CHRISTMAS is less than a week away and selling and buying is at a frenzy. Thousands of kilograms of chicken, turkey, fish, beef; countless bags of imported, polished rice, gallons of different brands of vegetable oil and a lot of other food types and additives.Good as all these may be, what health benefits will they bring to the consumer' Not much! The consumer at the end of the day will be content filling his or her stomach with more than enough carbohydrates, proteins and fats and not enough vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The outcome is acidic waste accumulation due to more dehydration as not enough water is drunk at this time but carbonated and caffeinated soft drinks and alcohol which contribute to more dehydration.There is a better way and we hope to bring this to the attention of readers as Christmas approaches. We all need to understand that one important reason why we eat and drink whatever it is we eat and drink is to stay healthy, while deriving energy for our daily activities. Eating and drinking the way we used to, no doubt satisfied our hunger, 'quenched' our thirst, generated energy for our activities but also left a lot of acidic wastes without enough vitamins, antioxidants, alkaline minerals, fiber and so on, to clear up the mess. To remain healthy throughout the Yuletide, we suggest a dietary change, which will not only be enjoyable and satisfying but also ensures wellness, even after the season.At the beginning of the day as you wake up half a litre to one litre of water usually makes a good tonic and cleanser. Drink this amount of water at the beginning of each day and you will be glad you did. A glass of carrot juice alone or mixed with cabbage, cucumber, ugwu, celery or beetroot should come next. For breakfast, fresh fruit salads will provide all the energy you will need for the first five to six hours of the day before lunch. The benefit is that the glucose from the fruits is complex and has to be broken down through stages releasing the glucose into the circulation in small amounts spread over time. This is against the large amount of glucose pouring into the circulation in a short time if we consume the simple processed sugars. On a long term this may lead to diabetes.Whole grain cereals and whole wheat bread can also be part of your breakfast. Generally, we discourage the consumption of anything cooked before noon so as to reduce the consumption of too much acid forming food. For lunch, you can eat any of the usual cooked food ranging from rice (ofada rice preferably) with stew cooked with cold pressed extra virgin olive oil to vegetable soups (egusi, ogbono, okro, ewedu and so on with eba, pounded yam, amala, semovita etc). We like to suggest that you do not over'cook your vegetables; let them remain green and crunchy in the soup.For a new lease of life and wellness, make vegetable salads a regular part of your dinner. You may want to reduce the amount of carbohydrates and especially proteins in the evenings and ensure dinner is served before 6.00 pm. Drink an average of two to three litres of water daily.Note that the beverages you drink are never a substitute for water. They contain diuretics in the form of caffeine and alcohol and they potentially increase the loss of water from the body leading to dehydration.Special recipes for Christmas day lunchHere are some recipes that you may want to try out for lunch on Christmas day.' 2 florets of cabbage - thinly sliced, Sea salt, 1 big carrot ' grated, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 6 pieces of runner beans ' chopped, Fresh fish seasoned and boiled or grilled, Half green pepper ' diced, 5 pieces of potatoes boiled with the skin for 10mins, 1 small onion ' diced, 2 cloves of garlic-diced. Heat the oil in a non'stick frying pan. Add some sea salt for taste then pour in all the vegetables and stir-fry for about five minutes. The vegetables should still be crunchy. Serve with the boiled potatoes and boiled or grilled fish. You may want to add one of the dressings suggested.' 1 medium ' sized aubergine ' diced, 1 small- sized carrot ' grated, 1 small ' sized cauliflower ' chopped, half cup of green peas, 1 small ' sized beetroot-grated. Chilli pepper (optional), 1 small ' sized radish ' diced, Sea salt, 1 small ' sized onion-sliced, 2 tablespoons olive oil, fresh fish or skinned chicken boiled or grilled, Noodles, spaghetti or Ofada rice boiled, heat the oil, add sea salt, add all the vegetables and stir fry for about five minutes. The vegetables should still be crunchy. Add the vegetables to the boiled spaghetti or Ofada rice and mix well. Serve with the boiled or grilled fish or chicken.' If you want to stick to the usual fried rice or jollof make sure you use cold'pressed extra virgin olive oil and Ofada rice. Add a lot of vegetables and do not overcook.' Salads. For your salads use the usual vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, cucumber and so on. For your dressing you may want to use olive oil or Udo's perfected oil or one of the dressings recommended.' DressingsHoney and Mustard dressing5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil2 tablespoons cider vinegar tablespoon mustard1 tablespoon honey clove garlic.Place all the ingredients in a screw'top jar and shake vigorously.Avocado dressing1 avocado pear2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice1 tablespoon cider vinegar1 spring onion chopped.Peel and roughly chop the avocado. Put in a blender with the other ingredients and blend until smooth.' For your juices try to be creative. Using a fruit juice extractor you can produce single juices or mix 2 or 3 or more juices together. Create your own four or five living juice. Also make great vegetable juices for your family and guests at Christmas. Remember juices are very rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and chlorophyll.Merry ChristmasWith contributions from Awele Nanna.
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