Do you find yourself craving comfort foods, especially sweet treats such as puddings, desserts and hot chocolate, in the colder winter months? While there’s no need to deprive yourself completely of enjoyable foods, you need a smart strategy to get through winter without any unwanted baggage. Here are some tips:

Control those portions

Sorry to have to be the one to break the news, but there is more than one serve in a pack of Tim Tams! Research has revealed that the portion or size of a package of food is a factor in how much damage you do when succumbing to that craving. Dr Barbara Rolls, a US nutrition researcher based at Pennsylvania State University, has widely studied this finding. In one study, participants were asked to pour out how many M&Ms they would eat while watching a movie. Those in the study selected about twice as much from a jumbo pack as from a small pack, resulting in a 1000-kilojoule difference in their intakes.

The best approach is to go for individually packaged, portion-controlled sweet treats or diet desserts. Even though larger packs can be more economical, research has revealed that you may end up eating 40-50 percent more. If you prefer to buy large packs, dispense them into smaller portions when you get home.

Portion-packed choccy choices:

Kit Kat 2 wafers (435kJ); Caramello Koala (410kJ); Bounty Fun Size (385kJ); Cadbury Freddo Frog (264kJ).

Make-it-last sweet treats:

Chupa Chup or Tic Tacs to suck slowly; or a Hot Jarrah Choc O Lait Drink to sip and sip and sip.

Delicious diet desserts:

Nestle Diet Creme Caramel (315kJ); Nestle Diet Trifle Flavoured Custard (278kJ); Weight Watchers Lemon Sponge Pudding (629kJ); Weight Watchers Divine Vanilla Ice Cream Cones (575kJ).

Hide them away

Research published in the June 2005 edition of Appetite journal investigated the old saying ‘out of sight, out of mind’ when it comes to food cues and cravings. Food cues include aromas like the wafting smell of freshly baked bread or catching a glimpse of that huge chocolate Magnum ice-cream on a bus ad. The results of the research confirmed that exposure to food cues reliably elicited strong cravings. Find a pantry hideaway for all your sweet treats to ensure they’re not staring at you every time you open the door — and when you bake a dessert for the family, make just enough for a sensible portion for all with no leftovers!

Keep moving

As well as a little more comfort eating, the winter kilo creep is also due to a general drop in physical activity. If you want to bake your pud and eat it too, you need to keep moving. Instead of facing a cold, wet, dark morning walk, move it indoors and invest in a gym membership, fitness DVDs, a treadmill or classes at your local pool.

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Bone up on calcium

The key to healthy bone habits is to ensure you’re getting your daily requirements of bone-building nutrients such as calcium. Most adults need 1000mg of calcium each day (roughly three to four dairy serves), with an additional 300mg for men over 70, women post-menopause and adolescents having growth spurts. Dairy products are an excellent source of calcium as they are convenient, offer many other important nutrients and contain easily absorbable calcium. The Australian Dietary Guidelines now recommend reduced-fat varieties for most people over the age of two as they contain less saturated fat and have higher amounts of calcium. If you are lactose intolerant, vegan or don’t like dairy products, there are many other good sources of calcium available, such as calcium-fortified soy, the edible bones in fish, green leafy vegetables and, to a lesser extent, some nuts and seeds.

Get enough vitamin D

The other nutrient important for strong bones is vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium. Vitamin D is found in egg yolks, saltwater fish, butter, margarine and fortified foods — especially dairy products like some milk and yogurt. But the best source is sunlight, so try to get a little outdoor exercise each day.

Keep a healthy weight

Pressure to be thin often leads to excessive dieting and eating disorders. This often results in a loss of menstruation and a diet lacking in calcium. Aim to be a healthy weight and if your menstruation ceases, see a doctor.

Exercise right

Exercise helps keep bones strong and reduces the chance of injury. Weight-bearing exercises (such as jumping, skipping, aerobics or netball) and strength-training exercises (such as pump or circuit classes) are the best types of exercise for strong bones. It is good to do a variety of exercises so that stress is placed on a variety of bones and muscles, for example, tennis players have more bone strength in their dominant arm.

Watch the calcium sappers

Too much salt (sodium), caffeine and alcohol are associated with decreased bone density and increased risk of bone fractures. Too much sodium in the diet can cause calcium to be excreted from the body, so it is important to choose low salt foods to help protect your bones. High alcohol, caffeine and cola/soft drink intake have also been associated with lower bone mineral density.

