Healthy Habits for the Holidays to Keep You in Good Shape

Here are 9 wellness tips to help you stick to healthy habits during the holidays.
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In this article:

Plan Ahead
Drink Lots of Water
Stock Healthy Meals
Minimize Stress
Find Ways to Stay Active
Get Plenty of Sleep
Make Your Own Holiday Treats
Spend Some Time Outside
Learn to Say No

9 Healthy Habits To Help You Maintain Good Health This Holiday Season

1. Plan Ahead

Avoid overindulging by planning ahead. Before attending a party, eat a healthy, protein-packed snack like a piece of whole-grain toast with peanut butter or a cup of greek yogurt with granola.

2. Drink Lots of Water

Drink lots of water and avoid sugary drinks as much as possible. Holiday cocktails are rich with added sugar so limit yourself to one to two drinks at a party.
To avoid a nasty hangover, drink a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you consume. Drink another glass before going to bed to help flush out the alcohol out of your system.

3. Stock Healthy Meals

Stock your freezer with nutritious, make-ahead meals for when you don’t have enough time or energy to prepare a healthy dinner for your family. Try meal prepping!
Soups, casseroles, and pasta dishes are just some recipes you can prepare ahead of time and store in your freezer for easy reheating.
What is meal prepping? A practice of preparing meals for the whole week. Usually done at the beginning of each week.

4. Minimize Stress

The holiday season can be extremely busy so don’t forget to take time for yourself. Dedicate at least half an hour every day to do something relaxing and enjoyable.
Go for a walk, read a book, or spend a few more minutes in the bath. These are just ways to reduce your stress during the holidays.

5. Find Ways to Stay Active

It’s tempting to be lazy during the holiday season especially when it’s too cold outside. But exercising, especially in the winter, not only combats holiday weight gain but also helps beat the winter blues.
Plan holiday activities with your family that will help you all stay active and healthy. Go ice skating, take a walk after a big meal, or trim a Christmas tree together.

6. Get Plenty of Sleep

Despite your busy holiday schedule, try to stick to your normal sleep routine. Insufficient sleep weakens your immunity and makes you more prone to sickness.
It may also lead to weight gain.
RELATED: 5 Nutrient-Dense Foods You Can Add To Your Holiday Spread

7. Make Your Own Holiday Treats

You don’t have to completely deprive yourself of holiday treats. You can still indulge, but do it in a healthy way by creating your own recipes with nutritious ingredients.
Make your own holiday beverage instead of buying one that is filled with too much sugar and heavy cream. You can also bring a healthy spin to classic holiday recipes.
Try serving dishes like mashed sweet potatoes, broth-based soups, and vegetable casseroles for your next holiday party.

8. Spend Some Time Outside

The cold and snowy weather might affect your mood and mental health. To avoid this, get as much sunshine as you can especially early in the morning.
Spend time outdoors or if it’s not possible, sit by a large window and soak up the sun. This can help keep your moods stable.

9. Learn to Say No

When the holiday parties pile up, learn to say no. You don’t have to be present at every social engagement. Just pick out the most important ones so you can manage your time (and stress levels) more effectively.

For more tips for a healthy holiday season, check out this video from Clean & Delicious:

The holiday season is not a free pass to forgo healthy habits. With all the festivities, it might be more challenging to stay fit and healthy but it’s certainly not an impossible task.
Prepare and plan ahead so you can stick to your healthy habits and maybe even make new ones this holiday season!
Do you have more tips on how to get healthy this holiday season? Share them with us in the comments section below!
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