If you missed our blog last week, we shared the first 5 of 10 tips to help you stay healthier during the holiday season. This time of year can be very demanding on our schedules and can even be a bit stressful for some of us. At COMC we know that extra stress and burning the candle at both ends can make it more challenging for your body and immune system to keep up. We also tend to slack off on good habits when we get busy and stressed which means we can lose some of the progress we have made. So, we thought this would be a good time to share a few easy tips to help you help your body keep up. Last week our tips were to 1) Wash your hands regularly, 2) Use moderation when drinking, 3) Manage your stress 4) Exercise and 5) Buddy up for encouragement and accountability. You can click here to see all of part one, and just keep reading to hear tips 6-10!
6) Get Your Sleep
It’s important to let your body refresh and recharge in an order to keep up with the busy pace of the holidays. While it can be a challenge to schedule enough sleep each night, it is a powerful way to help give your body what it needs to stay healthy.
7) Don’t Smoke
Smoking cigarettes is hard on your health in every way. One of the best things you can do for yourself no matter what your health goals are is to not smoke.
8) Eat Healthy
Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without some of the yummy treats and dishes that we look forward to each year. It’s hard to avoid eating unhealthy things all together, but we can help balance that by also feeding our body things that we know are good for it. Focus on high-fiber foods and lean proteins that are satisfying and nutritious so that your body doesn’t suffer as much when you eat the sugary and fatty foods of the season. Again, moderation is key.
9) Drink Water
You may indulge in many other tasty beverages during the holidays but be sure to not neglect your water intake. Sometimes just keeping track of how much you’re drinking can help you be more successful in drinking enough water. Being tired is one of the first signs of being dehydrated and we know we push ourselves a little harder during this time of the year anyway. So do yourself a favor and make it a goal to stay hydrated.
10) Don’t Make Food the Focus
It seems like so many of the gatherings and activities we enjoy during the holidays are very centered around food. But simply positioning yourself away from the buffet table and visiting or playing games instead of standing next to the snacks can make it less tempting to eat the whole time. When you are full after a sit-down mean, get up from the table and go for a walk or do something more active rather than sitting there and continuing to nibble.
Have a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!
At Central Ozarks Medical Center, our team of caring medical care providers in Central Missouri are here to help and encourage you regarding all of your health related goals. We hope you find these tips helpful and we want to remind you that you don’t have to do utilize all 10 of these tips to receive some benefits. Every little bit helps when it comes to helping you and your family stay healthy. We hope you have a happy and healthy holiday season this year. We encourage you to stay in touch by following us on social media using the links below to hear more helpful tips and information about staying healthy and accessing healthcare services in mid-Missouri.
Follow along with our blogs to get more health and lifestyle pointers to keep you out of our office more than once a year!
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