‘Tis the season.

Parties, huge meals, home baked goodies, sugar plums, candy canes and eggnog are just a few of the temptations we face at this time of year.

So many people toss up their hands and let slide all the progress they made toward their health goals in the previous months, figuring that the temptation of the season, the sense of guilt and obligation to enjoy friendly food gifts or thoughtful meals or even just the frantic busyness is no match for their will power.  Are the holidays really that hopeless?

I believe it is possible, with the following healthy holiday tips, to get through the season so that come January you still feel good about your progress, you still feel like you’ve honoured yourself and your health program, and you’re not rushing off to buy a gym membership in an attempt to shed that extra December padding.  All it takes is some planning and mindful dedication.

1. Schedule time for yourself.  If you don’t you won’t get any.  Use this time to move your body in your favorite way – get your sweat on, not your sweet on.
2. Stay hydrated.  Drink water throughout the day.  Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces per day (eg: if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces in a day).
3. Don’t underestimate the possibility of the re-gift.  If you are given a box or a basket of goodies pass it off to a different recipient.  Bring it as a hostess gift or have it out on the food table if you are hosting your own party, donate it to charity – anything!  If you don’t feel like it would be a good choice for you, don’t choose it.  Compare when you put your hand on a hot stove, you automatically pull it away from the heat to prevent injury.  If it hurts, don’t do it.
4. Snack nutritiously.  Mandarin oranges and pomegranates are in season at this time of year and full of anti-aging nutrients and fiber.  Always have quick access to veggie sticks or a small handful (10-12)  of almonds or walnuts.  You’ll have less room for treats and you will be less prone to seasonal infections.  Definitely have a snack before you leave for those holiday parties.

Let’s talk about some healthy holiday tips that will specifically address surviving those seasonal socials events.

• Eat a healthy snack or meal before you leave.  Check.  We covered this.  Don’t starve yourself leading up to the event because you will have the tendency to over eat and your make your body panic and start storing everything you put in your mouth.
• Talk a lot and listen more.  Your lips will be so busy conversing that you won’t be crunching.  Have these conversations away from the food display so that you’re not tempted to chew during the chat.
• Choose the healthy options at the party: the veggie sticks, salsa, hummus, small amounts of cheese or nuts and of course fruit.  Before you dig in, ask yourself if you’re actually hungry or are feeling something else, like boredom, social awkwardness, nervousness or guilt.  Choose a small plate and put food on it instead of grazing – that way you know how much you’ve eaten.  Discard the plate and/or napkin when you’re finished so you don’t refill it.
• Keep “The Deal.”  For every drink you have, refresh yourself with 2 glasses of water and for every sweet you eat, nourish yourself with 2 vegetables.  That’s “The Deal.”  Keep it.  Shake on it with a friend and hold each other accountable instead of holding each other’s rum and eggnog while you’re grabbing another butter tart.
• If it’s a potluck celebration, bring a healthy, guilt-free dish.  Lead by example; your friends and family will thank you for your healthy holiday tips.
• Be wary of drinking your calories.  Also, the more alcohol you drink the more likely you are to make less than ideal food choices.
• Lastly, chew gum or keep a mint or two in your pocket to remind yourself your tongue has retired for the evening.

So you’ve blown it.  You gorged.  You don’t feel well physically or emotionally.  What now?  These healthy holiday tips might be the most important:

1. Forgive yourself.  You’re only human.
2. You may have fallen off the wagon and on to the dessert cart, but it is never too late to jelly roll yourself off and start over.  One lapse does not have to seal your fate.  Your progress is not destined to spiral into an over eating abyss.  One bad day, one bad hour, one bad food choice is not the end of the world.  Consciously decide to stick to your plan.
3. Don’t starve yourself the next day to compensate for your over indulgence.  Choose fresh, nutritious foods and good, clean water.
4. Sometimes it helps to strive not for weight loss over the holidays but weight maintenance.  At least then you’re unlikely to see a higher number on your scale.
5. A little self reflection might prove worthwhile as well.  Ask yourself why you over-indulged.  Did you feel pressured?  Did you feel guilty?  Did you want to please someone? Keep in mind, that your health belongs to you and no one else.  You are in charge, you make the calls and no one but you decides you how you treat yourself.  Your greatest gift to yourself is practicing good health promoting behaviors, some of which I discussed in these articles: Natural Cures for Constipation and Stress Reduction Techniques.

I hope you find these healthy holiday tips practical and valuable.  I wish you and yours a safe and healthy holiday season.

Naturopathic medicine is a safe, effective and natural approach to you and your family’s health.  Naturopathic doctors can and will empower you to live a healthy lifestyle while treating and preventing disease.  Find more information on the services I offer at Arbour Wellness Centre at Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor.

