When I first visited Bermuda many years ago, I remember feeling the heat hit me as I stepped off the airplane. Bliss!

Especially as I needed to thaw out from a particularly bad English "summer" (and I use the term loosely.)

For the whole three weeks and for every subsequent visit, the weather was perfect for me ? hot, but with a good breeze!

So when my long-term Bermudian love proposed and suggested we move back to Bermuda permanently, I was over the moon. Would I like our first marital home to be a gorgeous tropical island? Er?of course!

But you notice my error? Little did I know that Bermuda isn't a tropical island, but a sub-tropical island.

There's a difference?

My lovely new husband had failed to mention it, so I arrived with shorts, T-shirts, a bikini and not much else. Goes to show that a girl needs to do her research!

So since landing just over a year ago, I have obviously learned that Bermuda can be chilly.

I have also learned that the longer you are here, the chillier the chilly spells feel. So while I was still wearing flip-flops last December, I now have a full array of boots, sweaters ? and even a scarf.

What this also means is that the salads that have sustained me all through the summer, often leave a cold hole in my stomach at lunchtime!

So I've started making soups again to warm me up on not-so-tropical days. The great thing with soups is that you can make batches and then freeze them easily.

They also provide a light option at lunchtime, preventing you from over-loading on carbs and then joining in with the Universal Snooze between 3 and 4 p.m.

This pumpkin soup is really delicious and also very festive as the cinnamon gives it a Christmassy flavour.

Pumpkin is also currently in season, so it's a great time to cook with it ? maximising the flavour and nutrient content. Pumpkin is naturally rich in beta-carotene, folic acid, vitamin E and calcium.

It is also lower in carbs than potatoes, yet provides you with enough energy to keep you going through the day.

Quick tip: it's generally best to eat meals and snacks that combine carbohydrates and protein together, as the protein helps to slow the release of the glucose from the carbohydrate.

A slower release is ideal as it results in a steady, gentle supply of glucose, rather than a quick burst that's followed by a big dip (snooze time.)

Therefore, you may like to add some protein to your soup ? diced chicken or tofu both work really well in this recipe.

Christmassy Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

? ? pumpkin, skinned and chopped into 1 inch cubes (approx 2 ? cups)

? 3 large tomatoes, skinned* and chopped

? 4 sticks celery, chopped

? 1 large red onion, chopped

? 1 vegetable stock cube

? ? tsp ground coriander seed

? 1 tsp chili powder (mild or hot)

? 1 tsp cinnamon black pepper

? 1 tbsp olive oil

? 4 cups boiling water

Method:

1. Skin the tomatoes ? it's very easy to do!

Etch a shallow X in the top and bottom of each tomato, place in a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water for two minutes.

You will see the skin split and begin to peel off. Drain, cover with cold water and peel/chop when cool enough.

2. Gently heat the olive oil in a large saucepan with one tsp water

3. Add the chopped onion and celery, turn up the heat and stir for a few minutes.

Then reduce the heat to "simmer", cover the pan and let the vegetables sweat for a few minutes.

4. Uncover the pan and add 4 cups of boiling water

5. Then add the pumpkin, chopped tomatoes, stock cube, coriander, chili powder and cinnamon.

6. Bring to the boil and then simmer for approximately 25 minutes until the pumpkin is well cooked.

Blend (you may have to do this in batches) till smooth. Keeps in the fridge for 3 days, freezes well.

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it.