Puritys February top tips

Rather than cursing the cold as you scrape the ice off your car and pick your way gingerly down treacherous streets, embrace it. You could actually lose weight and be happier.

1) EAT:

Copy our Scandinavian cousins and follow the Nordic diet. Don't worry, there's no deprivation involved, just seasonal eating that's more suited to our climate and better for our waistlines. It's high in carbs but the healthy, protein-rich variety like rye and barley, as well as fish, root vegetables and cured meats. Get inspired by the delectable recipes in Trina Hahnemann's cookbook, The Nordic Diet. The facts are borne out in the figures. In Sweden obesity levels are as low as 10% in Britain they're at 25%. Unlike the Mediterranean diet that's had us all eating pulpy, out-of-season tomatoes it's based on food that's easily grown in colder climates - making it cheaper as well as more environmentally friendly to produce. Cheat with some delicacies from The Scandinavian Kitchen http://www.skandikitchen.co.uk.

Or try top nutritionist Vicki Edgson's recipe:
"For a quick lunch take some roll-mops, drain them and squeeze the juice of a lemon or lime over the top (the citrus takes out the fishy smell). Put in a bowl with 3 ozs of low-fat cottage, crème fraiche or cream cheese and mix together with a fork. This can then be used as a filling for a sandwich (rye bread is the best), a wrap or as a dip for vegetables. It's full of essential fatty acids and very healthy."

2) DO:

Get outside. At this time of year you're probably more familiar with the soft cushions on your sofa than the hard seat of a bike, but hibernate long enough and your bum will start to resemble them. Most of us gain an average of 0.8 lbs over the winter - that's 8 lbs in ten years. But staying moderately active easily staves it off. All you need is the right gear. Try www.sweatybetty.com, www.cyclechic.co.uk. Either hop on your bike like the Danes or try some Nordic Walking - one of the world's fastest growing fitness activities, www.nordicwalking.co.uk. You may feel silly at first heading out the door with ski-poles and no skis until you realise you're burning twice as many calories as walking and toning your entire upper body as well. Plus it's much more affordable than the gym or a yoga class, all you need are a pair of trainers and a set of poles. Oh, and the cold makes you burn more calorie - shivering alone uses 400 calories an hour.

3) TREAT:

Crisp, cold air is super-drying for skin. The triple whammy of less actual moisture in the environment, cranked up central heating and scouring wind leave skin desperately dehydrated. The first place you'll notice these effects is around the eyes where delicate skin shows moisture loss with increased fine lines. Many of the best ingredients to protect skin in harsh weather are found in plants and flowers from northern climates that have evolved to cope with extreme cold. Cranberry seed oil is one of these, it is the only oil with naturally balanced omega 3 and omega 6, the essential fatty acids crucial to skin health. It's also rich in tocotrienol (the fancy name for vitamin E). This powerful antioxidant protects from pollution, UV light and heals eczema and psoriasis. Used in Purity Organics Anti-Ageing Moisturiser , it penetrates skin easily and helps build up its natural defences. For an extra boost combine with Purity Organics Anti-Ageing Serum and Mask - and you'll have that healthy, Scandi, winter glow.

4) POP:

A vitamin D pill. The change of seasons can have a marked affect on our mood thanks to light deprivation and about 5% of the population becomes markedly depressed with SAD (seasonal affective disorder). This can prompt food cravings for mood-boosting carbs as they increase serotonin production, our brain's happy chemical. Low levels of vitamin D also affect the brain's production of the hormone leptin, which basically tells our bodies when they’re full or not. It also protects against heart disease and cancer, other sources of vitamin D are oily fish and eggs, but you need 10 mcgs a day to really do the job.

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