Eating and Staying Healthy Through The Holidays!!

It's that time of year again! Every direction you turn there are treats a plenty, treats galore! Offices are brimming with countless plates of Christmas cookies and every party has a feast spread out before you. Everyone else is digging in. What's a person, who is trying to be a healthy eater, to do?

My answer might surprise you, but I say get in there and ENJOY! It only comes once a year and if you've been faithful to eat healthy ALL YEAR LONG, than indulge a little and celebrate! Of course, use common sense ie: All things in moderation. I can tell you from personal experience, that all too recently, I OVER-INDULGED at a holiday gathering and paid for it the next morning! My body naturally couldn't handle digesting some of the rich foods, that I don't normally eat, and sent my intestines on the fast track to removing the offensive foods. You get the picture, I'm sure.

Are you worried about the inevitable sugar-high your kiddos will get when they indulge in sweets that are normally not readily available at home? It's my experience that at most gatherings, the only foods which seem "kid-friendly" ARE the sweets. My kids are afraid to try fancy hors d' oeuvres and appetizers that they are not used to. My suggestion is to feed your kids healthy all day long and fill them up with an early, healthy dinner before you head out to a holiday party. They won't be so hungry and will have something healthy in their bellies first. Then they can have some guilt-free treats of their own. Be careful to monitor their trips to the buffet table so they don't end up with a tummy ache. They often don't know when to stop snacking, because the food is readily available, much like many of us adults! Allow for a couple cups of punch, then when they are thirsty (as they usually become while running around excitedly and playing) tell them only water then to help flush everything out.

Also, allow for proper rest for kiddos who have been up later than normal at parties, as their little bodies both heal and grow while they sleep. We'd be wise to follow the same advice. Make sure you remind them to wash, wash, wash their hands, especially before eating. Proper and often hand washing is just as effective as an annual flu shot. So LOTS of bubbles! If they don't see many bubbles, they need to repeat. Teach them to sing the ABC's to scrub long enough and rinse well. Antibacterial soaps don't do much. It's the act of rinsing that actually causes the germs to slide off our hands and down the drain. Regular soap is fine. Try not to overuse alcohol-based hand sanitizers, which can be extremely drying. Use only when a sink and soap are not available. Keep an eye on your kiddos hands. They don't think to apply hand moisturizer after washing, like we do. Keep some on the sink where little hands can reach it. Cracked and broken skin on hands can invite infection, as hands pick up more germs than any other body parts. Switch from alcohol-based hand sanitizers to Silver Shield. It's pure silver and pure water, does not dry skin out and keeps killing germs for four hours before needing to be reapplied. Use it also to clean all surfaces that hands touch ie computers, phones, remotes, door handles etc... If you haven't read my posting on the benefits of Silver Shield, check it out under "healthy living".

The holiday season will be a better experience if we are healthy. And we can then enjoy all the special foods and activities that we look forward to each year :) May you be blessed with good health now and in the New Year!