Holiday Health Tips

Once again, the most wonderful time of the year is upon us. Though the holiday season is often filled with the blessings of health and vitality, it can also be a time of difficulty and the worry of illness. These holiday health tips should help you keep those worries to a minimum—and keep off the extra weight.

Limit Holiday Stress

It’s a sad statistical fact that during the holiday season our health can become more vulnerable to illness. The incidences of heart attacks and strokes rise during the holidays, as well as depression. Stress plays a large role in these particular problems, so focusing on joy, family togetherness and "the moment" rather than finances and holiday deadlines can help keep you calm and cool, lowering blood pressure and all-around anxiety.

Healthy Holiday Eating

Your best defense from getting sick is a stronger immune system. The biggest culprit to holiday health problems is the increased consumption of refined sugars and alcohol, which taxes the immune system and liver, setting the stage for sickness and disease. Take control of your sugar intake this holiday season and consume treats only as an earned delicacy, not as a daily staple. Try creating new or traditional dishes with healthier ingredients by using healthy substitutions for butter, cream, eggs and sugar.

Healthy Holiday Activities

Those that adhere to a healthy lifestyle (regular exercise, a healthy diet, no smoking and low alcohol intake) reduce their incidence of heart disease and stroke by 70 percent. This year, take advantage of San Diego weather and our beautiful coastal living. By centering your holiday gatherings around activities like hiking, biking, stand-up paddling or surfing, you help create healthy habits that will last through the season and into the New Year.

Give the Gift of Health

Consider gifts to family and friends that lead to healthy habits. Health and fitness activity trackers are hot items this year, such as Fitbit or MiCoach, which sync with your smart phone and provide vital health stats and hold you accountable. Gift certificates to the local juice bar, a gym membership, personal training sessions, massage certificate, athletic wear, or a series of chiropractic adjustments are just some of the healthy gifts available to give this year.

Let’s truly make this the most wonderful time of the year by making it the healthiest time of the year, assuring many years of healthy holiday celebrations with inspired family and friends.