A very un-perfect Christmas: what you ate that actually helped your gut, immunity and mood (even if it came with Quality Street)
It may be helpful to notice what did support you, physically and mentally over the festive season, even if it came wrapped in gravy… rather than berating yourself for some temporary over-indulgence
Introduction
The cultural pressure to eat perfectly, drink sensibly, be endlessly grateful, joyful, sociable and well-rested means it’s no wonder January often arrives with a thud rather than a sparkle.
For many people, Christmas is complicated; emotionally, logistically, physically and food often becomes part of how we cope, connect, soothe or simply get through. Noticing what did support you, both physically and mentally, and what might be easy to gently carry into the new year, can be far more helpful than berating yourself for a bit of temporary over-indulgence.
If your Christmas looked like a John Lewis advert, congratulations: you are either (a) lying, (b) a paid actor, or (c) a golden retriever.
This year I found out afterwards that two people I know were alone. Properly, unwanted, not out of a choice for a bit of peace and quiet, alone. Heart breaking to hear. One of my dear friends had a shocking post-Christmas out for a run fall and spent time in A&E.
Personally, yes, it was ‘ok, probably even quite good’... certainly not perfect though. I was tired from a busy year. We have my mum-in-law with dementia with us, which comes with its blend of love, grief and logistics. But I feel very lucky to be connected with friends and family. And yes, even though I’m a nutritionist, I did like most everyone else; I ate and drank a little differently.
So if your festive season was messy, emotional, exhausting or a bit flat and you indulged a bit too much: you didn’t ‘fail’ at Christmas. You’re just human.
The post-Christmas internet will now attempt to sell you punishment. ‘Detox’. ‘Reset’. ‘Cleanse’. As if your liver clocked off on 23rd December and is currently on a sun lounger in Barbados.
Let’s not do that.
Instead, let’s do something a bit more helpful as we ease into the new year: notice and celebrate the genuinely nourishing stuff you probably ate without even trying, understand why it matters and then move into January with a bit more of an 80/20 mindset, not a ‘new year, whole new life/personality’ overhaul.
A few days of chocolate and Bailey’s does not undo a year of eating like a reasonably grown up person! The body is resilient. You are not a Tamagotchi, designed to keel over without constant micromanagement.
The 80/20 rule (festive edition)
A few days of richer food usually affects:
water balance (salt + carbs = more glycogen (carbohydrate energy) stored = more water held)
digestion (less fibre, more alcohol, odd meal timings, stress)
sleep (hello, 3am brain bed disco or actual kitchen disco)
reflux/bloating (extra fatty foods + fizz + eating later or at inconsistent times)
What it doesn’t do in a week:
permanently ‘damage your gut’
‘ruin your metabolism’
create irreversible health chaos
The best ‘reset’ is not overly restrictive. It’s returning to our anchors: fibre, protein, plants, fluids, movement, sleep… and a bit of sunshine if January deigns to offer it.
The surprisingly nutritious things hiding in your Christmas food
Below is a tour of classic festive foods and drinks, with what they bring nutritionally and why they’re quietly doing you a favour.
1) Brussels sprouts (aka tiny green fibre bombs)
If you ate sprouts, you accidentally supported:
gut bacteria (they’re full of fermentable fibres)
regularity (hello, post-cheese constipation prevention plan)
immune function (vitamin C + supportive plant compounds)
liver detox pathways (cruciferous veg contain sulphur compounds that support normal detox enzymes - not a cleanse, just biology)
Tip: Sprouts roasted with olive oil and ginger/garlic/both are delicious. Anyone who disagrees had them boiled into sadness in 1977. Just my opinion, but I convert sprout haters every year, so I’m persevering with this!
2) Red cabbage (especially if it was braised)
Red cabbage is basically Christmas confetti with benefits:
anthocyanins (the red/purple pigments linked with heart and brain health)
fibre for gut motility and microbiome support
often apple/vinegar/spices in braised versions = polyphenols + flavour + joy
If you had red cabbage and gravy, you achieved balance and I’m proud of you.
