Tips for a healthy holiday

hands holding a healthy veggie dish over festive table

We're glad the holidays are finally here!

The holidays usually present a big challenge in staying healthy, keeping routines, and avoiding getting sick. So, how do you maintain your weight, yet indulge in the fun and especially delicious holiday foods? The secret, my friends, is moderation. If you're going to feast or party extensively, spread those times out whenever you can. Splurge a consecutive evening or two on the delicacies and drinks but hold back a few days before and after. Give your body time between the festivities to feel normal. It's also a good habit to teach your children too.

Another tip regarding the tempting foods; focus first on filling up on the healthier foods, so you won't have room to “overload” on the heavier carb treats.

You are doing great if you've created some healthy routines for yourself -- like consistently getting a good night's sleep, habitually performing morning stretches and/or exercise rituals, regularly having a healthy, filling breakfast, and maybe squeezing in a brisk walk in the afternoon or early evening. Find ways to keep that going while you enjoy the holidays, like getting out to see holiday decorations, or some shopping.

One of the healthiest habits anyone can have is washing their hands regularly. When you go to the bathroom, wash your hands after. Before any meal, wash your hands. Handling anything outside or having covered a cough or sneeze, wash your hands soon after. If you can make these actions a habit, you will protect yourself from many of the bacteria and germs that like to cling to our hands during our day.

The weather is also a concern. As the weather gets colder, we tend to stay confined in our homes, which makes it easier to become sick or get others sick. My advice would be to share these tips with everyone in your household to help them all stay healthy. But if that doesn't work, there are vaccines available for most of the respiratory diseases like flu and RSV that is going around. Check with your healthcare provider, a nearby clinic, or give us a call: 817-246-6299.

You'll find a wealth of health information on this website. We also put out health tips and other useful information on Public Health's  Facebook and Instagram pages.

Wishing you and yours the very best and healthiest holidays!

Vinny Taneja,

Director, Tarrant County Public Health