88


HEALTH & BEAUTY Christmas by the Dart f f C


hristmas and snow go together like a horse and carriage. It feels odd to be celebrating when it’s warm outside. It was probably quite warm in


Bethlehem, even though there is some debate about the exact time of the celebrated birth – most of the year there is hot. The cementing in of Christmas being white took place in


the fifties with the film White Christmas and the writing of songs by talented people who were out to create a magical time. All Christmas films have snow in them and if it is hot


during filming they use fake snow. Santa in the sunshine seems odd. The image we all have of Santa was created to advertise Coca Cola. When he was plain old St Nicolas he had much more splendid robes. I am keeping my fingers crossed for snow


this year! I know you can enjoy the Holiday season without it but for me it is the icing on the cake. The most traditional foods and drinks beg for chilly days, long walks in the crisp air and rewarding evenings by a crackling fire wearing a sweater. It seems with the state of the world we must change our attitude and find dishes that are less rib sticking and more delicate. We pretty much feast on a daily basis in any case. No food is off the menu throughout the year. Seasons have become something of the past. The first asparagus is meaningless if you have been eating it for the past six months. Imagine a romantic evening with the one you love. Begin with a few glasses of champagne, some horrendously fattening salted nuts and a few canapés based on salt and fat.


f


f


marvel- lous to wake up on New Year’s Day feeling calm and rested with a glowing skin and jeans that do up


How


f


f f Health & beauty advice from Rowena Kitchen


Then to the table for a meal heavy on carbs and cream. A spoonful of sugar at least in the dessert and maybe even some cheese or chocolate to end. Will any of these delights help the medicine go down? I am talking about the medicine you are going to need to recover from that lot and trust me when I say you are not going to feeling romantic, just faintly nauseous. You can have a fabulous time this Christmas and come out the other end better than when you went in. No one wants to be feeling bloated with a haggard complexion, stringy hair and dark circles from sleepless nights brought on by indigestion. How marvellous to wake up on New Year’s Day feeling calm and rested with a glowing skin and jeans that do up on the first attempt. A few adjustments are all that are needed. Start by taking milk thistle daily a few weeks before the season starts. This is a fantastic natural supplement. The milk thistle is part of the daisy family. The black seeds have been used, for thousands of years, to treat chronic liver disease and inflammation of the liver brought on by


excess alcohol. Milk thistle has antioxidant ability. Antioxidants are able to remove toxic chemicals called free radicals from the body. It also benefits the liver by promoting regeneration and repair of the liver cells. People under stress – hello?


It’s Christmas! – will gain maximum benefit from this herb which acts as a tonic to lessen stressful conditions of the body. Taking it all year round wouldn’t hurt. When you go to a party try to be clever in the


way you eat. Choose the canapés that are protein heavy. Shrimp or smoked salmon Good, bread and cheese Bad. Munch away on crudités to your


Illustration by Lisa Wyman


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132