by Matt Vidler

With the holidays fast approaching, this year make it a goal to deck the halls without sacrificing your health or your happiness. Today we’re presenting the best tips for you to be proactive about staying healthy and happy this holiday season.

1. Manage Your Stress with “Me Time”

For many, the holidays are a time of fun, merriment and celebration– including the opportunity to spend time with people that you might not see very often. Adding these events to an already-busy schedule as well as finding gifts for everyone on your list can increase your stress and cause you to “stretch” yourself beyond normal limits. Be sure to make time for relaxation this holiday season by rewarding yourself with downtime between activities. Spending a few moments alone can give you a chance to reset and prepare for the next holiday event. Learning a practise like Qigong or Yoga can help you learn deep breathing techniques and simple meditation for relaxation and restoration.

2. Practice Moderation & Healthy Substitutions

The holidays don’t have to mean a season of unhealthy indulgence. Practice moderation by eating fresh fruit as a sweet and delicious substitute for candy, as well as a substitute for that second helping of pie. You can also try a little fruit before any dessert to lower your chances of overeating. Try to limit your intake of salty, sugary and fat-laden foods- usually, just a bite or two can quell those cravings! Eat slowly and truly savour those holiday favourites and allow your body to signal its satisfaction–this helps reduce over-eating.

3. Stay Active & Hydrated While Having Fun

Exercise is often one of the first things that go by the wayside during the busy holiday season. Make a family commitment to be active at least 30 to 60 minutes every day — and make it fun! Dance to your favourite music or venture out for a walk around the neighbourhood to check out the holiday lights. And don’t forget to drink plenty of water to keep your body fuelled and to reduce hunger cravings (you can often feel “hungry” when you simply need water!). Any activity is better than no activity at all–keep your exercise regimen simple: jumping jacks, pushups, or a brisk walk is likely all you need!

4. Sleep!

Getting enough sleep is crucial to staying healthy during the holidays. Make sure to go to bed and wake up at regular times. Don’t buy into the common misconception that you can catch up on the sleep you miss on the weekends or at another time. Instead, make getting enough sleep a priority every night. Maybe that means accepting the “okay” gift-wrapping job as opposed to magazine-worthy (because it will be ripped to shreds anyway), graciously declining an invite or two to a holiday party, and saving time in meal prep with the help of potlucks or getting family members to each contributes a dish to the meal.

5. Boost your immune system!

Recent studies confirm: Patients under chiropractic treatment for 5 years had a 200{a38adfb64250551cd5ff34942abfc3e60fe8f10064d6371ecb7135ab9fb7a008} boosted immune system compared to those who were not under chiropractic treatment.  [1] [2]

As always, we hope you found this helpful! It is so important to stay healthy and happy during the holidays. PTBO Chiro is proud to be a part of YOUR healthy routine. Don’t forget to like and share this with your friends and family.

Would you like a second opinion on what’s keeping you from living your best life? Click here, and we’ll be in touch soon.

[1] “Pero R.” “Medical Researcher Excited By CBSRF Project Results.” The Chiropractic Journal, August 1989; 32.

[2] “Enhancing Your Immune System For Better Health” November 8, 2014 By Dr. Tony Jensen