Tips to stay healthy this holiday season
Brief Description
How to include health during the busy holiday season.
Transcript
Balintfy: The holiday seasons can be filled with family, fun and festivities, but it can also be a stressful time.
Rodgers: Holiday pressures can interrupt a person’s routine and make it even more challenging to follow plans to stay healthy.
Balintfy: Dr. Griffin Rodgers is an institute director at the NIH.
Rodgers: When you're getting ready to go to a family gathering or celebration and you know there’s going to be a lot of food around, planning ahead really helps.
Balintfy: He recommends these tips when it comes to holiday celebrations: Don’t "save up" for big meals, rather have a light snack beforehand; keep an eye on the drinks, alcohol in particular adds calories and enhances appetite; and go easy on dessert. He also recommends being realistic.
Rodgers: The holidays don’t have to be perfect, but with some planning, you can help prevent some of the situations that can create stress and affect your health.
Balintfy: Dr. Rodgers suggests making sure there are healthy foods available to eat during the holiday season and scheduling time for physical activity.
Rodgers: Regular physical activity during the holiday season may boost your energy, clear your mind, manage any health problems like diabetes or high blood pressure, and help get some items checked off your holiday "to do" list.
Balintfy: He stresses the holiday season is not the time to abandon healthy habits.
Rodgers: Don't let the holidays become a free-for-all. Overindulgence only adds to your stress and guilt. Continue to get plenty of sleep and physical activity. If you do overindulge in eating too much, don’t be too hard on yourself up. Get back on track at the next meal.
Balintfy: While eating favorite foods and desserts, and exchanging gifts are central to many family gatherings, they can also be an opportunity for families to give the gift of health. Dr. Rodgers says knowing your family health history can help you and your health care provider make the right decisions for your health.
Rodgers: Share your family health history. Ask questions. Talk about common health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure and whether anyone in the family has these conditions.
Balintfy: Dr. Rodgers reminds that the NIH has many resources to help you and your family and friends stay healthy this holiday season. Learn more about healthy eating and physical activity from the Weight-control Information Network at www.win.niddk.nih.gov. For diabetes prevention and management tips from the National Diabetes Education Program visit www.yourdiabetesinfo.org. And family health history and kidney disease details from the National Kidney Disease Education Program are available at www.nkdep.nih.gov. And to hear more healthy holiday tips from Dr. Rodgers, listen to episode 172 of the NIH Research Radio podcast. For NIH Radio, this is Joe Balintfy – NIH Turning Discovery Into Health®.