With the holidays in full swing, you might be wondering how you can enjoy the season without sabotaging your health. Heavy meals and unrealistic expectations are just a few common factors that may be causing you stress and anxiety during the holiday season. From overeating at dinners to staying up all night preparing your home for the next family get-together, it can be easy to throw your healthy habits to the curb.

Stay true to your health and wellness this holiday season by following these simple tips:

Eat mindfully

Holiday meals tend to be richer and heavier than typical meals, which often leads to excessive caloric intake. Instead of piling your plate full of every single dish at the buffet, only grab your favorite holiday dishes and practice portion control.

When you’re eating, try to allow yourself to truly enjoy every bite, paying attention to the taste, aroma and texture. Eating mindfully is an effective weight-loss strategy that can help you focus your senses on savoring and tasting your food, which can help teach you to follow hunger cues.

Stay hydrated

It can be easy to forget to drink enough water when you are caught up in the hustle and bustle of things. However, staying hydrated is crucial for your overall health and wellness. Drinking water helps maintain the balance of fluids in the body. Drinking enough water each day helps regulate body temperature, keeps the joints lubricated, delivers nutrients to the cells and keeps the organs functioning properly.

Try establishing a routine and create a water consumption schedule to make drinking water a priority in your routine. If you aren’t much of a water drinker, try adding flavor into your water from lemons, limes or other fresh fruits.

Regulate your stress

While the holiday season is often full of joy, for many, it’s also a season for stress and anxiety. During the holiday season, people often resort to unhealthy habits as a way to cope with anxiety and stress. Dealing with stress can be detrimental to both your mental and physical health. Stress can weaken your immune system and cause high blood pressure, anxiety, depression and even heart disease.

It is important that you manage your stress and take time for self-care, putting your needs first. Take some time to relax and unwind by going for a walk, meditate or watch your favorite movie.

Boost your immune system

During the holiday season, we often put our normal routines on the back burner. However, extra stress, foods high in saturated fats, skipping exercise, and much more can all weaken your immune system. Having a healthy immune system is crucial for your health as it protects your body from harmful substances, germs and cell changes that could make you ill. Here are a few ways you can boost your immunity naturally:

  • Drink plenty of fluids
  • Get enough sleep
  • Eat a well-balanced diet
  • Stress less
  • Exercise regularly

The holidays are a wonderful time to make memories and enjoy being with your loved ones. Remember to keep yourself in good shape and remain healthy as you go into the new year. By following these tips, you can make this holiday season the best one yet.

Contact us

At Summit Medical Clinic, we provide consultation and ongoing care for the whole family’s health. Please schedule an appointment by calling (719) 630-1006 or visiting our website.