Christmas is a time of celebration, when friends and family gather to enjoy meals together. However, many of us overindulge, which leaves us feeling tired, bloated, and guilty.What actually happens to our bodies when we overeat, drink more, and swap fibre for sugar? And is there a way to enjoy the season’s pleasures without starting January full of regret?In this episode, ZOE’s Head Nutritionist, Dr Federica Amati, joins Jonathan to explore how festive food traditions shape our health and how to navigate them without guilt or restriction. Dr Federica shares practical suggestions for gut-friendly food swaps, festive traditions worth reviving, and the one ingredient she always includes on her own Christmas table. This episode is full of helpful advice on how to care for your body in a season that often asks us to do the opposite.Unwrap the truth about your food 👉 ⁠Get the ZOE app 🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30+*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune systemFollow ZOE on Instagram.Recipes mentioned: Roasted Aubergine Traybake Juno’s Lasagne Super-simple kefir dressing Lentil Pate Yule logTimecodes📚Books by our ZOE ScientistsThe Food For Life CookbookEvery Body Should Know This by Dr Federica AmatiFood For Life by Prof. Tim SpectorFerment by Prof. Tim SpectorFree resources from ZOELive Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & NutritionGut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks Better Breakfast GuideZOE’s Holiday Hosting GuideMentioned in today's episode The effect of sugar on behavior or cognition in children. A meta-analysis, JAMA (1995) Effects of sugar ingestion expectancies on mother-child interactions, Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology (1994) The ZOE BIG IF Study, MDPI (2024) Snack quality and snack timing are associated with cardiometabolic blood markers: the ZOE PREDICT study, European Journal of Nutrition (2024) Exploring the relationship between social jetlag with gut microbial composition, diet and cardiometabolic health, in the ZOE PREDICT 1 cohort, European Journal of Nutrition (2023) Effects of a personalized nutrition program on cardiometabolic health: a randomized controlled trial, Nature Medicine (2024)Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.Episode transcripts are available here.