If the next few weeks are likely to be tinged with overindulgence, then one easy-to-implement tip is to eat bitter foods. These have been consumed for centuries – and across many different cultures – as a way to support healthy digestion.

They’re traditionally believed to encourage the production of stomach acid and digestive enzymes, and to stimulate the liver to produce bile, which helps us break down fats. It is no coincidence that in Italy a bitter-leaf salad is often served during the main meal of the day, or that ‘bitters’ (infusions of bitter herbs and spices that are now fashionable in cocktail making) were originally sold as medicinal remedies for indigestion.

One way to include them in your routine is with herbal teas. Many ‘after-dinner’ tea blends are made with naturally bitter ingredients such as liquorice and fennel. Or anything containing dandelion is a reliable choice.

My preferred way to enjoy bitter foods, though, is to follow the lead of the Italians. Bitter-leaf salads are wonderful at this time of year and there are plenty of varieties to choose from: rocket, watercress, radicchio, frisée and chicory, to name just a few. They pair beautifully with walnuts or hazelnuts, blood oranges, apples and pears, and pungent cheeses including stilton or parmesan. A sharp, acidic dressing is good for tying everything together, too.

METHOD

Place the sunflower seeds ina large frying panset over a medium-high heat. Cook for 4-5 minutes, tossing regularly until toasted. Add 1 tsp honey to the pan and a pinch of salt and give everything a good stir while the honey melts. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.

Trim the ends of the chicoryand roughly chop the leaves. Arrange over a large platter.

Halve and core the pears,then thinly slice them.Scatter over the chicory.

Dress the chicory and pears with a mustardy vinaigrette,crumble the stilton over the top, then scatter with the toasted sunflower seeds. Serve the salad immediately.

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THE CANNY COOK: Red chicory, pear and stilton salad