Keep Up With the Christmas Traditions

There is just one week to go and you have not felt festive yet, this is the time to! The clock is ticking and these are the last few days before making any purchases or preparations prior to Christmas Day. It is the season to take care of yourself and not just those who surround you .

We are there to inspire you with healthy recipes that are practical and quick to make. Head to our recipe section to check out our Avocado and Salmon canapés, Creamy Cashew and Chestnut soup, Flax Cornbread, Poached Pears in Chocolate and Coconut and last but not least the mighty Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cranberries.

       * Eat up your Brussels sprouts by trying out our recipe. You will rack up 140% of your recommended daily amount of Vitamin C. If they are not your favourite vegetable, remember you only need 10 of those sprouts to meet your requirements. Research also suggests those nutritional bombs not only have cancer protecting properties but also support a reduction in cholesterol.
       * Keep up with the Turkey tradition, even if you have had it a few weeks ago for thanksgiving. It is naturally high in protein, low in saturated fat and is a great source of iron, particularly the dark meat. It is a very good source of L-tryptophan, the precursor to serotonin. As you may know, serotonin is a brain chemical that gives us the ‘feel good’ factor, especially important during the winter months.

Since we are eating more than we usually do, prior to and during the few days off, supporting our body’s ability to use food for energy is essential. Well, you’ll be happy to know that turkey is also a source of selenium which is needed by our thyroid gland to do just that.

       * Make your own cranberry and bread sauces to be more natural this year and avoid the readymade sauces laden with ingredients you should not put in your body.
       * Get a regular intake of fibre through fruits, wholegrains, pulses, vegetables, cereal grasses and some ‘superfoods’ to keep your overall health in check.

While we are giving you our top tips for keeping up our Christmas Traditions, have you thought of incorporating a nutrient dense blend to strengthen your immune system and digestion while supporting your natural defences?

Our Kijani nutritionists strongly recommend the functional greens powder formula by Jarrow: Green Defense. It contains ‘metabolic probiotic’ metabolites, which help support the intestinal healthy bacteria levels and support the elimination of unwanted toxins. With a high content of fibre from rice bran, fructo-oligosaccharides, gum acacia and apple fibre. Green Defense helps to support healthy digestion and provides a heart protecting effect. Blood sugar levels are also better balanced, keeping your cravings at bay and lessening the impact a high amount of sugar can do to your health. This will be beneficial particularly between the heavy meals. Antioxidants such as resveratrol and other polyphenols like green tea, grape seed and citrus will protect you from catching bugs during the festive season while giving you a glowing skin. Green Defense has liver supporting botanicals such as milk thistle which can help you feel less sluggish after one to many glasses of fizz.

References

EU Commision (2015) Nutrition and Health Claims

Pagliaro, B. et al. (2015).Phytochemical Compounds and Protection from Cardiovascular Diseases: A State of the Art. Biomed Research International. PubMed [online].Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4609427/ [Accessed on 25.11.2016]

Rokkaya, S. et al. (2014).Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) phytochemicals with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention. PubMed [online].Available at: http://journal.waocp.org/?sid=Entrez:PubMed&id=pmid:24377584&key=2014.14.11.6657. [Accessed on 25.11.2016]

Slavin, J. (2013)Fiber and Prebiotics: Mechanisms and Health Benefits. Nutrients. PubMed [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3705355/ [Accessed on 25.11.2016]