To Your Health

by Staying Healthy for the Holidays

By Paulette Avery, R.N., M.S.N.

The holiday season is upon us once again, so I'm going to devote this month's column to ways you can keep yourself in good health during this often hectic time of year. Although most of us enjoy this season, the busy-ness that accompanies the period from Thanksgiving to the New Year can mean stress and a weakened immune system. Add to that the flu bugs and colds that become both more common and more easily spread this time of year, and the need for self-care becomes apparent. Here are a few tips to keep this holiday season a bright and cheerful one for you.

Take time for yourself. So much to do, so little time, may be your mantra, but making time for you should be a top priority, especially if you are the one in your family who pulls it all together for the holidays. With shopping, decorating, meal planning, entertaining, and attending holiday events, our calendars may become so full that just getting a normal amount of sleep at night may seem a challenge. Remember that being stressed and exhausted won't help you or anyone else, so give yourself a break. Just taking 10 or 15 minutes in the morning to meditate, take a walk, or do any activity that helps to relax and focus your mind will help you not only to feel better, but also to be more effective in getting through your busy day. And if making lists is one of the things you do to stay organized, remember to put that time for yourself at the top of your list!

Eat right. I love all the goodies that accompany the holidays. It has become a tradition for my mother-in-law to send us a box filled with her home-baked sugar cookies decorated for Christmas, handmade mint candies, divinity fudge, and a huge bag of Chex mix. We eagerly await the arrival of this gift each year and just as eagerly begin devouring its contents. Then there are the boxes of candy, the parties where rich foods and tables filled with desserts are the norm, the potluck lunches at work, not to mention the feasts consumed for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and the New Year. For most of us, eating as much as we like of all these foods will mean several extra pounds to carry around in 2003. So indulge yourself, but do so with common sense, choosing only your favorite foods and eating them in moderation. Come January, you'll be glad you did. And don't forget to eat plenty of healthful foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains.

Health aids. If I feel a cold or other illness coming on, here's what I do to get back to good health as quickly as possible. You may remember several years ago when I recommended zinc lozenges to head off a cold. They worked for me but left an unpleasant taste in my mouth and upset my stomach unless I made sure to eat something first. Now there's a product called Zicam that works just as well as the lozenges but without the unpleasant side effects. Zicam is a zinc gel that you squirt or swab into the opening of your nostrils. The directions are to use it every two to four hours until your cold symptoms disappear. You can find Zicam at drugstores, and I highly recommend it for use at the first sign of a cold. The sooner you start using it, the more effective it is likely to be.

My other weapon is elderberry capsules. You can take one a day as an ongoing boost to your immune system, but I use them only when I feel an illness coming on. Again, starting them at the first sign of illness makes them much more effective. I usually take one when I feel the first signs of illness, such as a major drop in my energy level, and then repeat the dose once or twice more that day and the next couple of days until I feel better. You can findelderberry capsules at most health food stores.

May your holidays be filled with the blessings of joy and good health!

Paulette Avery is a registered nurse and a freelance writer specializing in health issues.