Making the holidays healthier

Posted by:
Maya Mohan, Department of Public Health

Maya is the Physical Activity Coordinator for DPH and LOVES the holidays! 

Holidays to me are all about traditions -- eating certain (sometimes waistline unfriendly) foods,  sitting in front of the TV watching games or parades, picking out and decorating the perfect tree, listening to awesomely cheesy holiday music, etc.  Food (and TV, for that matter) seems to be the center of a lot of my holiday traditions, but I think it’s time to look at the holidays as an opportunity to create some new healthier traditions. 

 

You know, making the holidays healthier doesn’t have to be only about lightening traditional recipes or avoiding family favorites entirely.  An easy way to make your holiday healthier is to add a little bit of activity to the day.  Taking a leisurely walk after Thanksgiving Dinner or playing a game of touch-football with family are a couple of easy ways to sneak in some activities while gearing up for the Dessert Round of Thanksgiving Dinner. 

 

Incidentally, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, simply because, to me, it’s about being with family, friends and loved ones.  There’s no pressure to spend a ton of money or to buy the perfect present - it’s just about giving thanks.  This year, one thing I’m thankful for is having this opportunity to share with you some of the ideas, questions and thoughts I have around health, wellness and being/becoming more active. This is a great forum to collective share ideas and I’ve learned quite a bit from you already!   

 

What are some ways you and your families make the holidays healthier?  I’d love to hear your family’s traditions! 

 

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Comments

[Cyndi Sacco]

My husband and I have recently added a walk in the woods to our yearly Thanksgiving traditions. It's a nice way to connect with family and friends while exploring trails in nearby conservation areas... and it doesn't cost a dime.

Check out The Trustees of Reservations www.thetrustees.org or the Department of Conservation and Recreation www.mass.gov/dcr/ for some great local hikes!