5 Tips to Stay Healthy This Holiday Season

Thanksgiving is over, the leftovers devoured and shopping has begun.  Many are beginning to decorate their houses for the holidays and plan for the parties at schools, neighborhoods, work, and with friends.  It is the time of year when delicious food becomes a focus as everything revolves around sugar and butter.  This often means that well intentioned plans of ‘staying healthy’ fall by the wayside until January 2^nd.  Do not get down on yourself; use these 5 tips to help keep you balanced through the rest of the year.

First, be good when you can.  Specifically, pay attention to what you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if you are going to snack on treats during the day and enjoy parties at night.  Focus on high protein and vegetables such as a smoothie or eggs and spinach in the morning.  Eat vegetable chicken soup and salad for lunch; then again choose lean protein, vegetables, soups and salads at night.  When you find yourself reaching for cookies or fudge during the day, grab carrots or celery and start crunching.  The sound of the crunch is satisfying and may take your mind off the sugar cravings.

Second, do not ignore your exercise routine and consider taking it up a notch.  Burn off the extra drinks, the coffee cake, the chocolate pretzels, and the sugar cookies.  If you normally exercise three days per week, increase it to four.  If you have a typical routine, shake it up with a new class.  Search options online so that you can work out from home instead of heading to the gym due to time constraints.

Third, plan ahead.  All that sugar, fat and alcohol can make one feel bloated, heavy, sluggish, and puffy.  Consider taking digestive enzymes when you eat to help your body digest all those heavy foods better.  Probiotics can help with intestinal health, the immune system and may improve bloating.  All the rich foods may make one prone to gout.  Research shows that eating cherries or drinking cherry extract can prevent gout.

Fourth, fall back on common tricks used during the season.  Eat before a party to feel full.  Drink water and remain hydrated or opt for sparkling water instead of alcohol.  Walk away from the table full of food or the trays of snacks brought to work.  Give away baked goods as gifts instead of keeping them around the house or limit the amount of sugar allowed in your house during the season.  Choose your snacking wisely – only go for things you really want or only get once a year instead of something you could eat anytime.

Fifth, manage your stress.  ‘Tis the season for meltdowns and family drama.  Between the baking, cooking, planning, travelling, packing, organizing, shopping, wrapping and managing…remember to take some time for you.  Get a good solid 8 hours of sleep so that you wake up refreshed in the morning.  Say ‘no’ to things that really aren’t that important and choose not to volunteer for everything.  Divide out the responsibility amongst your family or friends when it comes to parties or gifts and remember to make your list and check it twice to stay organized.

Learn more at the women's health website, Empowher!

Research:

1.      Cherries May Prevent Gout Flares.  Web.  25 November, 2012.http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/772073

2.      Use of Probiotics in Gastrointestinal Disorders.  Web. 25 November, 2012.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/736305

Sleep to Improve Your Metabolism

Who does not love a good night’s sleep?  Sleep is critical for brain function, energy, the restoration of our cells, and helps rejuvenate our mood.  It seems like everything is improved after a night of rest.  Unfortunately, many are not getting the appropriate amount of shut-eye that they need and as a result, they are chronically sleep deprived which can lead to unhealthy symptoms such as worsened insulin sensitivity.  If you are trying to lose weight or improve your diabetes numbers, then sleep will be very important.

In the October 2012 Annals of Internal Medicine, the researchers looked at a small sample of people and found that those who only slept 4.5 hours per night had 30% less insulin sensitivity in their fat cells.  Insulin sensitivity is critical for moving glucose into the cells which helps with, among other things, weight loss.  The more sensitive a cell is, the easier it is for insulin to do its job, maintain balance and not gain weight.  Unfortunately, as a cell loses its sensitivity it becomes known as insulin resistant which can lead to pre-diabetes, diabetes, elevated insulin levels and fat gain. 

Another study examined the relationship to sleep, insulin and adolescents finding that those who averaged 6.4 hours of actual sleep per night had higher levels of insulin resistance compared to those who slept longer.  This information is important as the nation’s obesity epidemic is affecting children and teenagers just as much as it is affecting adults.  Quality sleep habits need to start young in order to help with expanding waistlines. 

Many people find that they cannot fall asleep, stay asleep or both.  Plagued by nightly issues, this leads to other problems such as daytime drowsiness/fatigue, memory issues, attention problems, and changing moods.  There are several sleep habit tips that are important to recognize when it comes to good sleep.  While many of these suggestions seem simple, how many of you are actually doing them?

First, go to bed early.  Try to re-set your clock to be in bed at a decent hour.  Second, focus on winding down so that your mind is not spinning with everything about your day, or that you need to get done, or what is worrying you.  Third, get off your phone, ipad and computer and do not sleep with those things next to your head with sounds going off through the night.  Fourth, do not eat sugar or drink alcohol before bed as this often causes blood sugar issues through the night causing frequent wake-ups.  Fifth, consider bed time rituals such as tea that helps with sleep, 5 minutes of quiet meditation, deep breathing, journaling, snuggle with your animal, partner or child, and focus on all the positive things that happened in your day so that you end on a happy note.

 

References:

1)      Impaired Insulin Signaling in Human Adipocytes After Experimental Sleep Restriction: A Randomized, Crossover Study.  Web.  27 October, 2012. 

http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1379773

2)      Insulin sensitivity: modulation by nutrients and inflammation.  Web. 27 October, 2012.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2522344/

3)      Insulin sensitivity: modulation by nutrients and inflammation.  Web.  27 October, 2012.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2522344/