its mark and ending up too low. This, too, is a problem, as a certain amount of glucose is required at all times, not least to support the brain. At this point, you may feel tired, unable to concentrate, irritable and hungry. Willpower and reason go out of the window. We now need something fast, ideally something sweet as we know it will make us feel better. 

Fatty foods do not affect blood sugar levels at all, and high-protein foods only minimally. Complex carbohydrates – the kind that releases glucose slowly – raise blood sugar levels gently and not as high. Less insulin is required to deal with it, and that, in turn, reduces blood sugar drops, too. You’re fuller for longer, and cravings become a thing of the past. 

Eat protein with every meal

Making sure that good quality protein is part of every meal you eat kills two birds with one stone. Because it barely affects blood glucose, there will be no steep drops, and you’ll not end up as ravenous as you would on the usual high-carb diet. Being hungry all the time is what makes most people fall off the waggon when dieting, so, clearly, avoiding hunger is a significant advantage. 

To improve your body composition, you’ll also need to build muscle. You'll exercise to achieve that, but that new muscle must be made from something, which is where protein comes in. To create new muscle tissue, you need protein, so tuck in! 

Good protein sources are meat, fish, seafood, eggs and dairy. The best vegan ones are nuts, seeds and pulses (beans, lentils, chickpeas – also contain carbs). However, they are not 'complete', meaning they do not have all eight essential amino acids. The way around it is to also include grains in the diet – which are, of course, a source of starch. Grains and pulses don’t necessarily have to be consumed in the same meal, but both must be part of a vegan diet. 

Sustainable calorie reduction

On the face of it, this seems to be the trickiest part. We have seen, after all, that eating too little only causes the body to reduce the basal metabolic rate, which is counterproductive, so we must find a way to preserve muscle despite a low calorie intake. Also, we know that low-calorie diets make us miserable, making it less likely for us to continue. 

One gram of fat contains 9 kcal. The same amount of carbohydrate or protein contains just 4 kcal. It looks like a no-brainer: Cutting out fat will hugely reduce the calorie intake, and it is for that reason that conventional diets recommend you do that. Yet, as we have seen, metabolic processes matter much more than the actual number of calories. Low-fat inevitably means high-carb, and we’re en route to weight gain and misery (see above). As protein is just as low in calories as carbohydrates, I recommend increasing the share of protein in your diet. 

How filling are starchy carbs? Does a bag of crisps or a packet of biscuits stave off hunger? Most people’s experience is that not long after eating starchy carbs, hunger starts niggling again and – surprise – there seems to be room for more. Not so if you increase your protein intake. You’ll soon find that you’re satisfied. There is only so much protein you can eat. That way, diets that are higher in protein naturally reduce calorie intake. 

Time-restricted eating

Another way to effortlessly reduce calories is time-restricted eating. This means eating only during an 8- or 10-hour window and not eating during the remaining 16 or 14 hours of the day. That means just skipping one meal – either breakfast or dinner – and not snacking during the fasting period. 

This way of eating may be much closer to the eating pattern we evolved to maintain. Hunter-gatherers don’t usually sit down for breakfast, lunch and dinner, after all, snacking in between. Humans evolved to eat when hungry and could only eat when the hunt or the foraging trip had been successful. Our bodies are well equipped to bridge the gap while we’re not eating. Body fat accumulated when food was available can now be converted back into glucose. This process cannot happen when glucose levels are up all the time. During fasting, with no new energy coming in, there is finally an opportunity to burn fat. 

Not eating for 14 to 16 hours every day may seem daunting. You may find time-restricted eating difficult if your diet is based on carbohydrates. However, if you increase your protein intake and consume adequate healthy fat, you may be surprised to find that you are not feeling hungry and do not even miss that meal you’re skipping. 

What not to eat or drink

If you want to improve your body composition, there are certain foods or drinks you may want to give a wide berth:

1. Ultra-processed foods

Cakes, biscuits, crisps, ice cream, ready meals, takeaways and almost anything you can buy ready to eat is not just highly processed but also choc-full of unhealthy fats, sugar, salt and additives. These foods are designed to make us want more. It's not your fault that your hand repeatedly goes back into the crisp packet until it’s empty. You’re supposed to. The best thing you can do for your body is to learn how to prepare your own meals and snacks from scratch. They’re tastier, healthier and more satisfying. 

2. Soft drinks

Soft drinks are sugar dissolved in water. Regarding our metabolism, it does not even make a difference whether your drink is cola or freshly squeezed fruit juice. The latter may contain more nutrients than the former, but the sugar content is almost exactly the same, and so is its impact on your blood sugar levels. If you regularly consume soft drinks, switching to water is the single most significant step to improving body composition.

3. Alcohol

Like soft drinks, alcoholic drinks contain just empty calories. They do not have any nutritional value and are even toxic. Avoid. 

Improve your body composition

So, there you have it. The BMI is a less than useful measure of body weight. What really matters is body composition. If you need to lose fat and build muscle, implement the dietary changes described above and introduce regular resistance exercise into your life. 

Want to know more? Why not book in a free 30 minute health review with me – just click here.

Increase protein and keep your carb intake low. Low-carb diets are much better at promoting fat loss than low-calorie diets. At the same time, they are more sustainable as you won’t feel as hungry. Once you get settled into your low-carb diet, up the ante by introducing time-restricted eating. However, take care not to restrict your calorie intake too much as this may cause the loss of muscle mass.  

