December:
If there’s one thing we can agree on, it’s that nearly three years of pandemic living has left us sick of sickness. The best ways to prevent most chronic diseases are to eat healthy, be physically active, and avoid tobacco and excessive alcohol use.
Tips for a Healthy Holiday Season...
Focus on a healthy diet
Our immune system needs the proper nutrition, hydration, and sleep to build up itself so it can attack the invading viruses
Don’t Smoke
Quitting smoking is one of the most important actions people can take to improve their health. This is true regardless of their age or how long they have been smoking. Quitting tobacco is a process. Whether you are thinking about quitting, are not yet ready to quit, or have already quit, Kansas Quitline can help you with each step of the way. https://kansas.quitlogix.org/en-US/
Exercise every day
Take a walk on the treadmill or bundle up to take a short walk to get your heart rate up each day. If you’re not moving, it’s like taking a car and sticking it in the garage for the winter — things don’t work as well when that car has been standing still.
Seek out fresh air and sunlight
Fresh Air and sunlight replenish that dose of Vitamin D your immune system needs to stay healthy.
Get enough sleep
Getting enough sleep helps the body refurbish or build your immune system. We must shut the engines down so they can turn their attention to building antibodies that protect our bodies.
Do things that bring you joy!
One of the things that can further break down the immune system is depression and anxiety. Learning to cope with stress in healthy ways can make other healthy choices easier. For stress relief, take deep breaths, stretch, meditate, or do an activity you enjoy, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. Talk with people you trust about how you’re feeling and write down the things you are grateful for.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention