Keep it together this Christmas!

IT'S a time for getting together with family and loved ones, but did you know spending time with others this festive season could actually be good for your health?

- JAMES MOORE

Christmas dinner: Did you know that just one in three families sit down to eat together every day? So, gathering around the Christmas dinner table to enjoy some festive fare will be a rare treat for many.

A study from the University of Oxford linked eating meals together with higher wellbeing, while Chinese researchers found it could actually lower the chances of suffering from depression.

Another study showed that eating at the table could reduce the risk of obesity. Conversation means we tend to eat more slowly, so we realise when we're full.

Scientists in Canada also found that children who ate at the table with their siblings and parents had overall better health, while studies show that getting into the habit of cooking together at home can reduce the amount of salt, fat and sugar we eat.

Boxing Day walk: Taking a stroll on Boxing Day is traditional and walking is a great form of exercise which can be excellent for health.

Benefits include reducing blood pressure, lowering cholesterol and relieving stress. Plus, it typically burns off around 350 calories an hour as much as a portion of Christmas pudding, with cream.