Eight tips for a healthy holiday

By Julie Jordan
Published December 21, 2018

Are you taking time off work, traveling to visit family and friends, eating richer foods, wrapping gifts like Santa’s elf and only vaguely recalling the deeper meaning of the holiday season on sporadic occasions? If so, you’re not alone. Most Americans engage in one or more of these activities this time of year, and if you’re celebrating in the South, like many Georgians, you might gain some serious weight in the process. Instead of experiencing some of the negative effects of the season, end your 2018 holiday feeling happy and healthy with these tips.

  1. Get good sleep. During the holidays there are late meals, late nights and overexertion preparing gifts and food for the season, but if you can give yourself sleep, you have a better chance of making it through feeling well.
    • It’s difficult to go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning during the holidays, but the closer you can get to maintaining your normal sleep schedule, the more refreshed you will feel. 
    • Make the bedroom quiet, dark, relaxing and a comfortable temperature. If you are a guest somewhere, try turning off all the lights before nighttime to see how the room feels, and address any issues before bedtime. If you are hosting guests, try to set “quiet hours” for everyone to sleep better.
    • Remove electronic devices, such as TVs, computers, and smart phones, from the bedroom. The less temptation to interrupt your sleep, the better.
    • Before bedtime, try not to eat large meals, skip caffeine and avoid alcohol. Each of these can make it harder to go to sleep. If you must eat late, eat less.
    • Move your body during the day to help you fall asleep more easily at night. One great way to help combat the extra calories in holiday foods is through movement like a walk around the neighborhood or dancing to your favorite holiday tunes.
  2. Develop a SMART health goal for 2019. People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals. During a long holiday car ride or flight, begin thinking about how you’d like to feel in the new year. Make a specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely, or SMART, goal to benefit your health. Here’s an example: I will go for a brisk, 30-minute walk each day after work. If that goal sounds good, there are many health benefits to walking.   
  3. Guard against the flu. Nothing can ruin your holiday more easily than catching the flu. Flu season runs from October to February and sometimes goes as late as May. Protect yourself and your family during the holidays by taking these flu prevention steps.
    • Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially while traveling.  
    • Cough into the crook of your elbow.
    • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
    • Avoid close contact with sick people.
    • Get the flu vaccine. Although it takes about two weeks to be effective, there is still time to get the flu shot.
  4. Prepare your food safely. It is so tempting to eat raw dough during the holidays with so much baking happening in the kitchen and eager little ones waiting expectantly for treats. But say “no” to raw dough. Eating unbaked products that are intended to be cooked, such as dough or batter, can make you sick. Flour has not been treated to kill germs like E. coli. And raw eggs contain Salmonella. Both of these are not killed until they are cooked.  
  5. Drink alcohol in moderation. To combat the negative effects of excessive alcohol use, the Dietary Guidelines recommend up to 1 drink per day for women and up to 2 drinks per day for men. Alcohol should only be consumed by adults of legal drinking age. Those who do not drink alcohol should not start drinking.
  6. Don’t skip meals. Often during the holidays it is tempting to want to save all of your calories for big holiday meals. This is a bad strategy. When you skip meals like breakfast you may end up overeating later. Satisfy your hunger with foods that are rich in fiber but low in calories such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and you will eat less during holiday meals. Read more from the Academy of Nutrition Dietetics.  
  7. Eat too much? Exercise it off. Exercise is a powerful tool for helping to lower the amount of calories you consume in a given day. If you overeat while celebrating during the holidays, try to burn off some of the excess calories with exercise. Great calorie-burning exercises are jumping rope or uphill workouts—the more resistance, the better. Moderate exercise for a longer period of time, like walking, will also help burn the excess calories. Want to know more? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Physical Activity Guidelines [pdf] is a great resource.
  8. Keep things in perspective with gratitude. Sometimes it is difficult to spend time with family and maintain your inner peace. But if you keep a grateful heart, it can act as a buffer against negativity. Count your blessings, meditate and write sincere thank you notes to help gain the many benefits of gratitude. Being thankful isn’t just for Thanksgiving.