By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
From the Harvest Festival candy corn to Thanksgiving mashed potatoes and pies, to Christmas cookies, and New Years goodies, we are planning and racing from one spectacular event to the next. Work loads and family responsibilities don’t change, we just slide the holiday activities in.
The hurried pace can make us cranky. Lack of sleep gives us a headache. We might experience weight gain, possible illness, and not enjoy this favorite time of year.
So how can we celebrate and stay healthy?
Here are 7 tips to help us manage the fun and avoid the stress of a weakened body during precious family times and exciting visits with friends.
- Insist upon 8 hours of sleep. This average amount of sleep for an adult is vital to keeping the body physically healthy and mentally alert. While asleep, the body repairs itself which means we stay healthier. Appetites are more easily managed and our memories are heightened.
- Learn to say no. The invitations trickle in until we realize we’re too heavily scheduled. Attending parties becomes a chore. Carefully select the events you want to attend. Consider your family’s needs. What parties include spouses or children?
- Make nutritious food choices. Today’s host understands the demands of dietary needs. In addition to traditional appetizers, main dishes, sides, and desserts, gluten-free, sugar free, and low-fat options are available.
- Drink lots of water. This allows our bodies to flush out wastes, stay hydrated, perform better, fight disease, and maintain a balanced body.
- Exercise. Those of you who know me have heard my stand on daily exercise. Not only does it fight diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, it also helps maintain weight, improves mood, and gives us energy.
- Establish a budget at the start of the season and stick to it. Nothing destroys relationships faster than a refusal to adhere to a budget. The funds allotted for the season include all expenses. How sad for individuals to go in debt for holiday expenses.
- Start the day with prayer. Let God guide you through every minute of the day.
What tips do you have for staying healthy during the holidays?
DiAnn’s Library Corner
Invite the children for a trim-the-tree event. Have crafts ready for them to assemble and hang on the tree. Don’t forget refreshments!
Comments 8
Great advice, and by the way Happy Thanksgiving( ours, here in the North passed nearly five weeks ago) Yes, celebrations can rob us. A good night’s sleep opens eyes to blessings, and to means and ways of helping others, as well as reducing, and often even eliminating crankiness for a while. And drinking enough water! North America has become such a coffee- house(no intention to put down coffee)that many of us do not drink enough of Adam’s ale.
Walking is a recommended therapy after Disc surgery. Depending on the season, while I walk, I feast on wonderful gardens which induces worship. Thanks for taking time from all your own cares to encourage others!
Hi Frances, reading your words is like talking to you. Thanks for taking time to comment. Be blessed!
Great tips Diane!
Hi Sheila, thanks – and have a wonderful Thanksgiving
DiAnn, Great advice, although some of the recommendations go out the window, along with our good intentions, during the holidays. But a valid game plan for all of us. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Richard, I appreciate you! Have a great and healthy Thanksgiving.
Great tips! I’ve also realized the importance of 8 hours of sleep. I love waking up and feeling refreshed when I’ve had enough sleep. I just need to be a stickler with getting to bed on time and not getting side tracked.
I’m big on the exercise one too. I think it’s so important to get my body moving because it is healthy for our bodies and we don’t get enough movement in our day, at least not me. The good thing is exercise can be had by so many ways that you can pick something out that you actually like or enjoy to do or at least do not feel like it’s work or torture.
I’ve started trying to make sure I have a bottle of water with me and take sips from it throughout the day so I drink more than I probably would normally. I sometimes add some flavor to the water because sometimes it’s hard to drink plain water and other times plain water is what I prefer at the moment.
I always try to have my Bible time with God in the morning as that works best for me.
The budget part I do pretty good with. I still would like to not wait till end of year and would love to get stuff throughout the year. I need to make a concerted effort to be on the lookout throughout the year and try to not have it all come at end of the year.
I don’t get too many invitations so #2 instead an issue really.
Nutritional choices this time of year is something I need to work on. I love to bake too which makes things even harder. I just need to not have too much at one time or give it away if I do. Not going to a lot of parties helps with not overdoing with the eating.
Hi Sharon, I was nodding with your comments all the way through – even to the point that I love to bake! Thanks