Tags: Dr. Tonia Mitchell, Healthy holiday tips, Holiday eating, holiday parties, Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor

It is upon us.  Here on the West Coast the drizzly, grey flu-ridden fall is in full force.  If you haven’t gotten the yearly bug yet, you’ve probably thought a lot about it.  Every time we turn on the news or pass by newspapers we see how concerned the media is about the annual flu, H1N1 and how the supply of the vaccines is falling short of the demand.  But is it all worth the hype? Is avoiding the flu really that hard?

I’ve had a number of calls from worried parents over the last couple weeks.  Little one has a cough or a fever or both – a likely H1N1 diagnosis.  Should they get a prescription for anti-virals?  Should they vaccinate their other children or themselves?  Before they know it, they’re worked up into a tizzy, questioning their jobs as parents and expecting the worst.  Part of me understands their concern.  Both the seasonal influenza and the H1N1 variety can be serious and can kill people.  But lets look at the facts:

In an information bulletin from the Ministries of Health Services and Healthy Living and Sport in British Columbia, Canada, dated November 10, 2009, we learn that in the past week there have been 202 new, severe cases of H1N1, leading to 8 deaths for a total of 601 confirmed severe cases and 23 deaths since April 2009.  Twenty-two of those deaths occurred in people who had underlying medical conditions such as heart or kidney disease, diabetes, asthma and chronic lung disease, suppressed immune systems, neurological disorders, liver disease, blood disorders and severe obesity. “To put the H1N1 outbreak in perspective, 400 to 800 people die in British Columbia from the seasonal flu or pneumonia each year.”

Should we be really worried about avoiding the flu or the swine flu?

“The majority of lab-confirmed cases in B.C. have been mild or moderate in severity, with the patients either having already recovered or currently recovering.”

Most people who are exposed to either virus and/or catch it are completely fine.  Read that again.  Just to be sure.

That being said – it is important to stay healthy and a solid baseline is a good start.  So, what can you do to protect you and your family?  The following information is what we are telling our patients at Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor:

PREVENTION – Avoiding the Flu:

1.  Proper hygiene is important and simple.

Wash your hands:

• frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds;
• before or after you eat or after using the washroom;
• before touching your mouth, eyes or face;
• after you blow your nose, sneeze or cough

Cough or sneeze into your sleeve at your elbow (not your hands)
Toss used tissues into the garbage immediately
Don’t make close contact with people that are sick

2.  Important lifestyle factors to help in avoiding the flu:

Get 7-8 hours of sleep (a night not over two nights or even worse, three!)
Move your body every day.
Practice Stress Reduction Techniques.  A lowered immune system is one of The Symptoms of Stress.
Choose to eat nutritious, whole foods especially colourful vegetables
Drink ample water for your body weight (1/2 your weight in pounds is the number of ounces you should drink per day)

3.  Other things you can do to improve your chances of avoiding the flu:

Talk to your local Naturopathic Doctor about your individual immune and vaccine needs.

Consider taking an appropriate dose of Vitamin D and a high quality echinacea or mushroom supplement.

IF YOU GET SICK OR START TO SHOW SYMPTOMS:

Stay home, until you are feeling better.  Get plenty of rest.  It’s drizzly and grey and dull outside… cozy up with your favorite slippers and a good book.  You and your co-workers will be thankful.

Drink lots of fluids, like home made chicken soup (momma knew what she was doing) especially if suffering from vomiting or diarrhea.

Don’t fear the fever!  Fevers are the body’s way of fighting off the bugs and are vital to a complete recovery.  Suppressing the fever with drugs is taking away the body’s fighting chance.  Fevers of 38.9 degrees Celsius or 102 F) are optimal.  Typically, I tell my worried moms to only worry about fevers if they get to 40 C or 104 F (after which central nervous system damage and seizures might occur so it is advisable to get to an emergency room or clinic – pronto – especially if dehydration is a concern).  We can work WITH the fever to improve our chances of a healthy recovery. Check out Home Hydrotherapy – Get Stimulated for ways to help optimize a fever.

There is a plethora of information out there about avoiding the flu.  The best thing you can do is get informed and make the best choices for you.  If you need professional help with that choice try a visit with a Naturopathic Doctor.   Naturopathic medicineis a safe, effective and natural approach to you and your family’s health.  Naturopathic doctors can and will empower you to live a healthy lifestyle while treating and preventing disease.  Find more information on the services I offer at Arbour Wellness Centre at Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor.

For more information on disease surveillance in British Columbia:

www.gov.bc.ca/h1n1

www.healthlinkbc.ca

www.fightflu.ca

www.phac-aspc.gc.ca

www.bccdc.ca

Tags: Avoiding the Flu, Dr. Tonia Mitchell, Flu, Flu Vaccines, H1N1, Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor, naturopathic medicine