12 stress-free days to Christmas

12 stress-free days to Christmas

9. You're almost there! The gifts are wrapped, the fridge is full, now there's just time to look your best for the festivities.

Food solution: Give yourself a last-minute detox with superfoods such as apples, broccoli, carrots, lemons, linseeds, papaya and quinoa. Treat yourself to an apple, beetroot, carrot, celery and ginger smoothie to kick-start your immune system and relieve fluid retention.

10. Despite your best efforts, you've overindulged.

Food solution: A few large glasses of water before you go to bed, plus a few more when you get up, will help to ward off alcohol-induced sluggishness and headaches. A can of sports drink will also help rehydration and replace lost minerals.

11. With the prospect of so many meals over the next few days, you'd rather eat light at drinks parties.

Food solution: Choose healthy dips and nibbles like dolmades, guacamole, houmous, olives, pitta bread, rice, bean or lentil salads, salmon and tzatziki. Avoid nuts - they're low in saturated fat, but they're still high in calories.

12. It's Christmas Day and you need to keep going until everyone is fed.

Food solution: Start the day with a vitality-boosting smoothie that's full of vitamin C. Stock the freezer with frozen summer berries, ready to whizz in the blender. Or opt for a breakfast of natural yogurt topped with sliced dried apricots, fresh pineapple and a pear for all the nutrients you need and just the right amount of sugar to get you through the day.