The holidays are usually the best days of the year with all the festivities that are truly a treasure to all. It’s the perfect time to mingle with friends and family. As much as they’re great, all these interactions involve a lot of careless eating. After all, it’s the best time for you to try the various types of food you barely eat. However, this can also be a dangerous time for your health as many get carried away with enjoyment. You don’t have to make the holidays a break from maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Let’s discuss some vital points to keep in mind during this holiday season to help you enjoy without compromising your health.
Check Your Food Choices
What you eat this holiday is crucial to maintaining a good healthy body. Instead of piling your body with fatty foods this holiday keep, your diet simple and healthy. The simplest foods are the healthiest. Tea is the best testimony to this statement and lovers of the different types of tea and coffee can attest to that. You’ll be surprised to know that tea was actually a medicine before it became a beverage. Below are different types of the same and their health benefits.
- Green tea- this type is popular with tea lovers. It’s known to improve cognitive functioning. It’s perfect for improving the working of your short term memory on a daily. This type is enriched with polyphenols which contain antioxidants. The polyphenols in it, according to the Journal of the American Chemical Society, minimize the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. It is also known for its ability to slow down the growth of some cancer cells.
- Rooibos tea – also known as redbush tea, is another strain with plenty of antioxidants. This type is common in South Africa and is extracted from the Aspalathus linearis The antioxidants found in rooibos tea have the ability to protect the liver from strain. This kind also helps in managing high blood pressure due to the pigments it possesses. For those who love working out, rooibos can help during your recovery as it relaxes tense muscles. This type is free of caffeine, unlike the other strains.
- Jasmine tea – this kind is a combination of green tea with jasmine flowers for aroma. To add to the various health benefits of the green tea in it, jasmine flowers have their advantages as well. Jasmine has antioxidants that guard the cells against complications brought about by ageing. It’s also a good stress reliever. Its amazing fragrance helps calm nerves and balance your moods.
- Hibiscus tea – hibiscus can be used for different meals apart from making tea. It’s also known as herbal tea. The amazing thing about its plant is that almost all its parts are edible. However, its calyces are the ones used for tea. They have the ability to enable the body to fight against some types of leukemia cells. To add to this, hibiscus also helps regulate blood pressure during heartbeats. Hibiscus leaves are vital in eliminating skin cancer tumor cells.
All these varieties can be purchased from online tea and coffee shop this holiday. To get the full benefits of the beverages, it’s advisable to get the loose-leaf tea as opposed to tea bags. Teabags are not always pure. With loose leaf tea, you will get the purest kind.
Come up with a Plan
In some occasions, you will not be able to choose what you have to eat, probably if you have been invited by friends or family. Create a plan to help you overcome this challenge.
- When invited for a meal, offer to bring along healthy food.
- If you go against your diet plan, rectify the mistake with the next meal.
- Maintain your mealtimes. In case a meal is to be served later, make sure you take a snack at your mealtime then serve little food for the main meal.
- If you eat anything too sweet, make sure you balance by eating less carbohydrates at dinner.
- Avoid skipping meals to maintain healthy blood sugar.
Keep Yourself Hydrated
Water is crucial for many of our body’s essential functions. It also takes up the highest percentage of our body weight. It’s water that is responsible for the maintenance of cellular fluids. It also helps in the movement of nutrients in the cells. It’s therefore critical that we are always sufficiently hydrated to ensure these functions are carried out in the body. If your holiday celebrations involve alcohol, make sure you take lots of water between drinks.
Keep a Good Workout Practice
The holiday season usually comes with a packed schedule with many people trying to do everything they planned for before normality resumes. Despite this, it’s crucial that you make time for some physical activity to keep the blood pumping. Exercise will help you fight off anxiety and maintain strong immunity. Plan your workout routine early to keep you motivated. You may reduce some time from your normal routine to help squeeze other engagements.
Get Enough Sleep
It’s needless to say you need enough sleep to maintain a healthy body. As busy as the holiday season may be, do not compromise on your sleeping time. It’s one of the vital points on how to stay healthy. You should at least sleep for a minimum of seven hours to stay healthy. Your diet can also affect your sleep. Therefore you should check your diet if you have trouble sleeping.
Improve Your Immunity
Eat lots of fruits and greens this holiday season to boost your immunity. Fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins which are vital for our immune system. Seeds and nuts also have minerals that play a role in strengthening the white blood cells. Top your fruit and vegetable diet with sufficient sleep to keep the body’s immune system strong.
Be Wise
Do not be carried away by the festivities as if it’s the end of time. Most people tend to overreact clinging to the notion that if you don’t do it now, you’ll never do it. Keep in mind you still have a life after the holidays. Don’t eat excessive fatty foods, eat in moderation, knowing you’ll still have another chance to eat. Minimize your alcohol consumption.
As much as you are to make the most of the holiday season by enjoying yourself, maintaining healthy habits won’t make it any less joyful. A healthy body makes a jolly person. Happy festive season.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.