HOW do you achieve balance when holiday treats are everywhere?
The season is filled with rich foods, and temptation to indulge, says Erika Callowhill, from the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Try to consume a lot of good-for-you items, vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and lean protein. Making small changes, and keeping healthier choices in mind is an easy step and can make a difference.
Here to help you during the season of overindulgence, Callowhill shares these five tips from the Heart and Stroke Foundation so you can navigate through the holidays and preserve your well-being, and bring in the New Year happy and healthy.
? Indulge mindfully
Visions of sugar plums dancing in your head? Strike a balance between healthy eating and treats by choosing healthier versions of traditional holiday favourites and taste a bit of everything - but just a taste.
There are no off-limits foods, as long as you keep portions small.
? Enjoy festive fitness
Get outside with your family and enjoy the winter wonderland - skate, walk, ski or build a snowman. Keeping up your physical activity regularly throughout the season will also help reduce holiday stress.
? Pace your drinking
'Tis the season to be merry, but too much liquid cheer may increase your blood pressure and raise your risk of heart disease and stroke over the long term.
? Make a fresh start
Tee up your New Year's resolution by downloading the Heart and Stroke Foundation's free <30 Day Challenge smartphone app, available at the Apple App Store.
It delivers information and support to help you start a healthier lifestyle in just 30 days.
? Avoid the stress from crowded malls and give the gift of heart health
Buy Heart and Stroke Foundation Calendar Lottery tickets for your family and friends. The Calendar Lottery offers chances to win cash prizes every day of the year, with larger prizes weekly, monthly and on holidays.
The deadline for the Calendar Lottery is Tuesday, Dec. 18, and sales of the $25 calendar fund heart and stroke research right here in B.C.
For more information, or to get your own, visit calendarsales.heartandstroke. bc.ca.
For more information on the Heart and Stroke Foundation, visit heartandstroke.bc.ca.
