On the day of their Christmas ‘Feasting and Late Night Shopping Festival’, leading London organic health food shop, Oliver’s Wholefood Store, share top tips for staying fit and healthy during the festive season
With their hotly anticipated Feasting and Late Night Shopping Festival happening this evening, Thursday 5th December, Oliver’s Wholefood Store – your one stop shop for organic food and health remedies in London’s Kew Village – have advice to help you stay fit, healthy and in good shape this Christmas, so you can enjoy the festive season to the maximum.
Featuring an enticing variety of local food suppliers, the Feasting and Late Night Shopping Festival offers the chance to welcome in the spirit of Christmas with delicious feasting and festivities, mince pies, panettone and all the traditional Christmas fare, and free organic mulled wine served all night! You’ll find everything you need for your Christmas spread and lots of exciting present ideas.
Too many of us wearily cough and sneeze our way through Christmas and find ourselves feeling demoralized on New Year’s Day because of the extra 5lbs we’re carrying around our middle. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Sara Novakovic, owner of Oliver’s Wholefood Store says: “A time of celebration, Christmas brings inevitable late nights and indulgences. But if you follow our simple nutrition and health tips you can enjoy this most wonderful time of the year in great shape and vibrant health, and without the worry of how to lose that excess weight in January.”
Patrick Holford, Britain’s leading UK health author, says: “Christmas is such an important and busy time. So it’s a shame if you can’t enjoy it because you’re ill or feeling down about the excess weight you’ve gained. However if you have the right tools and information you can put some easy steps in place to ensure you look and feel your best. I know from many years experience with Oliver’s that they have just that: excellent knowledge and advice and the highest quality food and remedies. I recommend them wholeheartedly.”
Oliver’s Food & Drink Tips
- Hydration: Drink eight glasses of water and/or herbal tea per day. Plenty of water in your system is essential for flushing toxins out of vital organs, carrying nutrients to your cells and makes it harder for viruses to settle
- Keep well oiled: Eat a portion of oily fish like wild salmon, mackerel and sardines, two to three times per week. Pour one table spoon of flax oil per day over steamed vegetables and salads. Sprinkle another tablespoon of ground up pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, flax and hemp seeds over soups, salads and dips
- Think fibre: Eat one to two portions per day of fibre-rich foods like beans, lentils, whole grains and root vegetables. This is the season for pumpkin, squash and beetroot. They are rich in immune boosting nutrients and taste wonderful baked with some olive oil and sea salt
- Enjoy colour: Eat lots of colourful fruits and vegetables – red cabbage, red or green peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, all leafy spring greens and purple foods such as blackberries and blackcurrants; both are rich in vitamin C and also phytonutrients which help fight bacterial, viral and fungal infections
- Eat lots of onions, garlic and mushrooms: Garlic has exceptional antiviral properties and can enhance gut flora; onions are powerful superfoods which boost the immune system; and mushrooms are rich in polysaccharides which support our defences against infection
Oliver’s Remedial Tips – remedies, tonics and supplements
- Vitamin C: Keep up your daily dose of this original remedy which is still the best! Try 1000mg per day, and up to 5,000mg per day if you feel a cold or virus coming on
- Vitamin D: Doctors in Japan have found that the risk of children suffering from flu can be reduced by 50% if they take this vitamin (easily absorbed at high doses with a vitamin D spray, find it in store )
- Terra Nova ‘Astragalus, Elderberry and Garlic’ remedy: this fantastic tonic for the immune system is made up of super foods and botanicals
- Terranova ‘Cordyceps, Rhodiola and Ginseng’ supplements: this powerful combination will keep your energy rich and help the body deal with stress throughout Christmas
- Rhinophas: this popular herbal remedy for irritated nasal passages also works on the sinuses, nose, ears and throat (Pulmophase also works really well on chest infections and for clearing the airways)
- Superfoods for smoothies: Superfood powders like Baobab (an African superfruit high in antioxidants and minerals), Barley Grass and Spirulina are very nutrient dense
- Bee pollen: naturally high in minerals, protein and B12, it contains nearly all the nutrients required by humans; a great nerve and energy tonic, it has antibiotic properties and is used by athletes seeking strength and endurance
Oliver’s Recovery Tips – if you do fall ill
- Food: Eat less and make sure what you eat is warm with a little spice. The Jewish penicillin ‘chicken soup’ really does work and is very comforting. Make a delicious warm and filling soup using organic chicken bones and adding onion, garlic, sage (soothes sore throats), thyme (natural disinfectant), turmeric (anti-inflammatory), carrots, celery and a handful of pot barley. Avoid milk and cheese which are mucus forming
- Drink: Try hot water with ginger, lemon and a little honey. A combination of rose hip and a chamomile tea bag makes a great drink for winter evenings (add a dose of honey plus a slice of lemon). Essential Trading teas come highly recommended for their rich flavours, and Pau D’arco Tea is a fantastic combination of health tonic, blood builder, antiviral and anti-inflammatory
With regard to managing your weight this Christmas, Sara Novakovic says: “If you follow our guidelines above you needn’t be too concerned about putting on weight. Your digestion will be better, you’ll feel more satisfied and your good eating habits will help with good sleep, a key factor in maintaining a healthy weight. But a few suggested ‘don’ts’ to prevent the weight creeping on include: don’t go to party’s hungry, don’t stop exercising, don’t overindulge too early in the season – just because it’s December you don’t need to have a mince pie every day! Don’t buy too much food, and don’t snack on high-fat nibbles – go for quality cheese, fish, nuts and organic chocolates. Savour the experience of eating wholesome food rather than continuously filling up on fattening snacks.
“And be sure to come and sample our amazing organic foods on the 5th December! We look forward to welcoming you for an evening of healthy, delicious and nutritious feasting, complete with mulled wine, quality retail therapy and oodles of Christmas cheer!”
Exciting Christmas present ideas at the Feasting and Late night Shopping Festival tomorrow evening will include cashmere scarves, organic cotton throws and wraps from India and Nepal, London plane tree chopping boards and Syrian soaps. You can also shop for remedial foods and tonics to keep you healthy and vital during the festive weeks ahead.