The holidays are here! If you are like me, this is the time of year when I often disregard my health, vowing to start fresh in the new year. This really doesn’t make that much sense since the new year is still almost 1.5 months away. That is almost 1/6 of the year! Do we really want to let our health slide 1/6 of every year?

This year, I am vowing to do things differently. I am going to get plans in place now so that I don’t put on that holiday 10 pounds, and don’t have to spend the whole first month of the year sacrificing and struggling with a new routine. Here are 10 tips to help all of us have healthier holidays this year.

1) Stay hydrated. How often have you headed out shopping without water and get so thirsty you drink a soda or sugary coffee drink at the mall? Do you pay attention to your water intake at parties and cooking for the holiday meals? I advise that everyone get a water bottle that you love. Get one that you like to look at and drink out of. Fill it every morning and take it with you, then refill. This is the best way to gauge how much you are drinking and ensure you are getting at least the average of 8 (8 oz.) glasses of water every day.

2) Eat before you go shopping. Make sure you have a full belly before you head out on those holiday shopping excursions. If you don’t, you will likely make poor choices at the mall food court out of convenience. A full belly will also balance your blood sugar and enable you to better handle the stress of crowds and lines.

3) If you don’t already, take a vitamin B-Complex for the next couple of months. B vitamins improve our ability to handle stress and keep our energy up for the demands of the holidays.

4) Forgive your family before you go. This is especially important for people you are dreading to see. Forgiveness work can free you from the fear and dread. It can allow you freedom from resentment, anger, and shame. When you forgive someone, it helps to clear the negative energy between you for more enjoyable time together.

5) Bring healthy snacks with you. If I go to the mall and get hungry, I will usually stop at the cookie shop. This causes a rise in my blood sugar and then the inevitable sugar crash. Then, I become grumpy and irritated with all the people. I am going to make sure I have some almonds in my purse. It is amazing how long a handful of almonds can sustain my energy. Much better than a cookie!

6) Keep meditating or start meditating. Meditation brings the nervous system back to alpha rhythm. It allows for stress reduction and better sleep. Even 15 minutes a day can keep us from becoming too stressed during the holidays (and every day!). If this is a common practice for you, don’t forget to do it!

7) Make healthy food choices. If there is one thing I love about the holidays, it is pie. I love pie and I won’t say no to it. Why should I when I enjoy it so much? Since I know I will be having pie, I will often skip another carb like rolls or mashed potatoes. If I eat all of these things, I will feel sick and bloated and likely gain some weight. By making a trade, I know I will feel better right then and in the long run. And the, I eat my pie guilt-free savoring every bite.

8) Get fresh air. This is the time of year when we start to get cooped up inside. There is nothing better for a re-set than going outside for a few minutes. In the middle of cooking those big meals, on a break between stores, or when Aunt Lucy starts to get on your nerves, take a brief hiatus outside for some big deep breaths and see how much better you feel.

9) Don’t stop exercising. I do this every year! I will be going along fine with my exercise plan and then I get busy and it’s the first thing to go. Exercise can help us respond to stress better, increase our perception of ourselves, and decrease negative thinking, so why do we usually stop doing it during the most stressful time of the year? This year is going to be different for me!

10) Sleep! We know sleep is so important. I don’t need to explain this to you. This is another area that gets neglected when we are busy with the holidays. My advice is to plan sleep. We plan everything else in our lives, why not this? When it’s time to go to sleep per your schedule, do it. The projects will be there in the morning and you will feel more like diving back in to them.

Let’s make this year different. Let’s take care of ourselves and see how much more we enjoy the holidays this year. Who’s in? Please share your comments and personal holiday health plans below and share this article with your friends who also need the tips. May the 2017 holidays not only be happy, but healthy, too!

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