Well, it’s that time of year again! With all the food, traveling, parties, and everything fun that comes with the holidays, it can be difficult to keep up with eating healthy and exercising.  Here are a few tips on how to stay healthy during the holiday season!

1. Make time for physical activity. Whether it’s taking a family walk around the park or fitting in a half hour workout in the morning before preparing for that Thanksgiving dinner, it’s always good to get some physical activity in! It doesn’t have to be anything fancy and you don’t have to hit the gym to get in a workout. The important thing is to make exercise a priority, regardless of what it is, or you may forget it altogether.
2. HYDRATE. Drinking water is so important. Your body needs water! It can be really difficult to drink water when there are other drinks available, such as alcohol, soda, juice, etc. It’s also hard when you’re traveling, as you may have less access to water when you’re on the road. Travel with a water bottle! Remember to empty the water  before going through TSA. You can always refill your water bottle at a water fountain after passing through TSA.
3. Have good hygiene! This is something that is sometimes overlooked but nothing ruins the holidays than getting sick. It makes the holidays much less enjoyable, especially if you miss out on a party just because you weren’t feeling well. Wash your hands, have hand sanitizer with you, bundle up appropriately, etc.
4. Indulge but don’t indulge too much. This means watch your portions of the delicious food you’re eating. Enjoy the food. There’s always a lot of food during the holidays. People bring in cookies, candy, etc to the office and there’s plenty of food at parties. However, it’s not a free-for-all to eat huge portions of everything. If anything, choose specific foods you want to indulge in, such as your grandma’s favorite pecan pie or that delicious pot roast that your aunt makes for Christmas every year. You don’t eat this stuff normally and it’s okay to indulge and enjoy the occasion! Everything in moderation is the key.
5. Eat slower and enjoy your food! This will make sure you don’t choke on your food. Choking hazard joke aside, savor your food and enjoy it. It takes a while for your stomach to register that you’re eating and starting to get full. Giving this more time to set in can prevent you from eating more than you intend to.  Plus, you really get to enjoy the flavors of the meal you have and you get to catch up with friends and family you haven’t seen in a while since you’re eating slowly and enjoying time with them.

At the end, just enjoy the holidays and try not to stress about eating. After all, the most important thing is that you are spending time with your family and friends. Go ahead and indulge!

How do you stay healthy during the holidays? 

What’s your favorite holiday treat?