Healthy Tips for a Merry Christmas

I know what you’re thinking: how can you have “healthy” and “Christmas” in the same sentence!? 

Christmas is a time to indulge and enjoy rich, fatty, sugary foods and drinks. It’s only once a year. Enjoy it! 

Then comes the New Year and you can get back on a healthy, nutritional eating routine again. Right? 

Well, yes and no. You can indulge, some, during the holidays. I get that. However, the good news is you can also eat and exercise healthy during this time, too.

So, as your friendly healthcare provider, I’m going to give you a few healthy tips to make it a Merry Christmas for you and your loved ones:

1. Stand up and walk!: It’s so easy for us to eat, drink and relax. Watch the parades, games (Go Hoos!) and Hallmark Christmas movies. Nothing is wrong with that at all. In between them, though, you can put your walking shoes on, get up and take a walk. Just a twenty-minute walk will burn calories, speed up your metabolism and get some Vitamin D (if you walk during the daylight hours). It’s all good. So, make it a goal to walk around the neighborhood or the mall for twenty minutes each day and you will feel better.
2. Don’t graze at the office party snack table: How can you resist all the goodies that your employer spreads out in the office lounge! Cakes. Pies. Quiche. Sausage balls. Fried chicken. Chips. All the comfort food you could want. It’s okay to grab some of the snacks just don’t graze there. Instead, get a small plate full and walk away from the room. Go back to your desk or socialize anywhere but where there is food. One plate is probably enough anyway!    
3. Eat fruits and vegetables: The green beans and potatoes are a good choice (stay away from the gravy, though). Additionally, buy some bananas, apples, oranges, tangerines or Clementines. They are healthy and will help fill your cravings. Have a basket in full view and easily accessible. 
4. Do something for someone in need: The holidays are great occasions to help a friend, neighbor, co-worker, church member or a senior citizen who has serious needs. Take them to the grocery store and buy their groceries. Visit with them at their home and bring them a pie or fruit basket. Take them to the mall or to a Christmas concert. Add their name to a charity Christmas tree. You can even just call them and talk with them for a while! You’d be amazed at how much helping another person benefits them and you. 
5. Get your brain in gear: Instead of watching TV the entire time, take some board games with you and have family members play. They are fun, keep your brain engaged and also give you wonderful new memories with family and friends. 
6. Lighten up on the alcohol: I saved the best for last. A craft beer or Irish Crème is fine to wash down the meal during or afterward. However, drinking too much alcohol with all that sugar can be unhealthy, embarrassing and even dangerous. Don’t keep filling your glass and get intoxicated. So, limit yourself to one or two adult beverages that day. You won’t regret it.

Yes, you can have a healthy and enjoyable Christmas season. All it takes is a little discipline. 

Body Equilibrium Cville wishes you a happy and healthy holiday season. If you would like to create a healthier lifestyle for you and your family, call us at (434) 975-5674 for a consultation. We offer a number of healthcare services from chiropractic care to detoxification therapy to melt method and more.