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Staying healthy over the holidays

As we head towards Christmas and New Year and gatherings with friends and family, it’s important to continue to look after your health to ensure everyone can enjoy a happy, healthy festive season. In this month’s blog, we give some tips on how you can best look after your health over the holidays.

Limit Alcohol

Alcohol can be part of a healthy lifestyle, when used in moderation and in conjunction with a good diet and regular exercise. However, if you consume too much alcohol, it can have a serious impact on your physical health in both the short-term and long-term.

Drinking large amounts of alcohol at any one time can cause confusion, blurred vision, clumsiness, memory loss, nausea and vomiting, loss of consciousness, and even coma or death.

Not only that, but drinking too much alcohol in the short-term can also lead to:

  • Accidental injury to yourself and/or others
  • Being in a road accident
  • Deliberately harming yourself or others
  • Unprotected or unwanted sex
  • Alcohol poisoning
  • Hangovers

During the festive season, try to keep track of how much you’re drinking and make sure you drink water between each alcoholic beverage to help combat dehydration and reduce the amount of alcohol you may consume. If you do go out and plan to drink, make sure you plan not to drive.

Avoid Overindulging

Christmas time is filled with an abundance of delicious goodies, from traditional roast meats to chocolate treats, leftovers and never-ending snacks. It can be tempting to want to eat everything on offer but if you want to be kind to your health, try practicing portion control and be selective in what you do treat yourself to.

Mindful eating can also help prevent you eating more than you normally would. Try to be conscious of what you are eating and avoid non-stop grazing throughout the day, to help avoid overeating

We know that what you eat can affect your overall health and wellbeing, so try and incorporate plenty of nutrient-rich whole foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, into your festive diet, which we know are good for your whole body.

Keep Stress at Bay

The end of the year and the lead up to Christmas can be a stressful time for many – with increased demands on our time and our wallets.

Stress triggers numerous physiological responses within the body and can impact our nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, muscular and immune systems.

Try to help keep the stress at bay over Christmas, and reduce its impact on your health, by:

  • Planning ways to reduce spending at this time of year and finding low-cost ways to have fun. Rather than buying gifts for everyone in the family, why not suggest a Secret Santa. And instead of going out for cocktails with friends, suggest a picnic in the park instead, where everyone can bring a plate.
  • Picking and choosing which social events you do want to attend and giving yourself some downtime in between to reset and recoup. Remember that you don’t have to say yes to every invitation!
  • Staying healthy by eating well, exercising and getting enough sleep.

Exercise

While it’s easy to get out of our regular routine during the holidays, try to keep up with some form of exercise. Regular exercise is an essential part of maintaining good whole-body health and ensures your body has the necessary nutrients available to keep you feeling your healthy best.

In addition, exercise can help to reduce stress by decreasing the body’s elevated hormonal and immune responses to stress.

Get up-to-date with vaccinations

While you might be taking a break over the holidays, viruses and illnesses certainly won’t be!

There are plenty of viruses currently doing the rounds, including COVID-19, meningococcal and measles. Vaccination remains the best way to keep yourself, your family and the wider community protected, so make sure you are up-to-date with all your recommended vaccinations.

Vaccination is also an important consideration for those heading overseas during the holidays, to help protect you against any diseases you may be exposed to on your travels. It’s best to see your doctor at least 6 to 8 weeks before you leave. This will allow you enough time to get any vaccinations that require more than one dose and for the vaccines to start working before you leave.

Your doctor can also provide you with a comprehensive consultation on your health needs while travelling, based on your individual circumstances. As different countries have different laws regarding medicines that can be taken in and out, your GP will be able to advise you on how to pack and prepare any medications you need to take with you.

The holidays are also a great time to get the kids up-to-date with their scheduled immunisations before heading back to school in the new year. All schools in Western Australia have immunisation requirements for enrolment, so make sure you check with your school as to what their immunisation requirements are before the start of the new school year.

Keep your cool in the heat

The festive season often coincides with the start of the summer heat. It’s important to look after yourself and others in hot weather by:

  • Drinking plenty of fluids – especially water – throughout the day.
  • Avoiding alcohol and caffeine, as these can increase dehydration.
  • Staying indoors with a fan or air-conditioner.
  • Limiting the time spent outdoors. If you do go out, try to go early morning or late evening, stay in the shade and wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen for protection.
  • Wearing light coloured, loose fitted clothing.
  • Cooling your house by keeping curtains, blinds and windows closed during the day.
  • Keeping food safe by properly storing and defrosting it.
  • Checking on elderly friends, neighbours and relatives to make sure they are slot gacor ok and are keeping hydrated and cool.
  • If you have pets, do not leave them alone in a car and ensure they have water and plenty of shade available when they are outside.

Book in for your annual skin check

The hot weather is also a good reminder about the importance of getting regular skin cancer checks. Getting a regular skin check is one of the best ways to detect skin cancer early.

Illawarra Medical Centre offers a comprehensive range of dermatology services, including skin cancer checks, mole screening and general dermatology screenings.

If you have any health conditions that mean you are at greater risk of heat-related illness or concerns about your health in general, book in with one of our GPs to discuss your concerns.

Appointments can be made online or by contacting us directly on (08) 9208 6400.

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