Tips to Stay Healthy During the Holidays
TIPS TO STAY HEALTHY DURING THE HOLIDAYS
Stay healthy the holidays
Holidays are the best time to meet up with family and friends. As is tradition, this time of the years entails family, fun, food, drinks, gifts and more fun. It is a time involving lots of planning for families with little time to look after the body. With all the eating, drinking, and little time for exercise, it is understandable that your body will feel the heat afterward. Many people get out of the holidays feeling tired and worn-out but it doesn't have to be this way. If you plan to enjoy a vacation with family this holiday season, you can have all the fun you want and still stay healthy.This article explores different ideas to stay healthy while having fun during the holidays. Keep reading.1. Stay Active
It is easy to forget all about your exercise routine with all the fun, food and drinks. What with all the traveling there's to do over the holiday? However, you don't have to hit the gym to stay healthy during the holidays. The idea is to remain active through jogging, running among other things. You can involve other family members in your exercise routine to have some fun while at it.2. Drink Plenty of WaterWater is life and while this is a cliché, it is an inevitable truth. During the colder winter months, most people forget all about staying hydrated, yet the body still requires water to function. To stay healthy, cut on carbonated drinks including sodas and energy drinks and instead drink lots of water.3. Get a Flu ShotThe flu season falls on the holiday season and the alt thing you want is to go down with the flu when everyone is having fun. To avert such an unfortunate situation, you need to get a flu shot. This is crucial when traveling and you should get everyone in the family vaccinated to stay safe.4. Stay Active When travelingMost people have to travel during the holidays to be with family and friends. At the time, such trips take hours or even days by air, road or train. Whatever means of travel you plan to use, it is essential to appreciate the risk of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) caused by blood clots in your legs.When you sit immobile for too long, this painful and life-threatening condition develops and it is thus advisable to walk on the plane or train or bus aisle every hour or so. Clots can travel from the legs to your lungs causing more health problems and this is the last thing you want during this happy and carefree season.5. Watch Out For GermsThe holiday season provides a perfect opportunity for germs to thrive. When traveling and meeting people, there's always the risk of picking up infections along the way. Your hands are the primary culprit in this case and you have to take extra care to keep them clean.Pack an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to keep germs away because there are risks everywhere you move from the ATM touch screens, escalator rails, mall doors and elevator buttons among other areas. If you don't have a hand sanitizer, make sure you wash your hands regularly as this is the best way to prevent sickness.6. Manage StressThe holiday season involves a lot of planning with many tasks to do to pull off the perfect holiday parties and events. As a household owner, you have to ensure everything works perfectly and it is no wonder many people start panicking even before the family.By the time the holidays are over, many people are sick and stressed due to the pressure that comes with the season. To avoid stress during the holidays, organize your life by prioritizing things, enjoy regular physical activities, spend time with friends and family, take up yoga or some other stress relieving exercises, get plenty of sleep, take time off from all the hustle and bustle and idle around. You should identify your stress triggers and talk to a doctor before the holidays in other ways to avoid them.7. Avoid OvereatingThis is a tough one because from Thanks-Giving all the way to Christmas, there's always a party to attend and this means a lot of food and drinks. It is no wonder then that most people enter the New Year with a resolution to cut weight.Well, you can stay healthy by taking a conscious decision to avoid overeating. You should go easy on appetizers, meats, desserts, cream sauces because they still add to the calories. In your diet, add veggies and lots of water and you will have no regrets once the holidays are over.8. Limit Alcohol Consumption
Over-consumption of alcohol over the holiday season has seen thousands of people in the emergency room. It is an unhealthy tradition and you need to make a tough stance on the same as an individual. There are serious health repercussions of drinking to excess and they go further than the next day hangover.It damages your liver, and you might end up making other risky choices in a drunken stupor. It might look funny in movies but in real life, excess alcohol is a matter of life and death. To stay healthy over the holidays, cut your holiday intake and instead take up other fun activities such as winter sports or traveling.9. Avoid Food PoisoningOne of the major health risks during the holidays is food poisoning. The food you eat can turn into a health risk if not well preserved, prepared or cooked. For instance, turkey stuffed overnight provides a perfect environment for bacteria while buffets left out for too long can lead to food poisoning. To stay safe, wash your hands, clean all work surfaces and utensils you plan to use, cook food to the recommended time and temperatures and refrigerate leftovers.10. Chill and RelaxIt is possible to relax and unwind during the holidays and this is the healthiest decision you can make. When staying at the best luxury hotels, you can always enjoy a reinvigorating massage to pamper your body and mind. It is important to create some alone time to avoid stress and rejuvenate your body.If you plan to enjoy a vacation during the holidays, you should consider these tips when traveling, eating and drinking and while having fun. Take precautions to stay safe and remember some poor choices can affect your health for life. Enjoy a healthy holiday.