With Christmas fast approaching many of us will find ourselves caught up in the whirlwind of festive parties, indulgent foods and panic present buying.
The joy of celebrating and planning for Christmas is of course essential and needed, however we must balance it with looking after our health and well-being. By adding in healthy habits such as festive juicing, you can enjoy Christmas without giving up your healthy lifestyle.
In this article we will look at the benefits of including healthy festive juicing into our wellness routine this Christmas.
Why juice this Christmas?
Christmas is full of tempting treats and rich foods which can often lead us to feeling sluggish and heavy. It goes without saying that life is about balance, which is where juicing provides the perfect counterbalance to all the festive indulgence.
Juicing allows us to increase our intake of essential nutrients to help nourish our body. Freshly pressed juices are packed with vitamins and minerals which help contribute to our overall well-being. When the Christmas foods we all like to indulge in offer us no or very little nutrients, we can create some healthy festive juices to top us up and keep us in balance!
Festive juices can also become a good alternative to the calorie dense Christmas drinks Costa or Starbucks like to tempt us with such as; Gingerbread lattes or a Black Forest hot chocolate! Whilst they might taste delicious and warm our souls on a cold day, unfortunately they offer us no nutrients, just lots of sugar and high calories.
Festive Juicing Benefits
The down side of this time of year is that we can start to see an increase in illnesses. This is often due to the winter months being colder, we don’t get as much fresh air if we choose to stay in due to the dark colder nights, and also the chaos and stress we might feel, can lead us to becoming overwhelmed and burnt out. This can then often spoil our planned Christmas parties and celebrations with others.
Therefore packing our juices full of fresh fruits and vegetables can help us ensure that our body has the necessary nutrients to function optimally and feel full of energy to enjoy Christmas.
These are some of the benefits of juicing this festive season;
Immunity boost: Juicing can play a key role in building our immune system and help us stay healthy and energised. Including citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits, which are rich in vitamin C, gives our body powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants are important in helping us fight disease, reduce stress on the body and also anti-inflammatory.
Hydration: Amongst all the excitement of Christmas it can be easy to forget to stay hydrated (or at least drink enough of the things that are good for us!). Juicing can give us a delicious alternative to alcohol and high sugary drinks. Including water rich fruits and vegetables suchas cucumber, watermelon and strawberries, are a good way to help us feel refreshed and keep you well hydrated.
Detox: Overindulgence can take a toll on the body, and its ability to detox and digest. Juicing helps support your body in eliminating toxins and promoting good digestion. Including leafy greens, celery and cucumber into your juice can help support the body’s natural detoxification process. Meaning your body is able to flush out toxins and restore balance to your digestive system.
Energy boost: The chaos of the festive season can leave a lot of people feeling drained and close to burnout. Juicing helps to naturally boost energy levels. Including spinach and kale are good choices to creating an energy boosting juice. Starting your day with a juice like this can help set you up for any festivities and fight fatigue.
Festive Juice Recipes
When you think of food and Christmas there are lots of key tastes and flavours that you would associate with this time of year, such as Roast Turkey, mince pies and chipolata’s. You could even do the same with drink, people would often associate mulled wine and eggnog with Christmas.
While it’s slightly trickier to do this with juicing, you can definitely use different ingredients such as herbs and spices to try and give your juice a festive feel. You can experiment with festive inspired flavours such as; vanilla, nutmeg, mint or cinnamon.
Christmas is such as special time of year, full of traditions and memories. Why not serve up a cold pressed juice as a new tradition for the whole family to enjoy on Christmas morning? You could create your own juicing advent calendar, or one each day for the twelve days of Christmas! You could even serve them in a cocktail or flute glass for people seeking a healthier alternative to alcohol.
Even children can reap the benefits of juicing, it gives them a good boost of nutrients and hydration! Make them feel included by making them an extra-special drink on Christmas Day morning full of goodness before a day where treats can be unlimited! Juices are also naturally sweet so will help minimise sugar cravings which are normally plentiful on Christmas Day with all the chocolate and sweets.
Take a look at these top festive juice recipes that will give you a much needed nutrient boost at Christmas, as well as adding some festive red and green colours!
Children’s Christmas Punch
Ingredients:
· 1 Punnet Strawberries
· ½ Watermelon
· 1 Cucumber
· ½ lemon
Benefits: Hydrating and a fun bright red juice for the kids to enjoy!
Spiced Apple Pie
Ingredients:
· 4 Red Apples
· 1 Pear
· ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
· ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
· ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Benefits: Comforting flavour of Apple pie, full of fibre and antioxidants.
Cranberry Bliss
Ingredients:
· Fresh Cranberries
· 2 oranges
· 1 grapefruit
· ½ Lemon
· 1 tablespoon honey
Benefits: Boost of vitamin C, refreshing and festive tasting.
Pomegranate Fizz
Ingredients:
· Fresh pomegranate seeds
· 1 lime
· Fresh mint leaves
· 2 tablespoons maple syrup
· Sparkling water
Benefits: Rich in antioxidants, refreshing with mint. Serve it in a flute and it is a perfect alternative to prosecco or champagne!
Christmas Cure (For the overindulgence!)
Ingredients:
· 1 Cucumber
· ½ Watermelon
· 1 knob of Ginger, peeled and sliced
· ½ Beetroot
· ½ Lime
Benefits: Hydrating, detoxifying and anti-inflammatory – all very important if nursing a hangover!
Beat the Christmas Bloat
Ingredients:
· Pineapple
· ¼ Cucumber
· 2 sticks of Celery
· 1 knob of ginger, peeled and sliced
· ½ Lemon
· 2 or 3 Ice Cubes
Benefits: Anti-inflammatory, hydrating and detoxifying – this is a good one to have after indulging in Christmas feasts.
Tips for your juicing
· Use fresh fruit and vegetables to give you the best flavour and this also ensures your juice has a high nutrient content.
· Experiment with herbs and spices, there are lots of health boosts by including these in your juice.
· To keep your juicing fun and less stressful, always wash, peel and chop your ingredients before you begin juicing.
· Be careful when adding sweetness to your juices. Everybody has different taste buds and preferences, therefore some may require additional sweetness than the recipes state. Try to use natural sweeteners such as honey and maple syrup, but in moderation.
· Use a variety of ingredients to keep your juices colourful. This ensures a diverse range of vitamins and minerals.
Summary
Amongst the festive season, juicing is a good healthy habit to include amongst the Christmas cheer and indulging feasts. Balance your festive celebrations, by nourishing your body with juices packed of goodness and nutrients. This way you can enjoy all your plans with high immunity, a boost of energy and good overall wellbeing.
Cheers to a Merry Christmas!
