This year, for the first time in many years, we are hosting the family at our house for the holidays. This has me thinking about how to help children and adults stay healthy and not too stressed through the holidays.
So here are my tips for enjoying the upcoming holidays (these also work for any holiday that has food at its center).
- Start by making sure to get some activity in your day. Whether you are a casual stroller or a high intensity runner, make sure that even the busiest of days has some time built in to be active. This can be a great time to dust off that Wii tennis game or to plan a family flag football game. Join your children in something fun and physical.
- Drink lots of water. It fills you up and has the added benefit of keeping your skin moist.
- Keep healthy snacks around. I love vegetables and even in the winter find that if I can snack on raw broccoli or pepper strips I can get some of the “crunch” factor of chips etc.
- Don’t forget the lean protein. Protein can help to fill you up.
- Low-fat or non-fat dairy products such as skim milk or non-fat yogurt offer the added benefit of calcium for strong bones.
- Ask yourself if you really want something. Holiday buffets are particularly dangerous because there is so much choice. Monitor what children select and insist that they have fruits or vegetables.
- Make it and serve it yourself. You can control the ingredients and the portion size. Help children understand how a 4 ounce portion looks different when compared to an 8 ounce portion.
- Ask is this hunger or boredom (or stress, or anxiety)? If it is hunger, what’s the best choice you can make? If it isn’t, what else can you do?
- Enjoy what you eat. Slow down your chewing and savor the tastes.
- Reflect on the things you and your family have to be thankful for. This has been a hard year for many of us, so taking time to think about what we have can help to take the edge off that stressful moment.
Please let us know on Facebookk what works for you.
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