How to Stay Healthy This Holiday Season

The holidays are certainly a time for celebration. However, with shopping, family gatherings and hearty meals with alcohol, we may quickly put aside our good habits and neglect our health.

Maintain a balanced diet and avoid excesses

Hors d’oeuvres, turkey, Yule log, and plenty of other food… For many of us, the holiday season means a time filled with hearty meals. Faced with this abundance of delicious food, it can be tempting to let oneself go to excess.

It is best to limit the portions taken from each dish and, above all, to eat slowly in order to give our body time to communicate the feeling of satiety to our brain, which takes about 20 minutes. In addition, it is important to include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other foods that contain important nutrients and fibres in our diet. Dietary fibre helps with the feeling of satiety and allows us to eat foods that are less healthy for us in smaller quantities.

Prevent infections

Family gatherings or get-togethers with friends are very enjoyable, but they also provide an opportunity for viruses, which cause infections such as colds, flu and gastrointestinal tract infections, to spread from one person to another. It is therefore important that you limit contact with people that are sick and objects contaminated by them. Here are some preventive tips:

• Avoid going to events if you are sick;
• Wash your hands regularly, especially before eating;
• Avoid sharing drinks, food and utensils with others;
• Avoid physical contact as much as possible: hugs, kisses on the cheek, handshakes, etc.;
• Allow yourself time to rest, which is essential to keeping your immune system effective.

Be careful when travelling

Falls during winter lead to several thousands of hospitalizations each year across the country. Elderly people and those with reduced mobility are, of course, at greater risk of falling and suffering the consequences. This is why special attention must be paid to prevent falls during winter. The best thing to do is getting boots with a wide, non-slip sole. It may also be best to buy crampons, which can be attached under the boots when walking outside to avoid slipping on the ice.

Stay active

It is well known that regular physical activity has many benefits for both physical and mental health. Sports help to relieve stress and spend some of the calories that were ingested during holiday meals. So just because you’re on vacation during the holidays doesn’t mean you have to take time off from your good exercise habits. On the contrary, take the opportunity to do the physical activities you enjoy, alone or in a group: Nordic walking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, etc.

Continue integrating Genacol products into your routine

If you suffer from joint pain associated with osteoarthritis, continue making Genacol products part of your routine, even during the holiday season. This way, you will be able to do the activities you enjoy and attend all your family gatherings, without being restricted by pain.