3) Cold roast potatoes/potato salad/leftovers from the fridge
This one is cool (literally). When cooked potatoes are then left to cool, some of the starch becomes resistant starch:
feeds beneficial gut bacteria
may support better blood sugar response for some people
contributes to feeling full and happy for less snacking temptation
So the cold roasties you ate standing at the fridge door were, in a way, a gut health intervention. Merry Christmas.
(Reheating can keep some resistant starch too, depending on how you do it.)
4) Carrots, parsnips and other roasted veg
Roast veg often gets dismissed because it’s covered in fat/honey/maple syrup etc. But:
you still get fibre
carotenoids (especially carrots) which can support immune and skin health
roasting can improve palatability, so you eat more veg = a win
If a drizzle of oil or melted butter made vegetables enjoyable, that’s not bad. That’s oven strategy.
5) Turkey, chicken, beef, ham (the protein pile-on)
Protein over Christmas is usually… abundant.
Benefits:
supports muscle maintenance (especially important if you’re 35+)
helps satiety (so you’re less likely to feel snacky)
provides iron, zinc, selenium, B vitamins, depending on the meat
If you felt emotionally steadier when you had a proper meal vs. grazing on 100% beige bits: that’s not in your head. Blood sugar stability matters.
6) Salmon, prawns, smoked fish - buffet MVPs (most valuable players!)
If you had salmon (or other oily fish or shellfish), you got:
omega-3 fats (important for heart, brain and inflammation regulation)
vitamin D (useful in the UK winter gloom)
protein without the food coma of heavier meats
Smoked fish is salty, yes, but in context, it’s also nutrient-dense. Pair with veg, wholegrain crackers, or just enjoy it like the Scandi-like, woolly jumper wearing hygge person you briefly became.
7) Nuts in the picky bits bowl
Nuts are tiny nutrient nuggets:
magnesium (mood, sleep, muscle function)
healthy fats
fibre
vitamin E (especially almonds)
polyphenols and minerals
If you ate nuts and chocolate together: still fine. Let joy behold.
8) Cheese (yes, even the cheese board)
Cheese brings:
protein
calcium
vitamin B12
and in many cheeses: fermented compounds (not quite the same as live yoghurt, but still part of the fermented-food, gut loving group)
Is it higher in saturated fat and salt? Often, yes.
Is it a gut destroyer? No.
Does it become more of an issue if it replaces all fibre for a week? Potentially. But that’s a balance thing, not a ‘ban cheese forever’ thing.
If cheese backed your mood this Christmas, don’t take it away. Just add fruit/veg/wholegrains back in so your gut doesn’t stage a long term protest.
9) Cranberry sauce, berries, citrus
Fruit over Christmas can be protective:
berries/cranberries contain polyphenols that can support gut bacteria diversity
citrus brings vitamin C and fluid
fruit helps counteract the ‘I’ve not eaten anything fresh since Boxing Day’ feeling
Also, a satsuma is basically edible aromatherapy.
10) Dark chocolate (aka the ‘posh’ tin bits)
Cocoa contains polyphenols that:
can support vascular function
may be beneficial for gut bacteria
in the right moment, it can absolutely support mental health by just being… chocolate.
The dose makes the difference. A bit regularly is different from ‘I replaced all meals with truffles’. But neither requires shame.
11) Gravy, stock, soups and stews
If you had homemade gravy, stock-based soups, hearty stews:
you got fluid + minerals
collagen/gelatin if bone-based stock (not magic, but can be a useful protein source)
an easy way to get veg in without trying
Also: warm savoury foods can help regulate appetite after a period of sweeter grazing.
12) Festive spices: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg
Spices contain:
antioxidant compounds
potential digestive support (ginger is especially good for nausea/settling the stomach)
they make food taste comforting without needing loads more sugar
If you had mulled anything, your body did get something other than regret.
What about the ‘extra’: alcohol, sugar, beige snacks?
Let’s be adults about it.
