What do you give the person who has everything?
How about a goat or a pig? Well, you don't actually give it to them but you buy it (or some other useful life-saving commodity) on their behalf and the gift goes to a family or community in the developing world. Browse the Alternative Gift Catalogue from World Vision, and buy a gift that can change lives.
The Alternative Gift Catalogue >

Survive Christmas!
Christmas is the season of goodwill, good parties, good company and good fun. But having to enjoy yourself to order, eat and drink lots and be nice to everybody can end up leaving you feeling bloated and irritable. Take a look at the following advice while there's still time, before you are overfed, hungover and in a bad mood!

Survive the party...

Make sure you get home in one piece! Book a minicab or make other arrangements for the end of the evening, preferably before you set out. If you share a minicab with a friend, then you can keep an eye on each other - and the time.

Prepare your stomach for alcohol by eating something before you leave home, such as a small plate of pasta, a bowl of cereal or a sandwich.

Try to keep eating little and often while you are drinking.

Take water with you and sip it along with your alcoholic drinks, or have a soft drink from time to time in between alcoholic ones.

Don’t drink so fast and furiously that you go over your limit before you know it. When you start feeling at all tipsy, slow right down. Try not to exceed the state where you are relaxed but still in control.

Beware who you take drinks from. Strangers are a no-no. It isn’t safe to leave your drink unattended either in case it gets spiked.

If you are in a group, agree that you will watch out for each other.


Survive party food...

Not all Christmas food is bad for you. Turkey, salmon, sprouts, satsumas, olives, figs, dates and nuts all have health benefits. So choose these rather than fatty snacks such as mince pies.

You can avoid the temptation to overeat if you just slow down. Instead of automatically filling up your plate for second helpings, wait ten minutes. You probably won’t want any more by then - the message that your hunger has been satisfied will have reached your brain.

If there is one thing that will help you survive, it’s water. It helps your body cope with alcohol and keeps your digestion working. Make sure you drink 1.5 litres a day throughout the party season, and keep sipping water during the festivities. It truly will help you feel better and reduce the severity of hangovers.

You’ll need to top up on B vitamins too, since these are depleted by alcohol. Eat a bowl of B vitamin enriched cereal each day – either in the morning or before you go out in the evening.


Survive the hangover...

Prevention is better than cure – drink a big glass of water before you go out to ward off dehydration, and moderate the amount of alcohol you consume. Dehydration is the main cause of those ghastly hangover symptoms.

Avoid mixing drinks. Stick to one colour of wine.

Alcohol is not good on an empty stomach. Have a soft drink before a meal, and then drink some good wine or beer with the meal. You will probably appreciate it more but end up drinking less.

What's the best way to cook my Christmas turkey?
Have a look at the British Turkey website and check out their excellent roasting and defrosting calculators!
British Turkey website >

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