5 Healthy Holiday Hacks!

With Christmas, New Year’s, and other festive holidays right around the corner, it is easy to get caught up in the excitement and let your health slip by the wayside. Take a look at these five simple hacks that will help you keep your wellbeing on track this holiday season!

1) Slash the sugar.

Holiday desserts are some of the best: Christmas pudding, Pavlova, an endless variety of cookies and so much more! Although these desserts are incredibly delicious and often irresistible, they are filled with bad-for-you ingredients, especially when made in a restaurant or store. This year, take on the challenge of making your own treats. It could be a great family holiday activity, a good gift to bring to a party, and a chance to assess exactly what is going into your favourite foods. Many recipes over-do the amount of sugar needed, so try cutting it in half or substituting with honey. Every 1 cup of sugar can be replaced with ¾ cup honey. There are plenty of healthier recipes online, so get searching!

2) Love your liver.

Office parties and family get-togethers are constant during this time of year, and come readily available with quite large supplies of alcohol. Try your best to control the amount of drinks you have at an event, typically two drinks with glasses of water in between. Make sure you are regularly hydrating throughout each day, as well. You will be surprised to see just how beneficial drinking lots of water is for your body! Water doesn’t have to be boring either, add some fruits and mint leaves and make it a ‘mocktail’ for your party. Grapefruit, lemon, avocadoes, and green tea are all foods that help keep your liver healthy. Incorporate these into your meals after a night out to get your liver on the road to recovery.

3) Group work-outs, Christmas style.

Not every holiday party has to be a potluck dinner. Get some friends together and do a Christmas-themed group workout! Make a playlist of your favourite up-beat holiday songs and get everyone to do some jumping jacks, crunches, lunges, etc. (Lots of simple Christmas-themed exercises to follow can be found online). The workout can turn into a dance party, too. Make some healthy post-workout snacks and put on a Christmas movie to cool down. Whoever is dressed most festive can win a prize!

4) A merry mindful Christmas.

It’s easy to get caught up in the rush of the season. Your mind fills up quickly with a schedule of events, lists of activities you hope to do, and lots of people to buy gifts for. Take some time to focus on yourself and your wellbeing. Practice taking breaks and breathing when doing your activities. Stop at a café whilst shopping to meditate. Take a moment to breathe at family gatherings. Think realistically about your abilities, physically, financially and mentally. This will help you be more productive in what you have to accomplish and improve your connections to others you’re spending time with, making the holiday season even more special.

5) Find your balance.

Completely depriving yourself of the indulgences of the season is nearly impossible, and unnecessary! You should still be able to enjoy the holiday while being mindful of your health. Still attend all the events you’d like to go to, but think twice about what you eat, drink, and participate in at the events. Remind yourself that it is okay to miss one or two things, too. A night in by yourself or with a few others can be just as enjoyable. Try not to overwhelm yourself with gift giving, but find some things for those you love because the rewarding feeling is often worth it. Don’t forget to think about yourself and what is best for you. This will assure you a successful and satisfying festive season.

Written by Falynn Enright (me&my wellness intern)