Tips for a Healthier Christmas

Healthy inside and out

A healthier Christmas is not simply about eating less. It means eating better and taking care of your mental health, too. Here’s how seaweed can help you nourish your body and soul this festive season.

Seaside support

Set yourself up for a positive January by savouring December as a time of delightful decadence, not outrageous excess. With a few tweaks to your diet, Christmas can be enjoyable without being physically and mentally destructive.

If you do go a bit overboard on the fizz, try our ‘Bloody Mara,’ made with Kombu: seaweed is a great way to replace electrolytes and mineral salts lost through dehydration.

Tis the season for seasoning

Readymade party food, gravy, Christmas pudding et al. can all be high in salt and sugar. Try a little seaweed on your own dishes to reduce salt at home.

You can guarantee tasty turkey, roast tatties and soup, all with less sodium, when you substitute stock cubes and table salt for seaweed. Try co-founder Xa’s delicious Pork and Cranberry Stuffing with Dulse as an example.

Eat smart

Big meals can weigh on your conscience and your stomach. Cut back on the snacks and enjoy smaller portions with seaweed in your meals. A rich source of dietary fibre, seaweed can contribute to a feeling of fullness. Try Shony on your smoked salmon, and serve with scrambled eggs on a whole wheat bagel for a healthy breakfast that will hold back the nibbles ‘til lunch.

Variety is the spice of life

Make sure you’re getting enough nutrients with a varied diet at Christmas. (No, not the three food groups of candy canes, advent chocolate and mince pies.) Boost vitamin levels and prevent colds by eating plenty of fruit and veg, topped up with mineral-rich seaweed. Try seasoning your sprouts with Furikake for fire ‘n’ flavour - the added saltiness may win over a few sprout converts, too.

Good mood food

We’re not mental health experts, but we do know a thing or two about the role of iodine. Iodine helps the thyroid gland to produce hormones for concentration, mood and memory, and two-thirds of UK women are iodine deficient.

Seaweed is the best natural source of iodine, most easily absorbed by the body. It only takes 1tsp of seaweed a day to set iodine levels right and maintain your cool this Christmas. Do so in a unique, festive way: why not make our seaweed and whisky truffles, ideal as gifts for visiting relatives and neighbours?

Over to you

Do you have any top tips for surviving Christmas? We’d love to hear about them in the comments. 

Not sure seaweed can help? Use code SEASKEPTIC for 15% off your first order.

Need to talk?

• In the UK and Republic of Ireland, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123.
• For more on dealing with poor mental health visit Mind.
• SAMH is the Scottish Association for Mental Health, which operates in communities to provide a range of mental health support and services.