Staying Healthy in the Holiday Season

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

I hope you’re having a joyous holiday. The holiday season is a time of enjoyment and celebration, but many of us worry about derailing our health in the process. It is definitely possible to treat yourself and still keep your health in tact. Here are a few pieces of advice I try to follow during this exciting time.

Quick Tips for Staying Healthy in the Holiday Season
1. Choose your indulgences. Not every treat is bound to be your favorite, so select a few that you can’t live without and kindly pass on the others. This will keep your intake of excess sugar and unhealthy ingredients to a minimum.
2. Drink water. Heavy foods and alcohol will dehydrate you, so make sure to be drinking plain water all day. Even mild dehydration can lead to headaches, low energy, and hunger (when you’re not truly hungry).
3. Eat your greens. Green vegetables, especially leafy ones like spinach, kale, or swiss chard, have a powerful cleansing effect on the body. Counteract the extra sugar and processed foods with a generous helping of greens or a large green salad as often as possible.
4. Make time to be active. While it may seem impossible to schedule a trip to the gym during holiday festivities, make time to go for a walk or get your heartrate up with jumping jacks or other simple exercises you can do at home. Just 15 or 20 minutes of activity can help off-set some of the extra calories you’ve consumed and banish the sluggish feeling you get from overeating.
5. Watch your immunity. We’re all susceptible to colds and flu this time of year, and the extra sugar and unhealthy treats make us more vulnerable. Be sure to include a generous serving of vegetables with every meal and consume immunity boosting foods like garlic, onions, and fresh lemon juice in water.
6. Supplement. While I think most of our nutrients should come from food, it’s a bit difficult when you’re consuming holiday cuisine. Be sure to take a good-quality multivitamin daily, and consider vitamin C (500mg to 1000mg), probiotics (for digestive health), and immune supplements (containing garlic, medicinal mushrooms, or herbs like echinacea or astragulus).

Have a healthy and happy holiday,
Emily

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