Tips For Staying Healthy During The Holidays
As we head into the holiday season, you may be wondering how to stay healthy, happy, and balanced. Whether celebrating religious or secular holidays, there’s no question food plays a huge role in the festivities.
There are several strategies to adopt for staying healthy during the holidays — especially while indulging in traditional fare that may be richer, fatter, and heavier than you’re used to eating. Here are the top 5 ways to keep your family healthy and enjoy fun holidays with a nourishing and balanced approach.
Get Friendly With Prebiotics
Prebiotics are specialized plant fibers that stimulate healthy bacteria in your intestines. In simple terms, prebiotics help your body stay healthy and better able to digest what you’re eating. According to this professional dentist in Leominster MA, prebiotics are also good for your oral health as they help reduce the risk of periodontal diseases.
If you’re not sure about where to get prebiotics, start with fruits and vegetables. These contain carbohydrates and fiber necessary for gut health. A quick search on the internet will help you get more familiar with the best foods in this category.
Tip: Add more vegetables and fruits to your holiday fare. This simple shift will head you and your family in a healthy direction.
Get Familiar With Probiotics
Probiotics are essential for healthy digestion as they add specific strains of bacteria, adding to the healthy microbes in your digestive system. You probably already use probiotics in foods such as yogurt, kombucha, kimchi, and sauerkraut.
Check your refrigerator to confirm that you’ve got these healthy probiotic foods in stock. Eating probiotics is a fast way to keep your family healthy, especially when you’re increasing heavier and richer foods for holiday festivities.
In addition to enjoying fermented foods, consider taking probiotic capsules to guarantee that you have a sufficient supply of the nourishment you need. Capsules are an easy and convenient way to guarantee you’re getting sufficient probiotic support.
Tip: Share your probiotic recipes and strategies to inspire healthy eating.
Get Creative With Recipes
One strategy to help you stay healthy this holiday season is to indulge in your creativity. While your mother and grandmother may have used butter, eggs, and whipping cream with a heavy hand, you don’t have to follow the exact same approach.
Consider simple ways to reduce fat, without reducing flavor. You may have a traditional recipe that calls for full portions of butter or oil. Experiment with the proportions to find the least amount of fat needed. Often, applesauce or yogurt is a great way to reduce the fat while supplying sufficient moisture.
Tip: Find one favorite traditional recipe to update and lighten. Once you figure out the best proportions of ingredients, share this with your family and friends.
Get Handy with Projects
In addition to kitchen-based creativity, use your DIY muscle to expand into other innovative ways to celebrate. Not everything about the holidays needs to be food-based. Look for ways to create cards, prints, and paintings.
If you have young children, design projects that are age-appropriate and fun. For instance, help your child or children create holiday cards, such as Rosh Hashanah greeting cards. You might find different motifs that convey the sweetness of a new year. Apples, honey, bees, and pomegranates are popular themes for festive holiday cards.
As the holiday season continues, channel creative energy into projects that everyone in the family can enjoy. Creative crafts may extend well beyond the kitchen into sewing, knitting, crocheting, and embroidery. Explore ways to engage your children in creating festive decorations that can be enjoyed this year, and in future years.
Tip: Pick one craft that you enjoyed as a child. Share this activity with your child or children. Create a holiday-specific item such as an embroidery cloth or painted greeting card.
Extend Healthy Activities
Not surprisingly, everyone is seeking ways to stay healthy during the holidays. When you find a solution that is easy, fast, and fun — share your new insights. Extend the positive health impact of your experiments and activities.
Here’s a short list of ways you can stay healthy and support loved ones to do the same.
- Share healthy recipes for traditional dishes
- Bring lighter versions of classic fare to gatherings
- Set up a recipe exchange amongst family and friends
- Offer healthy tips for family gatherings
- Learn to say ‘no’ to foods that are not healthy for you
Tip: Pick one thing that helps you stay healthy during this season. Focus on making this your personal trademark.
Share recipes, creativity, and adaptations with your family, extended family, friends, and community. With your commitment to health, you are on the right track to staying healthy during the holidays.