5 Healthy Tips For The Holidays [Eat Well & Beat The Stress]

You’ve been working hard all year to prioritize your health, so it’s natural to want to take a break during the holidays. But there are some easy-to-incorporate healthy tips for the holidays that will keep you on track an keep you from backsliding over the coming weeks.

So, let’s dive in and review some useful tips on how to stay healthy during the holiday season.

 

How to Maintain Healthy Habits During the Holidays

The holidays are notorious for causing many people to revert to old, unhealthy habits when it comes to their health.

Between making (and eating!) bountiful meals, focusing on shopping for gifts, and the general acceptance for overindulgence, it’s pretty common for many of us to put our health on the back burner.

Fortunately, there are simple tips and tricks you can incorporate into your holiday routine to help prevent this from happening to you. After all, you don’t want all your hard work to go to waste.

So, let’s take a quick look at some overarching Do’s and Don’ts before diving into my top healthy tips for the holidays.

Do:

Don't:

 

Healthy tips for the holidays - Dr. Pingel

 

Now let’s take a look at some specific healthy holiday tips that you can incorporate to make sure you stay on track.

 

5 Healthy Tips For The Holidays

Here are some of my top healthy tips for the holidays. Take a look and see which ones you can use to help make your holidays healthier.

1. Choose homemade over processed foods.

The unfortunate truth is that all processed foods, by definition, contain preservatives and chemicals.

In fact, some food preservatives have been shown to disrupt metabolic function, leading to an increased risk of diabetes. [1]

Fortunately, making homemade foods using fresh ingredients means they contain fewer preservatives and chemicals.

2. Serve vegetables first.

While it’s normal to want to dig into those sweets and more indulgent dishes as you’re waiting for the holiday dinner to be served, instead opt for vegetable-based appetizers.

Looking for new ideas? Check out this veggie-based charcuterie wreath, which is guaranteed to be a hit!

3. Wait 10-20 minutes before seconds.

It takes a few minutes for your brain to recognize that you’re full, so I like to allow an extra 10 to 20 minutes before going back for second servings.

Plus, overeating can cause major digestive upset, so it’s really in your best interest to wait a few minutes after finishing your meal before deciding if you’re going to eat more.

4. Keep your normal sleep schedule.

Between holiday movies and wrapping gifts, it can be easy to end up staying up a bit later than usual. The problem is that this can disrupt your sleep cycle, which can impact your hormone levels.

If your current sleep schedule and bedtime routine is working for you, then it’s something you have to prioritize in order to maintain your current state of health. And if you need a little help unwinding at the end of each day, check out my tips for a great nighttime routine to prep your body to rest.

5. Don’t feel guilty for spending some time by yourself.

Finally, while this time of year is associated with togetherness, one of my top healthy holiday tips is to take some time for yourself.

Honestly, the holidays can be a bit overwhelming, so in order to take it all in and maintain your health (and sanity!) while doing it, you may very well need to indulge in a little alone time.

Whether you do some shopping alone or just want to curl up with a book and de-stress, remember that it’s okay to take a break from being surrounded by others so that you can truly be in the moment with them when you’re ready to socialize.

Well, there you have it—my top hop healthy holiday tips this year! I hope they help you to maintain your health over the coming weeks so that you can begin next year in a positive mindset about your health and well-being!