The snow has arrived and the holidays are just around the corner. The staff at the Minto-Mapleton Family Health Team has come up with a few favorite tips to better manage time, stress and waistlines during the most wonderful time of year.
This festive season brings about many opportunities to gather with family and friends but it also includes many mouth-watering and tempting treats. Instead of constant grazing at the snack table, fill a small plate to help control your portions and remember to include fruits and veggies. This will make it easier to keep track of how much you are eating compared to eating handfuls at a time. One nurse here finds it helpful to avoid keeping candies, chocolate and cookies displayed all day and will only put them out for an hour to also avoid the tendency to excessively graze.
The number one rule our dietitian likes to live by is the 80/20 rule: 80 per cent of the time try to follow a healthy diet, but 20% of the time allow yourself to eat the treats and goodies. It’s important to feel satisfied and not deprived with your current way of eating. Enjoy. So, to keep yourself on track, make sure you don’t go to the party hungry. Be sure to eat a nutritious breakfast and lunch on the day to avoid overeating later on.
Finally, holiday buffets are convenient ways to entertain a crowd, but leaving food out for long periods of time can invite bacteria that cause food-borne illness. To keep your holiday foods safe, our OTN Nurse suggests to cook them thoroughly, use shallow containers, never leave them sitting out for more than two hours, and keep them at the appropriate temperature.
Many of our staff find it important to include some time for ourselves this festive season, here are some of their suggestions:
– go for a brisk walk after meals during family gatherings. It will help you digest your holiday treats, and your body will release naturally occurring neurotransmitters that will make you feel happy and relaxed;
– be sure to include some “chill time” and try “not to overbook” your social calendar so there is time to sip cocoa and make crafts or walk in the snow; and
– do one nice thing for yourself everyday over the holiday season.
This time of year can have “hectic” written all over it. Here are a couple of ideas to help reduce your stress:
-there are many demand sthis time of year – try to prioritize what really needs to be done and learn to politely say “no” to the extras;
– set aside some time during the busy holiday season for yourself to do something that you enjoy. Whether it’s baking, crafting or reading a great book. Take some time to relax;
– keep reminding yourself that the most important thing about the holidays is spending time with your family and friends. The clean house, or expensive gifts you can’t afford aren’t what gets remembered. It’s the laughter, love and time you have spent with your Family that builds memories. Focus on that and the rest doesn’t matter so much.
Finally, exercise – sometimes a hard thing to keep on your daily to-do list during this season. So, make sure you keep active during the day. Any time you can include a walk, do it. At work, get up from your desk to respond to an email from a colleague and walk at lunch or breaks. During errands, park a little further away or do some laps of the store before starting your shopping. Every little bit counts.
For more information about the free services offered by the Minto-Mapleton FHT to help keep you on track this holiday season visit www.mmfht.ca or call the Drayton office at 519-638-2110, or the Clifford office at 519-327-4777 to book an appointment.
