Even though the holidays are a time to have fun and let loose, the year-end festivities can affect your health. This season is jam-packed with all sorts of activities, from loud parties to many holiday shopping trips, and if you aren’t monitoring your health, you might have trouble recovering from the holidays after the New Year.
Fortunately, there are several things you can do to maintain a healthy lifestyle during the holidays. Whether you plan to spend the holidays by going to your local marijuana dispensary and ordering some edibles to chill out or by traveling to see family, here are 5 tips to help keep your health in check this season.
Manage Your Self-Indulge Responsibly
There’s no shame in giving in to a little self-indulgence during the holidays. After all, you’ve been working hard the entire year, so you deserve to give yourself a break and enjoy the good things in life. However, it’s unwise to be overindulgent during the holidays because you’ll be placing yourself at risk of developing health problems.
During holiday celebrations, it’s typical to see a lot of fatty, salty, and sweet foods spread across the table. It’s also common that copious amounts of alcohol are being served. Consuming large quantities of these types of food and drink can lead to several health issues such as heart disease, liver problems, and high blood pressure. That’s why if you plan to self-indulge during the holidays, do it responsibly and in moderation.
One way to enjoy your holiday meal in a healthy way is to pace yourself. There’s no reason to stuff yourself with too much food and drink because, if you do, your body will have problems digesting the everything properly—making you feel bloated and uncomfortable. You also have to know the right time to stop indulging yourself. This way, your body can recover from all the merrymaking and prepare you for your next holiday activity.
Stay Active
Just because it’s the holidays, it doesn’t mean that you should take a break from staying fit. Regular exercise is still important during this season because it will not only help you maintain a healthy weight, but it can also make you less lethargic and give you the energy you need to get through the busy season. You don’t necessarily have to do intense workouts to stay fit. Taking a nice jog or a short walk is enough, and even doing simple exercise routines indoors can help you stay healthy.
Get Enough Sleep
A lot of holiday parties tend to start in the evening and can last until early morning the next day. And even though it’s fun to stay up late so as not to miss a beat, you need to give your body time to rest. Depriving yourself of sleep can affect your mood, as well as the way your body recuperates. It can also drain your mental abilities and weaken your immune system—putting your health at real risk as a result. Some of the problems you can encounter due to lack of sleep include poor coordination, trouble with thinking and concentration, and weight gain. As for health issues brought on by poor sleeping habits, you’ll increase the likelihood of developing diabetes, dementia, and certain types of cancers.
It’s recommended that you get around 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. This will give your body enough time to rest, recharge, and be ready for the challenges you’ll encounter the next day. That’s why when your body is telling you that you’re tired, listen to it and go get some shut-eye.
Make Time to De-Stress
With so many things to do to during the holiday season, it’s easy for you to be overwhelmed and get stressed. Going to several parties, meeting up with friends and family, and attending other holiday obligations can overload your senses, triggering the symptoms of stress as a result. You can’t enjoy the festivities if you’re irritable or having a migraine, so do your best to make time to de-stress. Dedicating a few days just to stay at home to pause from the festivities will help keep your mind at ease. You can also treat yourself to a day of pampering, so you can rest, relax, and let your worries melt away.
Try Starting Healthy Holiday Traditions
It can be difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle during the holidays if you aren’t consistent. So a great way to take care of your health during the festive season is to start making healthy holiday traditions. Choosing to go healthy during the holidays will encourage you to create and stick to a game plan that will help you reach your fitness and nutrition goals. Plus, you can get your whole family to join in on the fun, so everyone can benefit from your new tradition.
The change also doesn’t have to be drastic. You can start with small things to help you ease into your new healthy holiday lifestyle. For instance, you can try swapping heavy meat dishes with more vegetable-forward options. And by the time you’re used to your new holiday tradition, you can up the ante by engaging in winter sports or joining holiday fun runs.
It’s easy to forget about your health during the holidays, especially when the festivities can tempt you into overindulging. However, you can maintain a healthy lifestyle and still have fun during the season with the help of the tips mentioned above.
