The Winter season can be a time for celebrations and gatherings, as well as joy and cheer! With that, it can also be a stressful time, and is often easy to forget about our health and wellness. Here are a few reminders of healthy habits that will keep your priorities in check through the Winter Holidays and season, and your body will thank you come the new year!
How To Maintain Healthy Habits In Winter
Hydration
Adequate hydration is key: our bodies are made mostly of water! The recommendation is to drink ½ of our body weight in ounces of water per day. To keep track, it is helpful to use a water bottle and a system of remembering to drink throughout the day.
Nutrition
During the holidays, many of us engage in eating comfort foods and traditional dishes. The rule of “80/20” is helpful to remember — meaning, 80% of the time we are eating healthy, nutritious meals. The other 20% we allow ourselves some treats. The foods that are good to avoid are those that are highly inflammatory, such as processed foods containing chemicals, foods with coloring and/or sugar, refined foods and grains, and hydrogenated oils.
“Rest and Digest”
During this time of year, it is highly important to focus on stress-relief and relaxation. This allows our brain and body to go into the “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system, rather than being constantly in the “fight or flight” sympathetic nervous system response. Here are some great ways to rest and relax: get a massage, acupuncture, meditation, mindfulness exercises.
Aerobic exercise
It is important to get 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week. This can be any activity that increases your heart rate by 20 beats per minute or more. This breaks down to approximately 20-30 minutes of exercise per day. Some examples are: walk at a moderate pace, ride a bike, hike, or dance.
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