Avoiding the festive stresses

Although some of us don't give Christmas a second thought until Christmas eve and some of us spend weeks worrying about the festivities, we can find that at some point we become either tired and stressed or actually ill with cold or flu. This is because with the change of the weather, dark evenings, and extra energy demands on the body to keep it warm and trying to achieve a balance of work and family commitments.

It is a good time of the year to boost your immune system. If your diet is lacking in a selection of fruits and vegetables (aim for five portions a day) you may find that your body is more vulnerable to catching colds and flu. Try to include on your Christmas present list a juicer or smoothie maker as these machines allow you to make tasty, nutritious drinks. It can also be a good way to encourage children to get used to the taste of fruits and vegetables.

Catching a cold is not from getting cold, although you may feel the shivers. The cold infection is often transmitted by touch on our hands. Simply washing your hands in warm soapy water and not touching your nose and eyes when in public places will decrease your chances of catching an infection. Avoid dairy foods, as these are mucous forming and encourage congestion, so try to limit intake at the first sign of a cold. Avoid processed foods also. Increase your intake of vitamin c foods such as citrus fruits, carrots and dark green leafy vegetables. Zinc - rich foods such as seafood, wholegrains and poultry will also help the body to produce antibodies to fight infection.

Headaches are common over the festive season and can be triggered by many things. A typical culprit will be the increased consumption of the wrong foods such as different cheeses, wines, spirits, chocolates, and spicy foods. Bright intense flashing Christmas lights, lack of sleep or dehydration can also be causes. Make sure you give your body a chance to cope with the extra indulgences by drinking 4-6 glasses of water a day. Making sure if you are not able to get much sleep in the run-up to Christmas/ New year that you at least set aside 15mins daily to rest quietly on your own, to let your mind and body relax. Try to avoid caffeine or alcohol late at night as a prop to keep you awake, it can make you sleep poorly and not feel refreshed the next day.

When the festive holidays arrive it is tempting to sit in front of the television for film after film, only getting up to open another box of chocolates! Although it is good to allow the body to relax, you may find that too much of a good thing will actually give you discomfort in the long term. Make sure that you change position every now and again and be aware that you are not sitting to slouched or twisted in one position for to long as this could cause back or neck ache. Try to allow time during the day to go out for some fresh air and exercise. If you have a regular exercise routine then if you feel you do not have time to make it to the gym or swimming pool, do a shortened routine of some jogging, skipping or just gentle body stretching so that you are not returning to your normal fitness regime with a struggle next year.

After all the festivities are over, do not over do any dieting or fitness workouts. You will not be eating or drinking as much a you did and if you let the weight come off gradually it is more likely your body will adapt to this and stay that weight. It is a good time to re-enforce keeping to a healthy diet and to of course use that juicer that you had on your Christmas list!!