Hands up if you overindulge over the festive period. Well, you are not alone. Did you know that the average adult in the UK gains 6lb over Christmas? It’s unsurprising with all the tasty treats on the dinner table and under the tree. And guess what, I’m not here to make you feel guilty about the amount of food on your plate. I’m here to encourage you to add more. Yay.
According to the food revolution network, eating the rainbow, is a great way to boost your health and vitality. This is due to the different vitamins, minerals and nutrients found in varieties of fruit and vegetables that are good for your health. Did you know for example, that healthy red food can help fight cancer, while yellow fruit and vegetables can reduce the risk of heart disease? So, when your auntie Agnes is passing round the beetroot, add an extra slice onto your plate. Or when uncle Bert bypasses the broccoli, take his share, knowing that broccoli is particularly good at boosting immune function.
Gut Health
Keeping your gut healthy over the festive period, is a sure way to keep your immune system strong and healthy. Our immune systems are already working extra hard during the winter, fighting off nasty colds and flu’s. Family gatherings, for those of us who celebrate Christmas, can bring with them snotty noses and chesty coughs. So, ramp up your gut health in advance by adding colour and diversity to your diet. Microgreens are a great way of adding diversity to your plate, a few snips from a few crops will not only visually enhance your food, but it will also add flavour, texture and an incredible boost of vitamins, minerals, nutrients and polyphenols.
Teeny Greeny's Top Tips for improved immune health over the festive period
- Start eating fermented food now. Your gut will love you for it.
- When shopping for the Christmas dinner, add some unusual veggies to your basket, diversity is key
- Present your Christmas veggies as a beautiful rainbow. The kids will love it and your social media pals will go wild for your photos.
- Grow half a dozen trays of different microgreens and add them to your festive table, the whole family will love snipping and adding freshness to their plates
- Add herbs and spices to your food for greater diversity
- Talk about your food at the dinner table. Explain how it was prepared, pointing out different ingredients. This will slow down the eating process and give yours and your guests gut a bit of relief.
- Indulge until your heart is content but be sure to add those all-important gut friendly foods to give your immune system a healthy start.
- Tag @teenygreenyofficial and show us your Christmas masterpiece
Stay merry, munch colourful, and may your Christmas be as fresh as your microgreens!
Kirsty & Alice xx
Ps. For additional reading on eating the rainbow check out the food revolution network here - Eat the Rainbow: Why Colour Variety Matters With Fruits & Vegetables