Tips for Healthy Holiday Season

Top 5 ways to keep yourself healthy

Sacramento, CA,- The holiday season is known for the hustle and bustle we create, attempting to complete our long “to do” lists.

It is important to keep our health on this list, for if we don’t make health a priority, and end up in bed or feeling lethargic, we won’t be getting anything checked off our lists.  We can also avoid becoming a “Scrooge” of the season if we are taking care of ourselves and feeling great.

Top 5 ways to keep yourself healthy and in the holiday spirit

1. Reduce stress.

Although the holidays are intended to be a time of celebration and gratitude, many of us feel more stress as we have more baking, shopping, and parties to attend. Stress is a great accelerator of aging and is estimated to cause up to 90% of all chronic diseases.
Slow down and ask yourself what is really important. Remember to check in with yourself before committing to attend a party or deciding to send out hundreds of holiday cards. Are you going to be giving these cards from a place of obligation and tradition or from joy and love? If sending cards are going to be more of a stress, you may want to reconsider.  Your family members and friends would surely value your well-being over receiving a holiday card.

2. Eat well.

Just as our cars need gas to function and wouldn’t move if we put soda in the gas tank, we also need to feed our bodies properly or they will not function.  Ironically, during this time of the year when we need our energy to be highest, we most often eat the worst foods for our bodies – ones that are laden with junk fats and sugars. During this holiday rush, make sure vegetables are the base of each meal; also reducing sugar content, can make a huge difference.

3. Fortify your immune system with supplements.

There are many supplements you can grab when you feel a sniffle or sore throat coming your way.  Among many great supplements, most important preventative vitamin is to take a baseline Vitamin D supplement during the winter.  Other important supplements include Vitamin C and Transfer Factor to prevent sickness.  If you do catch a cold, there are also many homeopathic remedies from Germany that are incredibly helpful for our patients in overcoming colds quickly, including ViraClear.

4. Exercise.

Our bodies are made to move!  There are too many benefits to exercising to name them all, but just to get started, exercise reduces stress, produces natural chemical “feel good” hormones, reduces sadness, anxiety, irritability, anger, fatigue, irritability, hopelessness, self-doubt, etc.  A good way to begin an exercise program is to pick an activity that is practical (walking in your neighborhood, rather than attending aerobics class across town); don’t overdue it. Think of exercise as a stress-reliever, not just one more thing to do. Enjoy it!

5. Get your neurotransmitters tested!

It is estimated that 70% of all Americans have low serotonin levels.  The following symptoms are common with neurotransmitter imbalances:  mood disorders, for example, panic attacks, depression, anxiety; eating disorders such as food cravings and inability to control appetite; memory and pain disorders; and metabolic problems, such as fatigue and hypoglycemia; and insomnia.  The six NTs that naturopathic doctors commonly measure are: serotonin, GABA, dopamine, norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (EPI), and glutamate.

This holiday season, give yourself the best gift of all – your own health to share with those you love!

Explore additional topics from Dr. Godby, ND, MA at Natural Wellness.

As a naturopathic doctor for the last 18 years, I have witnessed the power of a preventative lifestyle and naturopathic medicine to transform the health and lives of thousands of patients.

Sacramento Naturopathic
2530 J Street, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95816
Phone: (916) 446-2591
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