As we enjoy the fun and excitement of the busy 2024 holiday season, we must all be mindful not to completely lose sight of our health and well-being and that of our families and friends. With this in mind, mybergen.com is sharing the following helpful holiday healthy living tips from some of the Bergen County area’s leading health and safety experts.
Holiday Stress Making You Sick?
Is holiday stress making you sick? The holiday season can bring unwelcome guests, including stress and depression. And, no matter how much we may welcome the season, the holidays often present a dizzying array of demands, including parties, shopping, baking, cleaning, and entertaining, to name just a few.
How can you tell if holiday stress is getting to you? “If you suffer from headaches, stomach aches, fatigue, insomnia, or even muscle pain, stress may be the culprit. Learning to recognize the symptoms of stress and developing positive coping strategies can make all the difference in your physical and emotional well-being,” explains Jodie Katz, M.D., Director, Center for Integrative Medicine, The Valley Hospital.
The good news is that you can manage stress more effectively by incorporating simple practices into your routine. And even better, these tools are not limited to the holiday season—they can be used throughout the year!
Some quick tips for coping with stress are:
- Get adequate relaxation.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Check your “internal chatter.” Are your thoughts positive and helpful or negative and unproductive?
- Stay well-connected to family and friends. Seek them out for support and companionship
- Plan ahead to prevent last-minute scrambling.
- Learn to say no—don’t over-extend yourself.
- Take a breather—make time for yourself.
- Stay in tune with your body. When you experience chronic or severe physical/emotional symptoms, consider seeking professional help.
According to Dr. Katz, “If stress is interfering with your day-to-day functioning and expressing itself in unhealthy ways, you may want to consider enrolling in a mindfulness-based meditation course. Mindfulness-based meditation can genuinely impact an individual’s ability to manage stress. And, in today’s fast-paced and competitive environment, being able to mitigate the impact of life’s stressors on our physical and emotional health is more important than ever!”
Valley’s Center for Integrative Medicine offers a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course for adults. To learn more or to register for an upcoming course, call 201-389-0075.
Safety First! How to Approach the 2024 Holiday Season Safely
The holiday season is a time when busy people can become vulnerable to theft and other holiday crime. Here are some tips from Chuck Gerity, Vice President of Emergency Preparedness & Operations at Holy Name Medical Center, to help you be more careful and keep your holiday season joyous:
- Even though you are rushed and thinking about a thousand things, stay alert to your surroundings.
- Beware of strangers approaching you. At this time of year, con artists may try various methods of distracting you with the intention of taking your money or belongings.
- When leaving home, make sure you leave lights on.
- Shop during daylight hours whenever possible. If you must shop at night, go with a friend or family member.
- Dress casually and comfortably.
- Avoid wearing expensive jewelry.
- Do not carry a purse or wallet, if possible.
- Always carry your driver’s license or identification along with necessary cash, checks and/or a credit card you expect to use.
- Keep cash in your front pocket. Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Pay for purchases with a check or credit card when possible.
- Don’t bring large amounts of cash to work. • Notify the credit card issuer immediately if your credit card is lost, stolen, or misused.
- Keep a record of all of your credit card numbers in a safe place at home.
- Be extra careful if you carry a wallet or purse, which are the prime targets of criminals in crowded shopping areas, transportation terminals, bus stops, buses, and other rapid transit.
- Avoid overloading yourself with packages. It is essential to have clear visibility and freedom of motion to avoid mishaps.
- Avoid bringing and leaving gifts in plain view in your vehicle.
You Don’t Have to Gain Weight This Holiday Season: Strategies that Work
The holidays are here, and often food is the centerpiece of festivities and celebrations, but the holiday season doesn’t mean you have to pack on the pounds or add inches to your waist! The Weight Loss Institute of New Jersey wants you to celebrate and enjoy your favorite foods; moderation and balance are key. Here are some tips:
- Be realistic – trying to lose weight during the holidays may be a “self-defeating” goal—a better goal would be to maintain weight.
