12 stress-free days to Christmas

12 stress-free days to Christmas

5. It's all so busy that, even when you get half an hour to yourself, it's difficult to unwind.

Turkey Food solution: Don't wait until Christmas Day to eat turkey! It contains tryptophan, an amino acid which is converted into serotonin, a chemical that controls good moods. Zinc also influences serotonin, so a handful of pumpkin seeds will also do the trick.

6. Time to head to the supermarket for the big Christmas food shop.

Food solution: Combat fatigue by eating foods rich in magnesium, iron, zinc and B vitamins - bananas, broccoli, dark green leafy veg such as spinach, eggs, nuts, oily fish, oranges, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts and wholemeal pasta. Keep your fluid intake up, too.

7. All those festive lunches and parties - somehow you never get to eat properly!

Food solution: Keep a stash of goodies in your bag. Go for dried apricots or mangoes, flapjacks, packets of mixed nuts, oatcakes, packets of raisins, rice cakes, rice cracker and mixed seeds, such as sunflower and sesame.

8. You're going to a party - is a hangover inevitable?

Toasted camembert sandwich Food solution: Eat something like a Toasted cheese sandwich an hour before you leave. Fat is digested slowly, so can help to slow down the absorption of alcohol. And be aware of the size of your glass. A high-alcohol wine in a large glass could add up to a whopping three or four units of alcohol!