Remembering simple little hacks for a healthy holiday can be tough because of all of the hustle and bustle of the season.
So, what are these simple little hacks for a healthy holiday? Well, it’s all about being mindful of your health and putting you first. During this season of giving, I know it’s hard to put you first.
But, what I’m really talking about is your health. It’s important to give your time, talents and resources but if you aren’t taking care of you, then how can you take care of and give back to others?
What if you could just change one little thing to help take care of you? You know…that one little thing that keeps you going through the holidays without feeling unhealthy or guilty.
In this post, I will share:
– 12 simple little hacks for a healthy holiday.
– Tips for changing one little thing each day.
– How these little hacks can help you make it through the holidays without getting sick.
If you have time to read this, you definitely have time to change one thing. Are you ready to know what the 12 simple little hacks for a healthy holiday are? Let’s go.
Make A Plan
You can’t go wrong without a plan. Yes, plans can fail but that’s why there’s always a plan B. You can’t go wrong with trying.
Things to plan:
– Meals,
– Snacks,
– Budget,
– Family Activities,
– Shopping Trips
– Physical Activities,
– Hours to Sleep,
– Gifts,
– And more!
With the hustle of the season, I know I can’t remember a thing unless I write it down. It’s important to know that we all can’t remember everything. Having a plan and a planner helps immensely with staying mentally healthy and planning for physical health.
Get Plenty of Sleep
You might laugh at this one. I’ve heard so many times, “You can sleep when you’re dead.”
Well, that might be true but my motto is: “You can’t live life to the fullest if you don’t have enough sleep. Of course, nighttime is the “proper” time to get in sleep. But it’s not the only time.
If you get to bed late because of a party, you still need to get your 7-8 hours of sleep. So, stick in some 1-2 hours of naps into your plan. I think you’ll find that you’ll feel much happier with a little more sleep in your day.
Drink More Water
Did you know that hydrating throughout the day will actually decrease hunger? It will also help energize you, which is something we all need during the busy holiday season.
Water is the one thing that helps me with overeating all year long. I keep a water bottle full of ice water with me at all times so I make sure I get plenty.
Stay Active
Another way to stay healthy physically is to workout. I know this one is obvious, but there’s so many ways you can stay active. Here are a few of my favorites:
Obviously, walking is a very good form of exercise because you can walk just about anywhere. You could go to the mall or high school gym or even around your town or home.
If you want to step it up a little bit, running can also be done just about anywhere.
If you’re lucky enough to have snow for the holidays, sledding is naturally fun. And if you have farm chores like us, that’s a very good way to get some physical activity in as well.
My family likes to go to the gym together during the holidays. At our local YMCA, we swim and play basketball together for at least an hour. There’s also childcare at the facility so our kids go in there while Matt and I can workout on our own for a little while.
After our time exercising and having fun, we all feel so much better.
Don’t skip Your Most Important Meal
Your most important meal is your first meal. And whether that is breakfast or lunch…don’t skip it!
You should eat only when you feel hungry. Truly hungry. Not your brain telling you you’re hungry – That’s not true hunger. If you drink water and feel full, they you weren’t truly hungry.
Sometimes when we are bored or stressed, we do feel hungry because we are bored or stressed. Water is the absolute best way I have fun to curb hunger cravings. If you’re tired of water, use the zero calorie flavorful water additive of your choice.
Take One Day At A Time
Everyone like to blame the holidays for their own failures. The reason for their weight gain. The reason for their guilt or their illnesses.
But, the truth is that the Holidays are just days in your life. And everyday, you have the power to choose what you are going to do or not do.
If you can control what you put into your body and how you spend your days, you will feel a lot happier and healthier. If you can control how many days you eat stuffing or candy canes, you’ll definitely be able to break through the guilt you feel or the weight you gain.
So, take each day one at a time. And one bite at a time, too.
Eat Slowly and In Moderation
Eat your favorite foods and traditional family dishes! There’s no need to beat yourself up.
The trick on you is to really trick your brain to make yourself in control. You really can eat whatever you want. The trick is to eat slowly so you can eat in moderation.
Rule of thumb is that it takes 20 minutes for you to feel full. So, if you eat slowly and take 20 minutes to eat, you won’t over eat. It’s something worth trying yourself. You don’t have anything to lose by trying it out. This can also be helpful in snacking.
Put the Food & Snacks Away
Out of sight, out of mind.
I’m not always good at this but I do so much better when there isn’t tasty snacks and food laying around in the kitchen. Try to keep all tempting foods out of sight.
You can put them away in the refrigerator and even in the freezer for later so you don’t over eat. I’ll go more into portion control in a little bit.
Try out some new healthy recipes
Try new recipes that are flavorful, but lower in sugars and fats. You can even replace refined sugars with natural sweeteners (such as honey) in desserts.
When you’re all together with family, there might be someone with a new allergy or a new diet of some kind. Take the challenge of creating a new dish and bringing it to family dinner. Who knows? It might be the next favorite family dish.
Practice Portion Control
Food is everywhere around us during the holidays. Good food.
It’s so difficult to watch what we eat. I definitely don’t push that you should NOT eat sugar or foods that are bad for you during the holidays. That would not be truthful or wise.
But, what I do practice myself is portion control and eating slowly. And if it’s not time to eat, I drink water. Kind of a summary of all I’ve talked about so far.
But remember, you only need to choose one thing to change right now. I believe this next one is one of the most important.
Wash Your Hands
When I was a child, I learned that if I washed my hands before eating, I had a less chance of being sick.
It’s true! We touch so much from our day to day and our bodies can only handle so many different germs. Those germs don’t need to come into our bodies, if we can help it.
And we can help it by washing our hands for at least 90 seconds with hot soapy water. I also stock up on hand sanitizer for my family to carry around. As a mom, I’ve taught my girls’ this practice and they haven’t missed any school for being sick.
That’s why it’s such a simple little hack for a healthy holiday.
Stock Up Your Medicine Cabinet
Sometimes no matter what we do, it doesn’t help. We still get sick. The last thing you want to do is feel sick during the holidays. Or anytime of year for that matter.
But worse than that is when you’re feeling sick and your medicine cabinet is…empty. There’s absolutely nothing for you to take to help you feel better. So now, what? You have to go to the store for medicine. Feeling sick.
Or you could avoid this nightmare by stocking your medicine cabinet for that moment. What do you need to get?
– Cough Medicine,
– Cold Medicine,
– Headache Meds
– Medicine for Kids,
– Vapo Rubs,
– Cough Drops,
– Vitamins,
– Pain Meds.
And whatever medicine of your choice you might need out of the blue. It’s never a bad thing to be prepared. Because when that time comes, you won’t be laughing.
But if you are prepared, you can guarantee a quick recovery to enjoy the holidays again.
Laughter is the Best Medicine
Stay happy, healthy and guilt-free this holiday season. Focus on you and your family. And all the people who can make you laugh and enjoy life.
If you can surround yourself with others you love through the holidays, that is the absolute best first step. Know your limits. Understand that you have a right to your time and your priorities.
The holidays are about spending time with family and friends with food, fun, gifts and fellowship. With that comes all sorts of temptation, unless we learn to take control.
With 12 simple little hacks for a healthy holiday, I hope you can find at least one thing to change. Let me know which one worked best for you.
