Winter Holiday Wellness Tips
December can be a stressful time for many due to the holidays, family dynamics, travel, finances, food, and everything else in between. There are several things you can do to proactively keep you healthy both physically and mentally.
- Drink more water: Often during the colder months we may find ourselves drinking less water and paired with the drier, less humid weather this may lead to dehydration. Even mild dehydration can impact health and mood! Focus on consuming water instead of soda, alcohol, or other sweetened beverages. Adding broth-based soups and hot tea to your winter foods and beverages also support our overall fluid intake.
- Get enough sleep: Sleep is critical for keeping your immune system strong, reducing stress, improving mental health, maintain a healthy weight, and many more benefits. Establish a nighttime routine and aim for 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep.
- Reduce sugar intake: Let’s be honest, the holidays are loaded with sweet foods. But there are ways to work to reduce sugar intake this time of year. Choose recipes that have less sugar and are less sweet like cutout sugar cookie vs oatmeal cookie or fruit pie vs pecan pie and take advantage of fruit’s natural sweetness and load up on fruits like baked apples sprinkled with cinnamon.
- Stay active: Moving your body burns calories to help maintain a healthy weight, but it also aids in digestion and can help reduce stress, increase energy levels, and improve your mood. If exercising outside, make sure to follow safety precautions during these colder months. Remember, any bit of movement is better than being sedentary!
- Eat mindfully: When eating, recognize how food tastes, smells, how it makes you feel, etc. This makes food more enjoyable and less likely to overindulge. Don’t forget to pay attention to hunger and fullness cues as well! We should be between 4-6 on the hunger scale.
by Chelsea Reinberg, MPH, RDN, Nutrition, Food Safety and Health Extension Agent 2024
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