It's all too easy to over consume at Christmas but there are some foods we really should be eating more of this month.  Yahoo! Lifestyle nutritionist Rachael Anne Hill reveals why...

1.    Nuts
Nuts © RexWe've known for some time that nuts can help with weight loss due to their ability to reduce hunger and stabilise blood sugars but now a new study shows that they can also boost serotonin, a substance that makes you feel happier!

Studies at Loma Linda University in California also found that eating nuts five times a week (about 50 grams a day) lowered participants' blood cholesterol levels by 12 per cent.  Go for the plain unsalted, uncoated varieties and don't overdo it.  Just a small handful a day is all you need to provide all the health benefits without over consuming the calories.

2.    Satsumas, Clementines and Tangerines
Clementines © RexForget all those expensive time release vitamin C capsules.  Vitamin C is water soluble therefore it can't be stored in the body, however a satsuma, clementine or

Winter's nearly here and with it comes roast dinners, warming soups and cosy nights in with a takeaway in front of the fire.  But be warned, all can have alarmingly high salt levels.  Here, Yahoo! Lifestyle nutritionist Rachael Anne Hill offers some top tips on how much salt is really in your food and how to cut back…..Salt - tasty, but no so good for you

You need salt or sodium in your diet to help maintain the right balance of fluids in your body, to transmit nerve impulses and to relax and contract your muscles. But thanks to over consumption of processed and commercially prepared foods, most of us routinely eat far more than we need.

Excess salt in the diet increases blood volume, which in turn makes your heart work harder to move it all through your blood vessels and this, of course, puts extra pressure on your arteries as well as your kidneys, whose job it is to retain a sodium balance.

Over time too much salt, especially in those who are more sensitive to its

Y! Lifestyle's nutrition expert Rachael Anne Hill identifies three kitchen appliances that will make your slimming efforts a whole lot easier

Air fryerAn Air Fryer

Using nothing but super hot air and a grill an airfryer allows you to 'fry' a variety of delicious food with just a fraction of the fat so you can safely tuck into truly authentic, lip smackingly good chips, rissoles, fish cakes and potato wedges without the fear of over doing it on the calories.  Oh, and they also make perfect, crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, 'roast' potatoes in a matter of minutes.

Try the Philips Air Fryer available from Amazon, House of Fraser and other stockists. At approximately £200 it may seem a little pricey but once bought you'll use it more than your oven and can throw that deep fat fryer in the bin.

A slow cooker for sealing in flavourA Slow Cooker

A slow cooker may seem like something only your Granny would have but if you have a tendency to reach for a fat, sugar or salt laden