WEIGHT LOSS
CHRISTMAS FOOD & DRINK SWAPS
Alice in weight-loss wonderland
Our weight-loss columnist and type-1 diabetic, Alice Dogruyol, shares how she’ll be navigating the festive season food-wise. Connect with her at instagram.com/alice_dogruyol.
CHRISTMAS IS ALWAYS A challenging time when it comes to weight management. The temptation to have a cheeky mince pie, chocolate treat or festive cocktail can become overwhelming. We live in an obesogenic environment that sets us up to fail as we’re faced with sugar, processed food and alcohol at almost every turn. Just walking from my home to the train station I pass a Starbucks, Leon, Pret, Waitrose Mini and a cupcake shop. For anyone who has a problematic relationship with food or alcohol it feels as though there are land mines everywhere.
I stopped drinking alcohol long before my diagnosis of diabetes. In my early 20s I drank all the time and loved it. By my late 20s, I was living with a boyfriend who didn’t drink, so I hardly drank either. When we split up in my early 30s, I moved to London and went back to drinking socially. But my hangovers were getting worse, and I started to view alcohol more like a poison than a treat.
In my late 30s I started trying to have children and in my early 40s I embarked on multiple rounds of IVF. During those years I didn’t drink at all, not even to console myself after a miscarriage or a failed round of IVF. I did, however, indulge in carbs and sugar to soothe the pain. I’m now teetotal and love it, but the carbs and sugar are still a work in progress…
I have become quite the connoisseur of alcohol alternatives. There are so many super-satisfying swaps that give you the feeling you’re not missing out. Here are some of my favourites…
Pentire Margarita (£12 for 20cl, pentiredrinks.com).
My favourite cocktail is a margarita. The sweetness of the triple sec liqueur with the sourness of fresh lime juice and the kick of tequila is heavenly. Earlier in the year when I was at Combe Grove – a health retreat near Bath (see October issue) – we were offered a beautifully presented Pentire cocktail each evening, which made for a sociable and sophisticated pre-dinner ritual. Classic coastal botanicals with lime, agave, sea salt and a dash of Mexican chilli – it is divine! Just fill your favourite cocktail glass with ice, open pour, garnish and enjoy – so elegant!
Citizen Spritz (£20 for 500ml, citizenspritz.com).
I recently discovered the delicious non-alcoholic Pink Grapefruit cocktail from Citizen Spritz, which is a tangy thirst quencher made from concentrated pink grapefruit and natural flavourings, with a touch of agave. Easy to make, you simply pour a small amount of the mix over ice and top it up with sparkling water. The pink colou
