The holiday season is a wonderful time of year to celebrate with your family and friends, but it can also be a time for overeating, weight gain and possibly even illness. While it may be tempting to reach for that extra helping of a sugary side dish or chocolate dessert, overindulging can negatively impact your health. The good news is that there are some simple ways to enjoy all the festive food while putting your health first! Here are 4 easy tips for staying healthy during the holidays:
1. Keep Active
While it can be difficult to find time to exercise during the holiday season, this is the most important time of year to keep active! Try to add some exercise whenever possible, whether it means walking up the stairs in your office building or walking for at least 10 minutes at a time. Regardless of how you stay active, the point is to keep moving around the holidays! As a bonus, the exercise will help you to relieve holiday stress, avoid weight gain and reduce cancer-related risks. Just be sure not to ruin your efforts by using exercise as an excuse to eat more food.
2. Avoid Overeating
Food is a major theme of the holiday season and with all the parties, family get-togethers and other events, it can be tough to avoid overeating. However, maintaining a regular diet is an important part of staying healthy during the holidays. Try to eat your food slowly as it takes your brain about 20 minutes to let you know that your stomach is full. You should also go easy on the appetizers, meats and desserts to leave room for healthier options. If you do feel tempted to indulge on desserts, try healthier desserts such as dark chocolate covered strawberries and crustless pumpkin pie.
3. Consume Alcohol in Moderation
While many holiday parties include alcohol, you should be careful to drink in moderation. The adverse effects of alcohol not only include an impairment of judgment, but excessive use can lead to liver damage, heart problems and even cancer. Men should limit their alcohol consumption to 2 drinks per day, while women should not consume more than 3 drinks per week. This moderation helps to reduce your lifetime risk of cancer and the overall damage to your body.
4. Prevent Infections
Colds and the flu run rampant during the holidays, and handshakes, kisses and hugs can easily spread infections from one person to another. Therefore, you should try to keep your distance from people at holiday gatherings who have cold symptoms. A simple cough or sneeze can release thousands of saliva drops into the air, so always keep a small bottle of antibacterial gel on hand. It is also important to wash your hands on a regular basis and use warm soap whenever possible. Finally, you should get your flu shot if you have not already done so.
We hope that these tips on how to stay healthy during the holidays helps you to enjoy this wonderful time of year while maintaining a healthy lifestyle! At Mac’s Pharmacy, we are dedicated to improving your health and well-being, so learn more about how we can assist you with all of your pharmaceutical needs!