Alcohol
Alcohol can affect:
sleep quality
gut lining irritation (in some people)
reflux
mood (especially the next day)
hydration
But again: this is not a moral failing. It’s physiology. The ‘fix’ is not self-loathing, it’s water, food, sleep and gentle movement. You might want to consider a bit of dry or a little less soaked January in terms of alcohol intake; I’m with you on that one.
Sugar
More sugar often means:
less fibre/protein overall
energy dips
cravings (partly habit, partly blood sugar swings)
The solution isn’t ‘never eat any sugar’, unless you really want to go there! It’s rebuild structure: protein at breakfast, fibre at lunch, balanced overall meals, planned timings.
A kinder ‘back to your normal’ plan (no detox, no drama)
The next 3 days:
Eat 3 consistently timed meals (structure helps to curb long term grazing)
Protein at breakfast (eggs, Greek or kefir yoghurt, tofu scramble, ongoing leftovers!)
Add plants back in: aim for 2 different veg/fruit at each meal if you can
Drink water (and/or herbal tea). If water isn’t palatable to you on its own, a few drops of ginger or berry cordial can help - better to drink it than not.
Move gently: a walk counts. Especially if you’re sad, lonely or overstimulated. 10 minutes after heavy meals can really help blood sugar balance. Not able to walk - some chair movement and stretches can help too.
Sleep is a nutrient - official Kirsty Hale science fact! :)
The next 2 weeks:
Don’t ‘be good’. Be consistent.
Keep any leftover ‘treats’ (not actually a big fan of that word but hey-ho), but put them on a plate, eat them slowly and enjoy them. Having them after a meal or with a little protein snack (nuts, a small piece of cheese or meat, a spoon of kefir or Greek yoghurt) can help the blood sugars.
Aim for some fibre at all meals (veg, fruit, beans, lentils, oats, wholegrains).
Keep fermented foods in the mix, if you like them (yoghurt/kefir/sauerkraut/kimchi) - a dollop of kimchi on some breakfast eggs or tofu, a spoon of kefir with a piece of fruit - aim for easy ways to incorporate them into what you already eat.
If your digestion is a bit off (understandable!): go steady with high-fat + high-sugar combos for a bit and reintroduce fibre gradually, so it’s not too triggering (everyone says to eat lots of beans etc, and yes, we all know their benefits, but not everyone can just leap in and not feel some effect!).lly.
If Christmas was lonely or heavy
If you read this and thought, ‘food was the least of it’, I get it.
Sometimes we can use ‘health’ as a project because our emotions are scarier to face than meal plans. If you were alone, grieving, caregiving, masking or just getting through: your worth is not measured by what you ate.
If you can, do one small thing, please:
text someone
accept an invite - even if it seems scary, just go for 10-15 minutes
join a class - I don’t mean an exercise one, unless that’s your thing. There’ll be lots of people looking for company and new experiences.
book a coffee - with anyone else or just yourself - say hello to the staff and let them know you appreciate their work at this unsociable time of year. Out of the house, even a little bit if you can, with some human interaction, can be really helpful.
ask for help - a friend, a neighbour, a colleague, your GP, the Samaritans. It is there. I promise.
That’s all ‘health’ too. Worth more than any green smoothie is.
Finishing up the 2025 festivities
You probably ate more nourishing food over Christmas than you realised - sprouts, cabbage, potatoes, protein, fish, nuts, fruit, spices, soups. Even the cheese board had redeeming features.
So rather than punishing yourself for any temporary excess, thank your body for being adaptable and return to a few January anchors with a bit of kindness to yourself.
And if anyone tries to sell you a guaranteed ‘January detox’ or shiny new ‘reset’ regime, please remember: your liver is already doing its job. Quietly. Reliably. It’s the friend who shows up for you and never posts about it on Instagram.
If you’re already feeling that familiar January pull towards cleansing or resetting, it’s ok to pause and take stock. Your liver is far more capable and more resilient than the wellness industry would have you believe. I’ll be writing more about what actually supports liver health, and how to approach alcohol reduction in a way that’s kind, effective and realistic.