As entertaining and enjoyable as the holidays may be, they can also be a stressful time. Therefore, it’s even more important to follow a few simple guidelines that will keep you feeling great and more relaxed through this season by following some healthy holiday habits.
Get enough rest
You’ll be asking a lot of yourself, physically, mentally, and emotionally – it puts tremendous pressure on your brain to not only handle all the extra work, but also to maintain itself, clean itself, and nourish itself. All of this happens automatically while you sleep, and that’s one of the most important reasons to get seven or eight hours of sleep each night. Do your best to get some additional rest during the holidays.
Pace yourself on holiday foods
Our holiday diet tends to be heavier, sweeter, saltier, and more fried, among other nutritional indiscretions.
It’s pointless to swear off all these foods – they are a vital part of the holiday spirit! And speaking of holiday spirits, many people enjoy adult beverages, too. And all of these extra calories and foods that are difficult to digest properly take a toll on your health.
What’s the answer? Pace yourself! You can have pretty much whatever you like, within reason, just don’t eat it all. Have a bite or two. Enjoy it. Savor it!
Drink lots of water
Those same heavy, salty, sweet, fried foods will tend to clog up your system, and nothing cleans it out like having enough water. Typically, you probably need at least half an ounce a day for every pound of body weight, between eight and twelve glasses each day for most people. But during the holidays, drink a little extra, to give yourself an advantage in stressful times.
Breathe
In stressful times, one of our first responses is to shorten our breath, costing us valuable oxygen and robbing our brain and cells of their primary fuel! Get into the habit of taking a few deep breaths whenever you are feeling stressed, tired, anxious, or distracted. Often, the air you take in will clarify your thinking, make you feel stronger and yet more relaxed, and will promote a general feeling of well-being. Even better, start and end your day with ten or twelve nice full breaths, and you’ll be amazed at how refreshed you feel.
We Wish you and your Loved Ones a Happy Healthy Holiday Season!
Thank You for Allowing Us to Serve You!