10 ways to stay healthy this holiday season

The holidays are upon us, which means lots of time spent with loved ones, enjoying the warmth of the indoors, a lavish dessert table always just a few steps away.

The holiday season is a wonderful time of year that should be enjoyed & indulged. But with a different party at every turn, it can be easy for those holiday treats to add up. 

In my holistic wellness business, I focus less on the number on the scale & more so on the numbers of health biomarkers. Put more simply, I focus on how my clients are feeling & how healthy they are. When people engage in healthy habits, they feel better, mentally & physically, & a healthy weight will come from those healthy habits in its own time.

This holiday season, it’s important that we focus less on our weight & more so on how we are feeling. Despite the fun festivities this time of year, there are many factors that impact our emotional & physical health in a negative way. The limited sunlight, busyness of the season, & tempting sugary treats can cause anyone’s health to decline. Given most of us would like to enjoy this special time of year, it’s important that we take care of ourselves, emotionally & physically.

If you are struggling to find ways to keep your health goals on track this season, read below for seven healthy habits that will help you take care of your body & mind. And like I said before, if you are worried about those holiday pounds, these habits will also keep your waistline in check, or possibly even shrink it a little.

1. Prioritize eating enough vegetables & protein at parties

There is no doubt that there will be plenty of carbohydrates & fats at every party. Dishes laden in butter always find themselves on the dinner table, along with rolls & potatoes, & the desserts are always full of delicious sugar. To keep your goals on track, instead of focusing on & limiting foods deemed “unhealthy,” intentionally nourish yourself with protein & vegetables. 

Focusing on limiting our intake of certain foods can negatively impact our mental health. While portion control is always a good idea, completely restricting or starving ourselves of foods we love can make us feel unhappy, & it is correlated with unhealthy binges when we finally give in to our desires. 

Instead of limiting or restricting, focus instead of what your body needs. There will be plenty of carbs & fats, so fill your plate first with protein & vegetables. Nourish your body. Then, if you are still hungry, enjoy some of your favorite fat- or carb-heavy dishes. By making your protein & veggie intake a priority, you are more likely to have a balanced plate, which means a well-nourished body. Remember, carbs & fats are an important party of our daily nutrition intake, too, so they do not need to be entirely avoided. 

2. Exercise

The easiest way to keep your metabolism running, gut moving steadily, & to get a lovely serotonin (or happy hormone) boost is to exercise. Keeping your body moving can also help you detox from anything you have eaten that your body doesn’t enjoy, & it will help you use up some of the extra energy (food) you have consumed. 

Most importantly, exercise makes our bodies feel good. Eating more sugar can increase inflammation, eating more salt can increase water retention, & eating rich foods in general can cause bloating & discomfort. Exercise can help combat all of these symptoms, which will help us feel our best for our next celebration. 

Exercise also impacts our mental health in a positive way. Despite the extra exertion of energy, exercise releases hormones in our body that make us feel happy & energized. This means more productive work days & more fun at parties. Engaging in regular exercise can also help us have more productive sleep, which brings us to our next topic.

3. Get enough sleep

Sleep is one of the most important things we can do for our health. It is essential for our bodies to rest in order to grow strong & healthy. Our muscles repair & grow from exercise when we sleep, & our minds are able to decompress during REM sleep from anything stressing us in our lives. 

When we don’t get enough sleep, it impacts us both mentally & physically. Limited sleep actual causes a reversal in the hormones released in our bodies. Normally, sleep releases leptin, which makes us feel rested & satisfied. But when we don’t get enough sleep, cortisol & ghrelin are released instead. Ghrelin makes us feel hungrier & causes sugar cravings, which means the morning donut you might normally pass up for a healthier choice suddenly becomes a donut or two for breakfast. Cortisol causes stress & inflammation in the body, & it can also cause an unhealthy weight gain around your stomach & thighs. Limited sleep is directly related to a weakened immune system & higher risk for disease. 

Cortisol negatively impacts our mental health as well. When we have higher levels of cortisol, even small stresses in our daily lives seem unmanageable. There is a mind-body connection, & when we don’t take care of & let our bodies rest, our minds feel it, too.

If you are feeling extra stressed in your life, think about whether or not you are getting enough sleep. The phrase “Have you tried turning it off & on again?” applies to humans, too. Aim to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night for the best results. This will also allow for an ample amount of REM sleep, which, as stated above, is our body’s way of handling daily stresses in our lives. If you have a big problem you can’t solve, you may want to sleep on it. You might find in the morning, your subconscious brain has created a solution for you. 

4. Practice mindfulness

We can’t always use sleep as our means for rest, especially in the middle of a work day. If you find yourself feeling stressed during your day, take a few minutes to practice mindfulness exercises. 

Engaging in a regular mindfulness practice has numerous benefits. From lowering stress to decreased blood pressure, mindfulness exercises like meditation, mindful walking & yoga can help increase our quality of life. Even if you only have 30 seconds to spare, sit, focus on your breath, & be present. You will be amazed at how much this simple exercise can make you feel more at peace in your daily life.

