Top Five Tips for a Healthier Easter
Easter is almost upon us and with it a big focus on food, this year perhaps more than ever when food has become one of our sole pleasures during these otherwise restricted times. However, the focus doesn’t always have to be on the unhealthy stuff. Check out my five tips for easy ways to make Easter about more than just the chocolate.
Think about the chocolate you choose
There are some health benefits to chocolate but these only come with dark chocolate, the higher the cacao content, the higher in flavanols it is. These flavanols carry benefits for blood pressure and brain health. It is best to choose chocolate that has a cacao content of at least 70%. There are plenty of delicious options on the market now. One of my favourite brands is Lucocoa, they make the chocolate from bean to bar in London and sweeten it using just coconut sugar and lucuma. Aside from being a healthier option, they are also ethically a great choice as they have worked to ensure there is no child labour in their supply chain, an issue that is extremely commonplace throughout the chocolate industry.
To find out more about Lucocoa Chocolate.
Think outside the chocolate box
If you are giving or receiving gift this Easter, remember that it doesn’t have to be chocolate. Spring is a perfect time to be getting busy in the garden and I have several plants on my wish list. I plan to make some healthier Easter biscuits with my daughter and do some painting which I know her grandparents will appreciate much more than a chocolate egg.
Put a spring in your step
The weather is gradually improving and this is a good opportunity to take advantage and get moving. The added bonus this year is that Easter coincides with a little more freedom and so it is a perfect opportunity to visit friends outside, enjoy a long walk or even a day trip. One of the hardest parts of lockdown has been the social restrictions. Seeing friends and family is good for our mental health, moving your body is essential for good health and getting outside in the sun gets you exposed to vitamin D – such an important vitamin for immunity and very important in the fight against covid.
Back to the roots
Easter is at heart a religious festival full of traditions and rituals which can play an important part for your health as well as having a spiritual meaning. For example, Good Friday has always traditionally been a fast day where many people opt to eat light meals and at the least avoid meat on that day. Whether you choose to do so for religious reasons or not, make this your 'lighter' day of the Easter weekend.
Focus on seasonal food
April sees some delicious fruit and vegetables in season in the UK. Make the most of the seasonal produce to eat fresh and nutritious vegetables that have not travelled thousands of miles to reach your plate and are full of fibre and vitamins. Asparagus is one of my favourites and makes a perfect light meal or addition to a salad. Spring greens bring more green goodness to your plate and are a great source of vitamin C. Rhubarb also finds its place on plenty of menus at this time of year and is another great source of vitamin C.
Kirsty Williams Dip ION - Nutritional Therapist
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