A Holiday KISS from HOOAH 4 HEALTH!
by Judith S. Harris, BSN, MA, CHES

KISS - The Keep It Simple Solution

It's that time of year again, and it can take a toll on your body if you allow it! On the other hand, if you simplify your celebrations, this could be the year that you take the steps necessary to have healthier Happy Holidays.

To buy or not to buy...

We are constantly reminded by the media that the November/December holiday period is make or break time for many retail businesses -- they're counting on all of us spending like crazy, and they apply a lot of pressure to get us to do so. Just remember that extravagant gifts do not guarantee a great holiday. Take these tips with you when you head to the mall:

• Know your spending limit.
• It's fine to buy with your credit card in order to get airline miles or avoid carrying a lot of cash, but don't charge any more than you can pay in full when the next bill comes.
• It isn't necessary to outdo your relative/friend/in-law in spending on gifts. Something chosen thoughtfully to fit each person will be remembered much longer than a costly item that won't be used.
• On January 1 start a fund for next year's gifts. Commit to putting in a certain amount each week or pay period.
• For those who have everything, make a small donation to a charity for each person, in his or her name. Give out pretty holiday cards with the charities' names included.

Can I really be three places at once?

Whether you are making the rounds of social events between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day or traveling large numbers of miles to see lots of Family members, you understand entirely too well what the term "holiday whirlwind" means. If you thrive on that kind of frenetic activity, go for it! If you dread it, make some choices.

• Set a limit on the number of invitations you accept -- whatever fits your tolerance for social interaction. Be honest about your need to save time for yourself and your Family. If you decline an invitation, offer to help the hosts clean up the next morning and take a small basket of snacks to nibble on. You'll get quality time together that wouldn't have happened at the party.
• Volunteer to help prepare or serve a holiday meal at a homeless shelter. Nearly everyone will understand and admire your generosity.
• Start a tradition of an "un-holiday" celebration in October or February with part of your Family. You are likely to find some great bargains on airline tickets and have more flexibility in getting time off at work. Wouldn't Great-Aunt Margaret feel really special if you planned a few days to spend just with her? You can take holiday or summer pictures of the rest of the Family!
• Make a video of your Family doing ordinary and/or special things throughout the year. Record a tour of your new home or the fall leaves or a beach vacation. Narrate it with information tailored to the person receiving it -- "Mom, I knew you'd love to see the beautiful sand castle the kids made." Tell scattered Family members that one year they'll get you in person and the next year they'll get a really great video (which may allow them to see more of what goes on in your life than a visit does).
• Take a year off from making the rounds. This year my husband and I took a Thanksgiving cruise with our daughter and son-in-law -- turkey dinner in the middle of the Caribbean and no cooking!
• Along those lines, if you already alternate a holiday visit with two different Family groups, go to a three-year rotation -- adding a year for you to stay home or do something else.

Slow down, minimize stress - enjoy the simple things

This is good advice for expectations as well as for activities. The media and retail industries start working on us right after Halloween! Elaborate decorations, holiday treats, and the "magic" of the season are supposed to create a romantic and beautiful time for everyone. The true joy of being with special people and having a little time off from work can get lost. Simplifying can help us maintain perspective.

• If you want the focus to be on the people you've invited over rather than food or drink, keep the offerings simple -- one kind of holiday cookie, a platter of dried fruit and nuts, cheese and crackers, and punch or soft drinks. Put everything in one place (the dining room table or coffee table) to keep everyone grouped together. Have it laid out before guests arrive, and stay out of the kitchen or people will follow you there and you'll be tempted to put out more food.
• Limit decorations to a few, well-chosen items. The more clutter there is, the greater the chance is of an accident -- tripping over electric cords, knocking a decoration off of a table, not getting all the candles extinguished before going out. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, "Christmas trees are involved in about 400 fires annually, resulting in 20 deaths, 70 injuries and an average of more than $15 million in property loss and damage." If a gorgeous tree is a critical piece of your holiday decorating, keep it well-watered, make it easy to turn the lights on and off, and leave the space around it free of other decorations.
• Don't expect the magic of the season to make people that you don't get along with or who are chronically ill behave any differently than they usually do. Be realistic about how much they can or will participate in the festivities.
• Help children to realize that there are limits to holiday spending (even for Santa!) and guide them in prioritizing their wish lists. Start a tradition when they are very young of using a pre-printed list with spaces for just 3 items.

I bet I gained ten pounds!

According to the experts, most people only gain a pound over the winter holiday season. Unfortunately, they tend not to lose it, so that every year they give themselves the gift of another pound! The best countermeasure (besides eating sensibly) is increasing physical activity.

• Lots of organizations produce walker's logbooks and step counters. Give them as pre-holiday gifts to friends or neighbors with whom you could easily walk 2-3 times a week. Start your program the day after Thanksgiving before you head to the mall. Commit to regularly accumulating 10,000 steps a day by New Year's Day and stick with it throughout the year.
• There are healthier recipes available for almost every traditional holiday food. Do a web search or visit a library or bookstore.
• Stick with one piece each of 2-3 different hors d'ouevres, one moderate serving of each meal item, and one dessert.
• At the mealtimes immediately before and after a big-meal event, eat very lightly, concentrating on vegetables and whole grains.

"This was the best holiday ever!"

What steps will you take so that you can say this on January 2? It takes a little planning but not a whole lot of effort. Start your holidays with the gift of a healthier lifestyle. Happy Healthy Holidays from the HOOAH 4 HEALTH Team!

For more ideas on having healthier holidays, try these other pages on HOOAH 4 HEALTH:
Weight Gain over the Holidays
Holiday Nutrition
Holiday Stress