Have a healthy Holiday season

Many people experience difficulties maintaining their healthier lifestyle over the holiday season. With that in mind, here are 8 tips to keep you on track with your healthy plans during this time.

One day of Christmas is never enough to celebrate the wonder that it offers. By the time we're closing in on December, social obligations and work deadlines can take their toll. To keep your mind and body healthy, here are some small things you can do--

Nutrition is one of the most important lifestyle habits to focus on, but it shouldn’t be your only focus. It’s important to remember that many habits, like sleep or managing stress, can affect how you feel. Eating better and getting enough exercise doesn't just help your waistline; it also can keep you energized at work and happier too!

Here are 8 tips on how to keep on top of your health and well-being

1. Regular fiber rich meals

Fiber plays an important role in our diet. This is especially true during Christmas time when there are often high-sugar foods. It's important to include high fiber foods at every meal, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Make sure to eat plenty of high fiber foods such as fruit, vegetables and whole grains such as oats, brown rice and quinoa throughout the day.

Fill half your plate with colorful, non-starchy vegetables for instance leafy greens, carrots broccoli beans tomatoes and capsicum.

2. Avoid going hungry

One issue with trying to save your appetite for a Christmas lunch is that you're left feeling notably under-fed for the rest of the day. This can then lead you to eating more than what you needed at that first meal, and can cause increased feelings of hunger as the day progresses.

Having regular meals and eating lighter meals/smaller portions can help you feel better after Christmas lunch/dinner. Some examples to try are:

• A mixed salad with smoked salmon, roasted vegetables and quinoa

• Eggs with spinach and avocado

• You can start your day with a bowl of oatmeal and fresh fruit, and then add some natural yogurt to the mix

• Healthy Fruit Salad Recipe.

If you're not feeling too hungry, some healthy snack options you can choose from include:

• fresh fruit

• Vegetables with hummus

• a handful of nuts and seeds

• natural yogurt

• bread with tomato.

3. Keep your food safe

Simply preparing food for Christmas can put some people off their summer holiday later on. This is because each year around 100,000 people end up with food poisoning from what they eat at home around this time of year.

The risk of getting sick with a bug is increased during the summer. It grows faster in warm weather and people are more likely to be out and about then, increasing their risk for illness too. To avoid catching a bug, follow the "3 Cs" (clean your hands often, cover your mouth/nose when you sneeze or cough and clean surfaces you.

Clean

• Before you prepare food, make sure to wash your hands, chopping boards and all utensils first.

• To kill bacteria, use hot soapy water and let them air dry. Towels can damage the coating that keeps the fabric soft and prevents smell from accumulating.

Cook

• When cooking food, especially chicken and mince, make sure the juices run clear once cooked.

• If you're reheating food, do so until it's steaming.

Chill

• Separate raw and cooked food in the fridge

• Make sure food is not left out at room temperature

• The use of chilli in cooking can reduce food contamination. Put cooked meat in the fridge as soon as possible to stop bacteria growing.

4. Change up your drink choices

It's your choice whether you drink alcohol or not; however, be aware of the amount you do drink. Heavy or binge drinking can lead to heart diseases and even death in some cases, no matter how much you typically drink.

Make sure to hydrate before you start drinking alcohol, especially in warmer weather. Drink less alcohol and alternate it with non-alcoholic drinks to have a healthy relationship with it.

It's a good idea to choose a drink without alcohol when attending social events. There is no obligation to drink, and it's fine if you don't want any alcoholic drinks.

5. Keep active

It is important to stay active all year around for a healthy heart

Once school holidays come around, get outside every day. This could be going to the beach, park or even your local track & field facility. The important thing is to get out there and get active.

Exercise supports both your physical and mental health, moreover, even a walk with a friend or on your own with some music & a podcast will contribute to keeping you balanced.

6. Manage the busy days and weeks

It can be hard to make healthy food choices when we're busy and often what we eat and whether we exercise become less important.

There's a strong link between what we eat and how we feel. Preparing some food in advance ensures that you will not be faced with eating on impulse or neglecting yourself. It is advised to take time out of your week to prepare some meals; two hours should be enough.

As we get closer to Christmas, we’ve prepared a full Christmas menu that serves 8. It should make cooking easier on the day itself.

7. Prioritize sleep

With all that’s going on during December and January - celebrations, kids finishing school, work winding up for the year and family coming together - it can be hard to get a good night’s sleep. However, it is important to make sure you get enough rest.

It's an old saying but sleep does help the body recover. The link between poor sleep and heart disease is also reason enough to aim for 7-8 hours of sleep a night.

Eating well and exercising daily, moderating alcohol intake and turning off screens an hour before sleeping can help you get good quality sleep.

8. Enjoy the social time

One thing that the twenty-twenty-one has taught us is the power and importance of social connection. It's been a big year for everyone with all the uncertainty, so it's important to take some time to rest and relax.

Spend some time away from the news, social media or any other content on your phone to be present with those around you. Give yourself permission to focus on your conversations with friends and family during the time you spend together.

Please call Superior Compounding Pharmacy to speak with one of our licensed pharmacists today at 734-404-6065. We can help answer any medication questions that you may have.