- Get moving! – find activities the whole family can do such as walking, biking, hiking, bowling.
- Take the edge off your hunger before a party – going to a party feeling hungry can sabotage the strongest willpower, so eat a small, low-fat snack before you head outdoor.
- Make just one trip to the party buffet – choose only the food you want- keep portions small and use a small plate.
- Meet and Greet – conversation is calorie-free—get a beverage and settle into the festivities while catching up with friends. If you are a sit-down dinner, cut your first helping in half– then you can enjoy seconds (and keep the hostess/host happy), and the total food that you eat will be the same as the normal portion size.
- Choose lower-calorie party foods – try raw vegetables with a small amount of dip or boiled shrimp or scallops with cocktail sauce or lemon. You can even bring a healthy dish (raw vegetable w/dip, fruit platter) with you.
Have fun and remember – Regardless of what’s on your plate, it is up to you to take charge of how much you eat.
Time Has Come for Santa to Make a Health “Adjustment”
After centuries of lugging a heavy bag over one shoulder, eating too many Christmas cookies, crouching in a sleigh while being pulled by eight reindeer, and living a sedentary lifestyle for 364 days a year, it may be time for Santa Claus to make an “adjustment” to his health says the Association of N.J. Chiropractors.
“It is imperative that for Santa to be healthy enough to fulfill his mission of delivering children’s favorite toys and goodies on his sleigh all over the world for many more centuries to come, he needs to start treating his body better, and that means making some healthy choices, with a chiropractic adjustment the perfect place to start,” according to a spokesperson from the ANJC.
Based on observances of the abuse done to his physical being over the centuries, the ANJC has determined that jolly old St. Nick may be in danger of suffering from the following lower back and neck problems.
- Lower back pain caused by obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and lifting a bag filled with tons of toys.
- Back and neck pain caused by tossing the bag of toys over his shoulder.
- Knee strain from climbing down chimneys and crouching in his sleigh.
To ensure a healthy Santa, the ANJC offers these 10 health tips for him to follow:
1. It is time for Santa to follow a year-long exercise program, which helps alleviate the physical stress placed on his body this time of year. Santa’s big belly is the worst culprit, as it puts unwanted pressure on the muscles, ligaments, and tendons in his lower back.
2. Santa needs to equally distribute the weight he carries between both arms. Santa’s elves need to repack his bag to distribute the items he carries evenly. He should stop trying to be a hero by carrying one enormous bag over his shoulder.
3. Santa should warm up and do a lot of stretching before attempting to lift any packages or items.
4. He should also avoid twisting while lifting. Twisting is one of the most dangerous movements for your spine, especially while lifting.
5. He should make sure to bend his knees when attempting to lift these packages.
6. How heavy is the bag? Santa should check the weight before attempting to lift any packages. He can do so by pushing the object lightly or moving it with his feet to see how easily it moves. Small items sometimes are heavier than the big ones. If you can’t move it, get a bunch of elves to help.
7. When sitting in his sleigh, Santa needs to keep his knees slightly higher than his hips, with his head up and back straight. 8. He also needs to avoid rolling his shoulders in the sleigh or slouching.
9. According to legend, Santa sleeps on his back with his whiskers out of the covers. Sleeping on one’s back puts approximately 50 pounds of pressure on your spine. Santa should consider placing a pillow under his knees while lying on his back or sleeping on his side with a pillow between his knees.
10. Before starting an exercise program, Santa should consult his doctor before beginning.
ANJC is one of the largest associations of chiropractors in the nation, with over 1,900 members statewide. ANJC’s mission is to educate its members on the latest technology and advancements in the profession and become a trusted, relied-upon information resource to the public regarding the benefits of chiropractic care.
For more information or to locate an ANJC member doctor by town or zip code, visit ANJC’s public information website at njchiropractors.com or call 908- 722–5678.
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