Healthy eating tips for Christmas

By The Independent Team

Keep it simple

Researchers from Rush University medical centre in Chicago have that found women who spent longer preparing and cleaning up after meals had a greater risk of health problems such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  Women who cut the amount of time spent in the kitchen reduced their risk of developing the conditions by more than a third, they found.  While the study was unable to pinpoint the cause of the increased risk, the experts speculated that home cooked meals might be eaten in larger portions than those in restaurants or ready-prepared meals.   In short, instead of waking up at 6am on Christmas Day to start basting the turkey, you are better off simply popping a ready meal in the microwave.

Eat some chocolates

It’s that time of the year when chocolates are everywhere, so enjoy the delicacies without thinking twice as some of the research conducted by different brands suggests that chocolate can be good for you too, reports mirror.co.uk.

Cocoa helps in blood flow: The main ingredient in chocolate contains a wonderful antioxidant called flavanol, which is found in plants. The higher the cocoa content in your chocolate, the better it is for you.

Brain power: Scientists discovered you could have the brain power you had 20 years ago, if you consume plenty of flavanol-rich cocoa.

Prevents ageing: The antioxidants found in fruit and vegetables, which help fight free-radicals that lead to wrinkles, are just as potent in cocoa-rich chocolate.

Makes you happy: Research published in the scientific journal Nutritional Neuroscience has suggested that chocolates can boost your mood. Chocolates are high in magnesium, which aids relaxation, and contain anandamide, a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate mood.

Lowers your cholesterol: Scientists believe that consumption of high cocoa-content chocolates can help lower your cholesterol and improve blood pressure. It’s all thanks to flavanols and plant sterols — both of which increase the flexibility of veins and arteries.

Losing weight: The good news is that you don’t have to give up your favourite sweet treat to slim down. Having a little bit of dark chocolate helps reduce the craving for other naughty foods, making it easier to stick to your diet. Eating a piece of chocolate this Christmas is fine.

Avoid canned foods

A few people drink and eat food from cans and plastic bottles this season. That might negatively impact on your health. A new study reports that cans and bottles lined with the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) could lead to increased blood pressure.  BPA is a common chemical, found in products such as plastic bottles and the inner lining of food cans.

There is evidence that BPA can leach into food and drinks from the lining of containers. An earlier randomized crossover trial demonstrated that eating canned soup for 5 days running increased urinary BPA concentration by more than 1000%, in comparison with eating soup made from fresh ingredients.

The researchers recommend eating fresh foods or glass bottle-contained foods rather than canned foods.

Eat some yogurt

Considering the benefits of eating yogurt, from regulating bowel movements and promoting a healthy gut to fighting infections, you should incorporate this superfood into your diet this season.

Yogurt acts as an antidote while you are using antibiotics, it triggers vitamin B production which regulates the energy balance of the body while protecting you from neural and autoimmune diseases, and it balances your blood sugar.  Yogurt also is a natural shield against diseases because the lactic acid it includes turns inner bowel environment into acid and prevents the production of cancerous cells by lowering the pH of the environment while facilitating the production of immune system booster metabolites. It is also the immune system booster.