"Stay Illuminated This Holiday Season!": How to Stay Healthy!

It’s nearing the end of this year’s work season, and like many of us, we’re looking forward to unwinding and dining this Christmas weekend (or for the rest of this year, we see you early holiday-ers..)

From all of us at Arlyn Recruiting, we wish you a very 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! 

Without further ado... This week's blog post features our tips and tricks on how to stay healthy during the holidays!

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Taking Walks

We know, it’s freezing outside but hear us out! According to a study conducted by Jawbone UP, the fitness tracking app, people take an average of 1870 steps fewer than usual during the year-end holidays. Taking walks (or brisk walks) will help you burn 3 to 6 times as many calories as sitting still, this according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Research done at Brown University suggests that the combination of cold weather and walking could help you burn that holiday weight off faster!

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Focusing on the fun, not just the food! 

Try focusing on the fun aspect of the holiday season, as this could help you steer clear from either critically watching what you eat, or overeating because it's holiday food! If you’re at a holiday meal, we recommend focusing on the “family” part of family gatherings, or the “social” part of social events with friends. Get in touch with the moment, and focus on the socializing rather than overindulging on the Christmas treats!

Some of our other recommendations to avoid overindulgence are to go heavy on the vegetables and leave less room on your plate for higher-calorie foods, go low to high on the calories. The old tricks of using a smaller plate, drinking a ton of water before a meal, or pre-eating (this gives you control over what you eat than at the family dinner table) before big family meals, may help curb overeating!

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Checking Your Alcohol Consumption

Now, no one’s saying that you can’t have a drink, but the Canadian Public Health Association has recommended that daily, women ought to stick to consuming 3 drinks or less a day, and 4 drinks or less a day, for men. The limit per week is 10 and 15 drinks, respectively. Most sources would say the same and that like everything else in our lives, moderation is key! Try having a glass of water beside that glass of wine, this could help the day after, and stop your body from dehydrating the day of!

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Being Mindful About Your Time!

What we mean is, getting some rest. The holidays don’t mean you ought to see everyone and everything, this is your time to get enough rest and focus on you! Getting proper sleep and relaxation will help you reduce stress and keep your immune system strong. Take the time to wind down, sip on some tea, walk the dogs, read a book (or a kindle), and don’t/never feel obligated to do everything and see everyone you know. Decide on activities that will truly give you joy. Focus on yourself!

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Bonus! Setting S.M.A.R.T Health Goals

Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic and Time-Oriented goal-setting is at the core of Healthy Families BC’s advice on how to keep healthy, regardless of the time of year. Consider either finding a friend to set a goal together or tell your friends of said goal to help you achieve it! Make those goals achievable by appropriating it to your own situation. Like most goals, it’s a process and the sooner you tailor those goals to your specific circumstance, the sooner you’ll be able to achieve them!

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We wish you well holiday-goers, and for the rest of us still at work, let’s keep pushing through till the New Years Holiday!