2015

And a last post just before I kick off for some of my own New Year festivities is an app that I will use as soon as the new year starts called Honestly Healthy which provides you with good food choice and meals that fuel or bodies, minds and overall wellbeing.

Here's Calgary Avansino's guide to Stay Healthy During the Party Season!


She says.......

"Part of a healthy lifestyle is aiming to remain consistent and balanced throughout the year without missing any of the fun - especially during party season, I know December is tough when mince pies are in abundance, your social calendar is packed with alcohol-fuelled Christmas parties and the finale promises to be a feast laden with meat, stuffing, potatoes and decadent puddings. However, when it comes to alcohol there are a few simple measures you can take to help you survive the festivities and feel much better afterwards too."

Make A Plan

I know this may not sound like a particularly spontaneous way of enjoying your Christmas season, but nobody has to know. Decide what you intend to drink, how much you plan to drink (one drink per hour is always a good guide - sipped, not gulped), and what time you plan to go home - and book a minicab to ensure it. Having a plan in your head will make it much easier to stay on track and make you less inclined to fall into temptation and inevitable regret.

Balance Out The Booze

While it might be your routine to have a glass or two of bubbly while you are getting ready to go out, these are quite often forgotten units of alcohol and calories. If you know that you will be going out and having more drinks later on, then use this time before to balance everything out with some goodness. Nibble on some healthy fat and protein, which will stabilise your blood sugar levels and prevent alcohol from being absorbed too quickly into your bloodstream. Why not try a few slices of chicken breast, some olives, a small plate of veggies with hummus, or a handful of almonds, all washed down with a large glass of water and freshly squeezed lemon?

Choose Your Poison Wisely

The decisions made when looking at a drinks menu should be similar to those made when reading a food menu. How healthy is it? Can I find a better alternative? Will I stick to just one or am I going to end up wanting more? Of course, all alcoholic drinks are highly calorific, but you can make smart choices. The best advice I could give is to keep your choices simple. Sticking to a glass of wine (red has lower sugar content on average than white), which contains anywhere between 100 and 150 calories, is much better than a mixed drink, which can be loaded with hidden sugars and unwanted calories. If you're not a wine lover, then a light beer or a mixed drink with a clean mixer (sparkling water, fresh lemon juice, diet tonic) is a lot better. Steer well clear of mixing anything with fruit-juice concentrate, sweet creams, non-diet soda, anything caffeine-laden and flavoured syrups. Whatever you decide to drink, stick to the same choice throughout the party and ensure you finish one drink before ordering a refill so that you can keep close track of everything you consume. Finally, try to pace yourself by alternating between one alcoholic drink and a glass of water. Staying hydrated will really help you drink less alcohol, and if you can, snack throughout the night on the healthiest options available.

 

Post-Party Detoxing

It has been clinically proven that alcohol inhibits sleep, yet when you get home from a fun-fuelled party, often your bed is the first place you want to go. Before letting your head hit the pillow, there are a few important things you need to do to kickstart the detoxification process and help the morning's hangover. The most important thing to remember is that a hangover is caused by dehydration, so now is the time to give your body everything required to prevent this from happening. Firstly, brew some detox tea - any that contain herbs such as artichoke leaf, dandelion root and burdock root will all help to protect and restore your liver. Secondly, eat a banana to help restore your potassium levels. The loss of this mineral when drinking alcohol contributes to the dehydration symptoms of a hangover. Thirdly, pop a few homeopathic hangover pills from The Organic Pharmacy, and finally, pour yourself a large glass of water with the juice of a whole lemon and take it to bed to drink before you go to sleep.

Restore Your Body

Because alcohol has a diuretic effect, you can lose a lot of vitamins and nutrients while drinking it - most importantly, vitamins B and C. It is important to restore your body with these the next day. Start by taking a high quality vitamin B complex; one of Faust's Potions (Cultbeauty.co.uk) works really well when mixed in with water. When it comes to what you should eat, nutritionists are divided in opinion. While some believe eggs are a good option, others suggest fructose-containing foods like apples, bananas and pears. Another camp believes bland, simple carbohydrates such as rice and toast are the best option. Whichever food you choose, ensure it is as nutrient-dense as possible. Stocking up on a stodgy full English breakfast might feel good at the time, but it will leave you feeling bloated and lethargic afterwards. Finally, although it may be the last thing you want to hear when you have a hangover, light exercise (a brisk walk or yoga) will make you feel better faster. It increases the flow of oxygen to your cells, raising your metabolic rate, and therefore speeding up the detoxification of harmful compounds in your body.

Happy new year

Bringing on the New Year hopefully despite the exams I will have soon I'll try posting again but until then here's a couple of hints of the 'food of 2k15' from Vogue Beauty.


In the fickle world of foodie culture, culinary trends swing in and out of fashion about as quickly as It bags. Cronuts may have caused mass hysteria in 2014, but, like the cupcake before them, will their coolness factor fade into a distant memory? Here, we bid farewell to the foods of 2014 (it’s been real, avo toast!) and welcome with open arms the foods of 2015.

Goodbye Cronuts, Hello Shaved Ice!
With even Dunkin’ Donuts getting into the Cronut game, it’s time for something a little cooler: shaved ice. If the lines at Snowdays, the new hybrid ice cream–shaved ice spot in the East Village, are any indication, the shaved-ice takeover is well underway.

Goodbye Avocado Toast, Hello Eggs!
In case you hadn’t noticed, eggs are no longer relegated to the breakfast section of the menu. Ordering soup? Ask for a fried egg on top. Opting for salad? Hard-boiled will do. There’s even a new Lower East Side café, Egg Shop, dedicated to the organic variety. Our motto in 2015: Put an egg on it.