Top 5 Tips for a Healthy Holiday

Our healthy habits can sometimes be lost amidst the hustle and bustle of the holidays. As difficult as it is to get into healthy routines and make lifestyle changes, it doesn’t take much to break them. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing choice. The following are five tips you can use to help maintain a healthy balance throughout the holidays and prevent yourself from sliding into old habits. Often, all it takes is a little common sense and being aware or conscious in the moment.

Tip #1: Enjoy! Eat what you want.
You probably didn’t think I would start with that, did you? There’s a catch though – in moderation. Moderation is key. It’s unrealistic to avoid all holiday goodies. The holidays do come only once a year and you deserve to treat yourself to something special. So don’t beat yourself up for indulging in a dessert or drink. A piece of cake or an alcoholic beverage isn’t going to hurt you. It’s when you choose to have another piece of cake or another cocktail, for example, that the guilty feelings are stirred up and your body signals that that may not have been a good idea. And if the choice is provided at the party, choose a smaller plate. This will make it easier to consume smaller portions. Eat slowly, chewing your food thoroughly. This will help you to digest the food properly and you’ll be less tempted to go back for seconds.

Tip #2: Water, water, water.
We tend to drink more coffee and alcohol during the holiday season, both of which can be dehydrating and have an effect on our liver and kidneys. Therefore, it’s important to drink plenty of water to maintain hydration and proper elimination.

Tip #3: Keep moving.
Just because it’s the holidays, try not to get out of routine of your exercise schedule. If you haven’t been exercising, use the fact that you’ll be indulging a little more during the holidays as motivation to start. The holidays are a busy time, but consider that the time you set aside for activity and movement – just for you – is like giving yourself a gift. Remember that time for yourself.

And who’s to say that the holidays have to be all about the big meals. Is there an activity that the entire family can participate in? Skating, curling, a game of football … perhaps it’s time to start a new holiday tradition that focuses on movement.

Tip#4: Get snacking.
If you know you will be indulging at the party, make healthy choices during the rest of the day. Eat a healthy breakfast and lunch so you won’t be starving at the party. Once you begin to have hunger pangs it is much easier to give in and allow hunger to control your food choices. Prevent it from ever reaching that stage by eating healthy snacks. Veggies and hummus, sliced fruit with almond butter, a handful of almonds or walnuts, yogurt with granola … it doesn’t need to be anything fancy, just enough to stave off those hunger pangs and maintain balanced blood sugar levels.

Tip #5: Get your beauty rest.
Again, it’s all about maintaining routine. Lack of sleep can affect everything – our ability to respond to stress, our mood, our ability to fight off infections and even our rate of metabolism. Sleep is the time your body needs to heal itself, to repair all the damage it incurred during the course of the day, which makes it all that more important during the holidays. Remember that alcohol affects our sleep so it’s best to alternate with non-alcoholic beverages, such as water, and soda water and not to consume alcohol close to going to sleep. Each person has their own amount of sleep that they feel best with, but typically it is around 8 to 9 hours per night.

What health tips do you have to share that help you get through the holidays?

Here’s hoping that, above anything else, you have a happy holiday, surrounded by the love of family and friends.