Want to know more? Why not book in a free 30 minute health review with me – just click here.

 

Lemony Lentil and Kale Soup

Functional Foods for Menopause - These are foods that actually do stuff in the body. On one level, the food you eat can help balance your blood sugar and energy levels. On another it keeps you feeling satiated and also nourishes you. The cherry on top is to use the very subtle yet magical powers of food to help support your body in times of need.
 

At this time of your life, that means phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are plant-based chemicals (the good kind), which are structurally similar to oestrogen and exert a weak oestrogenic effect.  They include soy beans, lentils, beans, chickpeas, tofu, barley, rye, oats, alfalfa, apples, pears, carrots, fennel, onion, garlic, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, liquorice root.
 

This delicious Lemony Lentil Kale soup fits perfectly and tastes great. Wonderful for the colder weather too. 

Ingredients

Serves 4-6 

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsps ground cumin
Juice of 2 lemons
250g red lentils
1.5 litres of good quality stock
4 handfuls of kale, washed, trimmed, and shredded

Seasoning

Method

1. Heat a large pan and add the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until soft and golden
2. Add the spices and fry for another couple of minutes until fragrant. 
3. Add the juice of 1 lemon and stir thoroughly.
4. Next, add the lentils and stir well, followed by the stock. Simmer for 25–35 minutes, or until the lentils have cooked through. Add the juice of the second lemon and season to taste.
5. Sauté the kale in a olive oil until it slightly softens and goes bright green.
6. Serve the soup topped with the kale.
7. Enjoy!

Simple Red Lentil and Tomato Soup

Ingredients

1 tbsp coconut or olive oil

1 large red onion

2 garlic cloves

2 tsp ground cumin

700g cherry tomatoes

200g red lentils

2 vegetable stock cubes

Small bunch fresh parsley/coriander (optional)

Black pepper

Method

1. Finely chop the red onion and garlic
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden
3. Add the cumin and mix thoroughly for 1 minute
4. Add the tomatoes and cook over a high heat, stirring frequently until the tomatoes turn into a bit of a mush
5. Rinse the lentils well and add to the pan
6. Make up the stock using the stock cubes and 1 litre of boiling water. Stir to combine before adding half of the stock to the pan. Leave the lentils to cook until soft, about 15-20 minutes, adding more stock if required to loosen the mixture in the pan
7. Once the lentils are soft, add the remaining stock and, using a stick blender, whizz to a smooth consistency
8. To serve, add a few twists of black pepper and sprinkle with chopped herbs
9. Enjoy!

Set Yourself Up for Holiday Success

In life, we have many agreements – explicit agreements with others about the things we will do or not do and the implicit agreements we make with ourselves about all sorts of things, including how we will eat and live our lives.

When we honour promises to ourselves and others we feel good.

 

Every time you break one of these agreements (including those to yourself) you cannot help but be impacted – even if you feel it’s not such a big deal. But over time, these broken promises build up and, before you know it, you’re just not feeling great about life. You start feeling life is hard or you haven’t what it takes, and your motivation to eat well dips. 

Holidays are often very different to your everyday life and this is why it is critical to create a new set of agreements around what you will or won’t do on holiday. 

That way, you get to keep your word to yourself, and everything is great. When you don’t – and you’ve, therefore, broken ALL your rules - you are likely to find yourself in the nutritional wilderness, continuing to make those ‘holiday choices’ when you return. 

So, the first thing to do is to work out what your new agreements are. You will need to choose whether you have an ‘anything goes’ policy for the duration of the holiday with the explicit intention of returning to your regular pattern when you return. 

Or you take a view on the kinds of things you don’t always do but you want to do more of on holiday. 

The important thing is to be clear which of these paths you are taking. If you do not actively choose, you are in a grey area, which will ultimately end in you feeling unsatisfied because you’re likely either feel deprived or that you have over-indulged.

Be clear on what matters most

If you are choosing to stay close to your plan but you don’t want to eat all the food and drink all the drinks and have to deal with the fallout later, you’ll have to consider what matters most to you when it comes to holidays - and do that but no more. 

Work out what’s important when you go on holiday, what the dealbreakers are that – if they’re not part of the holiday – you will feel it’s incomplete. 

You might love most about holidays is the freedom of not having a specific schedule, catching up on sleep, reading a few of those books you’ve been promising yourself all year. And it might mean a great suntan, letting your hair bleach in the sun, spending quality time with your partner, and having someone else do the cooking. 

When you look back on your summer, it might feel great to know you’ve really rested and recharged, that you’ve laughed every day, and that you’ve enjoyed special family moments. 

You might reflect that, although your summer holidays normally include an ice cream every day just because everyone else is having one, really you’re not that fussed. 

It may work for you to bring a snack with you (nuts are very portable wherever you are) and to enjoy these while others are having the ice cream because that’s what you choose to do. 

Ask yourself these questions:

• A holiday is incomplete without…
• When I look back at my holiday, I want to feel…
• I don’t want to feel…
• When I go on holiday, the most important things for me are...
• Things I normally do over the summer that don’t work for me or I’m not that bothered about…
• I will know I’ve had a great summer / holiday when… (how will you measure it?)

If you are clear about what you want from your holiday – and what you don’t want – you can put a plan in place that works for you and allows you to get the most out of your holiday. And don’t forget to plan for when you get home. How long would you like these holiday rules to apply? 

And if you’d like to know more, why not download my free guide – The Ultimate Holiday Eating Strategy.