10 easy tips to stay healthy over the holidays!

1. Get off on the right foot each day. Just 10 minutes of exercise will get you eating and feeling good for the rest of the day. We recommend yoga, stretching, walking (on the beach if you're lucky enough, and it's not raining!), swimming, or even a run for the braver among you.

2. Stock your pantry with healthy snack foods: raw nuts, healthy dips, carrot and celery sticks, brown rice cakes, avocado, olives and fresh fruit.

3. Put a healthy spin on your festive eating: root veggie chips instead of ordinary ones, gluten-free Christmas cake, coconut oil instead of butter, homemade dips instead of store bought ones (often laden with unnecessary extras), dark chocolate (sweetened with stevia if possible) instead of milk chocolate.

4. Choose your drinks carefully. Opt for clean mixers such as soda water and fresh lime. Go organic (or biodynamic) for your wine if you can.

5. Skip meals. Yep, for once this actually is OK! If you have overindulged at Christmas lunch, you don't HAVE to eat dinner. Have a light snack instead.

6. Have a 'clean day' between eating sessions: lots of fresh fruit, veg, salads, steamed fish, green juice!

7. Take time out from family. Go for a walk. Have some YOU time.

8. Get out of the 'cram as much naughtiness into the end of the year before the next one begins' mentality. Start your resolutions before 1st Jan.

9. Jot down just 3 resolutions for 2012, not 20. You're more likely to stick to them.

10. Set a mantra for 2012. It will give your resolutions meaning.

The wonders of dry skin brushing

This week is a special edition on dry skin brushing, courtesy of Lee Holmes, the author of newly published recipe book Supercharged Food (90 delicious and wholesome recipes that are all gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast and sugar-free), a regular columnist for WellBeing Mag, and the brains behind superchargedfood.com

Feeding The Skin:

The skin is the largest most important eliminative organ in the body and is responsible for one quarter of the body’s detoxification each day. Dry skin brushing stimulates the lymphatic system, liver and adrenal glands, and assists these organs in decongesting and dumping out their toxins as well as giving the body a gentle internal massage. It also increases the ability of the liver and adrenal glands to handle toxins, strengthens the immune system and stimulates circulation. The practice of Dry Skin Brushing has been used for thousands of years around the world as a natural way of detoxing the body. Dry brushing is also used as a preventative for dry skin. The exfoliating affect stimulates skin renewal and removes dead skin layers. It is fantastic for removing cellulite and tightens the skin to prevent premature aging and the best thing is it’s easy, inexpensive and very good for you.

Foods that feed the skin include foods that are rich in lecithin, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants such as eggs, organ meats, a balance of Omega-3-6-9 oils fresh dark green leafy vegetables, tomatoes and berries of all kinds.

How to Do Dry Skin Brushing:

Buy a bath brush which contains natural bristles and not synthetic ones as synthetic bristles scratch the surface of the skin and can be harsh and irritating. The brush should be kept dry and not used for bathing. A longer handled brush works well for finding out of reach places. It’s a good idea to wash the brush with soap and water every couple of weeks. When dry skin brushing make sure that your skin is completely dry, and the brush should pass once over every part of the body except the face. The best time to do skin brushing is before showering or bathing at least once a day. You don’t need to use a back and forth motion, circular motion, scrubbing, or massaging - one clean sweep does it. Use long gentle, but firm, strokes. Begin with your feet and continue brushing upwards, be gentle on the chest area. You will feel amazing and revitalized after a body brush.

Don’t forget to eat right this party season too. Remember that whatever you put into your body affects your skin, hair and nails, you can use the most expensive conditioners and shampoos and products in the world but it won’t change anything if you don’t eat well. Why pour synthetic products and chemicals onto your body and increase your toxic load when all you need to do is work from the inside out!

Visit Lee's blog for some in-depth gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast and sugar-free recipes too.