The holiday season is filled with friends, family, gifts, and — FOOD! The easy thing to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy all of the foods that put a smile on your face. However, the smart thing to do is to keep on the path of your normal day to day routine. Here are a few tips to stay on track without overindulging.

Pick and Choose Your Battles
When it’s time to eat the big holiday feast, make sure you’re eating around the same time you would normally eat. Make a plate of food with small portions of all of your favorite foods, starting with a few servings of vegetables. Don’t start shoveling this holiday deliciousness into your mouth; take your time so your mind can keep up with your body. If you do end up grabbing a second helping or two of your favorite side dish, try and eat a bit healthier for your next meal.

Get Up and Go
Many people will eat a ton of food, followed by a lot of sitting and talking until it’s time for dessert. Instead, get up and go take a walk with some family members after everyone has digested their dinner. Many people will give up exercise during the holidays, so at least go for a walk when you can. A nice walk will help you burn some of those calories you just packed on.

Get Enough Sleep
When you visit relatives for the holidays, you might wake up earlier and go to bed later than you normally do. So if you have to wake up early to go to your family’s house, go to bed earlier the night before. You always want to get the normal 7 to 8 hours, especially since sleep can affect your blood sugar levels.

Overindulging is one of the easiest things you can do during the holiday season, so use these tips to prevent yourself from doing so. For other useful tips and information, visit our blog! If you’re interested in learning more, or visiting The Arbors Assisted Living community, schedule a tour by contacting one of our five convenient locations:

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