Chocolates and candies and cakes, oh my! We are entering the season of overindulgence. Thanksgiving kicks it off with turkey, ham, potatoes, casseroles, rich gravies, and an array of pies. Leading up to Christmas, which is a parade of Christmas cookies and other homemade goodies. Temptation is everywhere. People bring yummies into the office to share in the spirit of the holiday season! You don’t want to be rude, you’ll just have one. Unfortunately, all those “ones” add up. How are you supposed to remain healthy through the holidays with all that delicious temptation?!
Next are all the holiday parties. More food. Also, the possible addition of alcoholic beverages. All of this leads up to the big Christmas Day dinner. Yet more rich foods, and so many choices! A lot of holiday dinners have “only on holidays” dishes. You certainly don’t want to miss out on those! You start with an empty plate, take “just a bit” of all your favorite dishes, and before you know it, the plate is overflowing and there are still things you want to try. How do you stick to your diet and stay healthy through the holidays with all that wonderful food?!
After you awaken from your food coma feeling like a beached whale with horrible heartburn, you regret some of your food choices. Also possibly some of your adult beverage choices, or at least the number of them consumed. You remember your doctor telling you to avoid some of those foods you ate. He also might have mentioned something about the numerous evils of overindulging in alcohol. It does take some discipline and effort to stay healthy through the holiday.
Here are some tips to assist you in your quest to remain healthy through the holidays:
- All things in moderation! You’ve heard it a million times, but for good reason. It is the key to enjoying but not overdoing it.
- Don’t skimp on sleep! Rushing around trying to get everything ready for the holiday, staying up late visiting with relatives, or putting together Santa’s toys can be draining. Try to find the time to get enough sleep. Your body needs sleep to repair itself and function properly.
- Try to stick with your exercise routine. Exercise is important to your overall health. Skipping the trip to the gym to take care of holiday tasks can extend to two trips, then a couple of weeks, then you get out of the habit completely. It is a slippery slope.
- Keep your stress at a manageable level. Stress causes health problems and aggravates already existing conditions. Family get-togethers can be challenging. Try to avoid those subjects you know are going to start fires.
The biggest tip to staying healthy through the holiday season that we here IPE Screening can give you is to know your numbers. Is your sugar level hovering at the high end? Are you pre-diabetic? Perhaps you don’t really want to eat that entire batch of holiday cookies. We have screening panels specially formulated for men and women to provide information relative to common health conditions.
The female health panel, at a cost of $160, covers the following tests:
- Chemistry panel
- DHEA-S
- Estradiol
- TSH
- FSH/LH
- Progesterone
- Urine
The male health panel, costing $180, includes the following tests:
- Chemistry panel
- DHEA-S
- Lipid Profile
- CBC
- PSA
- Testosterone
- Urine
IPE Screening wants to help you and your loved ones stay healthy through the holidays! We have gift certificates available so you can give the gift of health to someone you love this holiday season. Knowing your numbers that relate to your health helps you to make better-informed decisions about what you eat and drink, and your overall lifestyle choices. Contact IPE Screening today to schedule your own health panel screening or to get gift certificates for those special people on your list.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!