For great tasting recipes and more information on maximising your wellbeing, pick up a copy of the Women’s Weekly Cookbook — Wellbeing: Healthy Eating — Foods that Fight Back.

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We all know that regular physical activity has a long list of benefits — enhanced flexibility, strength and energy levels, healthy weight management, improved blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, better sleep patterns and decreased risk of lifestyle diseases. While researchers have always believed that fit people are also well people, there was little research on this available until recently.

Common cold and exercise

In a new, large randomised clinical trial published in the American Journal of Medicine, researchers found some evidence to support the view that regular exercise helps keep the sniffles at bay. The study on postmenopausal women showed that those who undertook regular moderate exercise (such as brisk walking) had about half the risks of getting colds as those who didn’t exercise.

While this is great news and more reason to get up and keep going in the colder months, researchers are quick to point out the limitations of the study, including differences in self-reporting cold, flu and respiratory symptoms.

Boost your immunity

As well as talking to your GP about a flu vaccination, you can also help ward off winter bugs by building strong immunity through the right diet. Go for these known immune-boosting foods:

• Yogurts with abc cultures or probiotics

• Three to four lean red meat meals a week for iron and zinc

• Two fish meals a week, especially oily fish, with omegas or foods fortified with DHA omega 3

• Adequate, but not megadoses, of vitamin C from kiwifruit, oranges, tangelos, berries and juices.

And last but not least, don’t forget the power of sleep. When you rest and recharge your body, you give your immune system a better fighting chance.

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This month, we’re launching a new service, in partnership with our medical expert Professor Kerryn Phelps, called Ueathealthy. Developed by Kerryn and her partner, Jackie Stricker, Ueathealthy is an online health food store catering to those suffering from food allergies, such as Coeliac disease, wheat intolerance and diabetes. It offers a range of healthy products, including organic, gluten-free and biodynamic whole foods, with delivery to anywhere in Australia. To order, visit www.ueathealthy.com.au.

In conjunction with the launch, Dr Kerryn will be online this month to answer your questions about health foods and allergies. Just email [email protected] and she’ll answer them on our website.

Here are some questions she’s already received:

What’s all the hype about antioxidants? How are they beneficial and how do I increase my intake?

Antioxidants are natural substances produced in our bodies or obtained from the foods that we eat — in particular, plant foods such as fruits and vegetables and wholegrains. They act by helping the body rid itself of harmful free radicals which attack the body’s cells and are produced by normal bodily processes such as aging and by external sources such as pollutants. Free radicals may cause damage leading to heart disease, cancer, cataracts and arthritis, and the consumption of antioxidants can slow down this process.

Vitamins C, E, Beta carotene (which is converted to vitamin A) and folate are all antioxidants. You can also find them in some minerals, such as selenium, copper, zinc and manganese. Phytochemicals, the chemicals found in plant foods, also have antioxidant properties.

What are omega-3 fatty acids and how can they improve health?

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats found in fish and seafood and in several plants and plant oils (such as canola, linseed and walnuts).

Several studies have shown that omega-3 fats can be beneficial in helping to reduce risk factors of heart disease such as triglyceride levels and blood clotting.

Omega-3 fats have also been shown to be beneficial in inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and are important for brain and visual development in babies.

Recent studies have also found evidence of the potential therapeutic benefits of omega-3 fats in the treatment of depression, so the regular inclusion of fish in the diet (two-three serves/week) or omega-3 supplementation can be very beneficial to your health.

Is there any evidence for greater nutritional value of organic foods compared to conventional foods?

Organic food refers to food which is grown and produced without the use of synthetic chemicals such as pesticides and fertilisers. Organic foods are not genetically modified and are free from pesticides and growth promoting substances such as steroids, hormones and antibiotics. Organic farming is also concerned with protecting the environment by conserving water, soil and energy, and using renewable resources and natural farming cycles.

There have been a number of studies comparing nutritional content of organic and conventionally grown foods and most have shown no significant differences in key vitamin and mineral contents. However, research has shown that, although the differences are small, organic food may have nutritional benefits over conventionally grown foods. These include:

• lower levels of harmful nitrates

• higher vitamin C levels (although this may be because of lower fluid concentrations in organic foods)

• higher levels of phytochemicals such as lycopenes, flavonols, and polyphenols (naturally occurring plant chemicals that have several health benefits and protect against chronic disease)

• higher levels of selenium

Other benefits of organic foods include improved taste (particularly in apples, carrots and tomatoes) and environmental benefits.

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