5. Enjoy small indulgences

Like stated above, completely restricting or starving yourself of your favorite foods can negatively impact your mental & physical health. We tend to feel discouraged & saddened when we completely restrict ourselves from the foods we love, & when we do give in to temptation, its all too common to go on an all-out binge & eat way more than we would have initially. 

The holidays are a perfect time to enjoy special treats. When you go to a party, give yourself a chance to make a selection of one or two desserts instead of sampling every single one. Walk down the table once to take a look at the options, & then a second time to get a piece of the ones you want. This helps you to avoid the all-too-common mistake of grabbing the first dessert that looks good, & then realizing the one you really wanted was all the way at the end of the table. Eating only one or two desserts will also help keep those carbs & sugars in check, so you can enjoy the holidays while keeping the inflammation & weight gain to a minimum. 

6. Incorporate more movement into your day

Intentional exercise is not the only time we should be moving our bodies. Many people engage in regular exercise, but then spend the rest of their days sedentary at their desks. This not only increases your chance for weight gain, but it can increase inflammation & muscle tightness, which can lead to more chronic illness. 

If you find yourself sitting for most of your day, set a timer to get up & take a walk every once in a while. Even if it’s only for 15 minutes on your lunch break, or a quick 2-minute walk to the water cooler each hour, your body will reap the benefits, & it may help you feel better mentally, too! Working all day can be draining, but taking a quick break to move & breathe can help you to refocus & re-energize. 

If you can’t get up & walk, do a few seated stretches at your desk each hour to keep your body limber. A seated cat/cow, neck stretches, straightening your legs & reaching for your toes, & seated shoulder stretches are a great place to start.

7. Spend time in sunlight

There are fewer hours of daylight in the winter, which means more time spent indoors. Often, this time spent inside is much less active than the time spent outside, which means people tend to get more sedentary. The extra energy we are getting from holiday foods is stored rather than burned, & our muscles get stiff from the lack of use. The limited sunlight can also cause a deficiency in Vitamin D, which can weaken your immune system.

The lack of sunlight can cause our moods to shift, too. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is caused by the decreased exposure to sunlight, & it can make the holiday blues feel even more morose. 

The best remedy is to get outdoors. It may be cold, but even just spending15 minutes in sunlight daily can combat all of the regular effects of the winter darkness. Go for a walk, meditate, or just relax on your front porch drinking a hot cup of tea. 

If you absolutely can’t get outdoors during the day, consider getting a sun lamp. It’s not as good as the real thing, but spending 15 minutes basking in the glow of this fake sun can help improve your mental health. 

8. Eat mindfully

There is so much good food during the holidays that we often tend to stuff ourselves far beyond what our bodies need. Remember, food is fuel, & the goal at feeding times is to nourish ourselves.

When you arrive at a buffet-style party, use the same strategy as used for the dessert table. Walk down once to peruse what the options are, & then walk through a second time to fill your plate with what you want. Remember to make the majority of your plate proteins & vegetables, & then add smaller portions of the carbs & fats you want. Eat slowly, engage in conversation, & relax for at least 15 minutes after eating before getting up for seconds. You may find you are satisfied with the amount that you initially ate. 

The holidays have a lot of fun foods that we don’t normally get, so to make sure you don’t feel like you are missing out with smaller portions, eat mindfully. Chew slowly & savor the flavor of what you eat. Pay attention to the smell, texture & taste, & feel how good it feels to put these warm, comforting foods in your stomach. The goal of eating mindfully is to feel satisfied, instead of restricted or stuffed, at the end of the meal.

9. Drink your water

One of the most important things you can do for your health is to hydrate your body. In the winter, your body will thank you for this in many ways. 

Our bodies need water to operate. When we don’t drink enough water, it negatively impacts our organ function, immune system, & energy.

Try to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. If you are traveling, regularly exercising, struggling to get in enough sleep, or fighting off illness, consider also adding electrolytes to your drink. Nuun is a great choice, with different options depending on your activity level & personal needs. Nuun Vitamins, Nuun Immunity, & Nuun Rest can all be great every day options to drink. 

10. Check-in with yourself

The most important thing you can ever do for your health is to check in with yourself. We all have different needs, & you know your body best. What is your lifestyle lacking? What practices would add more quality to your life? If it’s more sleep, create a regular sleep schedule & set a timer to go to bed each night. If it’s drinking water, set a timer on your phone to remind you to drink, or get a fancy water bottle that helps you keep track of how much you have consumed throughout your day. If it’s making healthy food choices, bring the healthy food choice to a party so you know there is at least one dish there that you can enjoy & share with others. If it’s exercising, find a buddy to keep you accountable or a gym class that you enjoy. If you need more time for self-care, schedule it into your planner & be intentional about what you do during that time.

Whatever it is that your body or mind needs, have grace & love for yourself & take the time to engage in self-care. More than anything, this is what will help you live your healthiest lifestyle & feel your very best.