• Careers
  • Education
  • Research
  • Giving
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search
Close Search
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Location
  • Find A Specialty
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Pay A Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
Healthy Holiday

5 Tips for a Healthy Holiday

Dec 14, 2020 |
By Kacie Watts, MD
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

We’ve all been there: The kids are out of school, you’re running around trying to find that last-minute gift, and then it hits you. You forgot to defrost the turkey. Oh, and on top of it all, you’re starting to feel a familiar tickle in your throat.

The holidays can be the most wonderful time of the year. But they are also a peak season for illness, overeating, stress and generally not feeling like yourself, and this was even true even before the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Our diets and routines tend to change a lot at this time of the year, which can make it difficult to stick to our usual habits like working out and prepping for healthy meals. Seasonal stress can creep up on us, affecting our moods during the day as well as the way we sleep at night. On top of all that, the weather changes and we typically begin spending much more time indoors. With colder temperatures arrive seasonal illnesses like colds and the flu which can throw the best of us off our game.

Instead of closing out the year feeling exhausted and worn out, try to envision the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day as a marathon instead of a race to the finish line. By pacing yourself between the peaks and valleys of the holidays, you can sustain a level of energy and enthusiasm for all activities and obligations no matter how tiring they are. 

Set yourself up for success this season with our five time-tested strategies for staying happy and healthy. These suggestions are applicable at all times of the year, and you can practice them safely while being mindful of the coronavirus outbreak. 

Be Proactive in Preventing Colds and the Flu

Cold and flu season goes hand in hand with the holiday season. Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds and keeping a bottle of hand sanitizer in your pocket when you’re on the go can help prevent the spread of germs. You should also protect yourself and your loved ones by getting a flu shot.

Flu Season Is Here. Visit any Ochsner Urgent Care or schedule a virtual visit if you have the flu. Learn more.

Eat with Intention

The holidays often involve overindulging in heavy foods and rich beverages. To avoid feeling bloated and sluggish afterward, we recommend a couple of strategies:

  • Don’t deprive yourself of your favorite foods, even if your goal is to avoid temptation. Treat yourself to your favorites, but don’t feel obligated to try every cookie or holiday cocktail.
  • If your holiday dinner is structured as a buffet, try to move the pre-dinner conversation away from the kitchen or wherever your food is staged in order to avoid grazing.
  • If you do overindulge, just focus on getting back on track as soon as possible. Don’t let yourself slip into the “my healthy eating is over” mindset or tell yourself that you need to wait until the new year to eat mindfully again.

Create A New Healthy Tradition

Challenge yourself to come up with some new, healthy holiday traditions for your whole family to enjoy.

  • Toss a football around after Thanksgiving lunch instead of binge-watching every NFL game on TV.
  • Take a walk around the neighborhood to check out holiday decorations from the sidewalk. For more ideas on how to support social distancing during the pandemic, check out these tips from my colleague Sandra Kemmerly, MD.
  • Substitute a less healthy holiday appetizer or side dish for one of these healthy food swaps. It may become a new annual tradition!
  • If you're looking for an alternative way to celebrate New Year's Eve, here are some custom suggestions for how to ring in next year in style while remaining safe. 

Keep Moving

With so much going on during the last months of the year, working out is not at the top of most people’s to-do list. It’s easy to let your exercise routine slide during the holidays, but it’s still important to keep moving. Regular exercise improves our mood, boosts energy and promotes better sleep. These three benefits will leave you feeling energized in the morning instead of sapped, and you may find you get even more done during your weekday.

With more at-home workout options than ever, you can break a sweat in as little as 10-20 minutes without even leaving your home. Add some variety by mixing in cardio, Pilates, yoga, and strength training or simply stretch it out — some form of exercise is going to beat not working out no matter how long you can commit to it.

Make Time for Self-Care

Don’t let seasonal stress overwhelm you! Make sure you carve out some time to recharge your batteries. This includes making time for the things you enjoy, getting plenty of rest and using time off from work or school to catch up on health exams or doctors’ appointments.

Here are 8 very inexpensive or free stress-relieving techniques that can help reset your stress reaction cycle and relieve tension so you can get back to enjoying yourself.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on Nov. 18, 2019.

Tags
holiday
christmas
thanksgiving
new year's eve

You may also be interested in:

Holidayfood
Food & Fitness
Nov 14, 2019

Weight Watching During the Holidays

Weight watching during the holidays doesn't have to be a drudge. Make your plan before you head to the holiday parties.
By Juli Pitcher
Pie Crust
Food & Fitness
Nov 21, 2017

Love It, Like It, Hate It: Pie Crust!

We've got the top picks and worst bets, plus what to look for on labels.
By Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD
Holidayfood
Food & Fitness
Nov 10, 2019

How to Outsmart the Holiday Dinner Table

Don’t forget about seafood and plant-based options when planning your holiday menu and building your plate.
By Jala Lockhart, DTR, MPH-CHES

Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health Ochsner Health

Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637

Follow us: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Pinterest

Healthy living tips, delivered weekly to your inbox.

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Hello Health Seminars
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

Healthy Living Tips, Delivered Right To Your Inbox

* indicates required


Must Reads
Food and Fitness
Men’s Health
Parenting
Women’s Health

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:


Get Weekly Health Tips

Select the weekly newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition

Let us know where to send your weekly newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox every week.

Ochsner Health System
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide