Tips For Staying Healthy During Thanksgiving

While the holidays are a time for merriment and giving thanks, they can also bring added stress and exhaustion. To ensure that your Thanksgiving season reaches its optimum potential, we’ve connected with several health and wellness experts who offer tips for staying clear of the holiday blues.

 

 

Prep Your Immune System

Karen Lee Paquette, ND PT, of Metagenics Wellness Center in Solana Beach, advises, “Since Thanksgiving is a time for indulgence and is right in the middle of flu season, it’s a good idea to support your immune system. One way to combat these effects is to ensure you get seven to eight hours of sleep per night. Studies show that people who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to get sick.” Mark Stengler, NMD, of Stengler Center for Integrative Medicine in Encinitas, adds, “Supplement with vitamin D3 to optimize your immune system for flu and respiratory tract infections.”

 

Eat Well & Strategically

Stengler and Paquette also emphasize the importance of paying attention to what and how you eat. Stengler advises, “Eat your salad and vegetables at the beginning of meals so you feel full from the fiber and will consume less calories.” And Paquette points out, “Gluten and wheat sensitivities are more common than ever. This Thanksgiving, try a gluten-free stuffing recipe for your turkey — just replace bread crumbs with an al dente cooked brown rice and quinoa blend (1:1), stuff and enjoy.” 

 

Make “You” Time

With the hustle and bustle of preparing for the holiday, it’s easy to get caught up with taking care of everything, and everyone, else. Be sure to take time out for yourself, too. Joice Truban Curry, owner of Massage Envy’s Carmel Valley and Solana Beach locations, says: “Massage therapy can help relieve stress, it encourages relaxation, lowers blood pressure, and strengthens the immune system, which everyone can benefit from in the winter.” But Curry is quick to point out that “massage therapy is more than relaxing ‘me-time.’ The ongoing benefits of professional massage therapy can have a profound effect on both the body and mind. Massage can play an integral role in pain management and achieving overall wellness for people.”

 

Reflect & Give Thanks

“Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks for what you have: family, friends, health, sustenance, and shelter, to name a few,” notes Danielle Weiss, MD of Integrative Wellness Medica Group in Solana Beach. “It is a well-known fact that being optimistic and having strong social bonds are the foundation of good health.” Weiss suggests taking time to create a weekly or daily practice that encapsulates the essence of Thanksgiving. For example, she advises, “Take a moment prior to fully awakening in the morning or going to bed or prior to a meal, where you take stock of the positive things in your life — and even better, share this with and thank those around you for contributing to this.”     MIA STEFANKO