Tips for Staying Healthy During The Holidays

02 Nov 2018 Tips for Staying Healthy During The Holidays

It’s November and Halloween is over. Most kids around the Salt Lake City area have a big bag of candy in their homes, waiting to be eaten. Most stores already have Christmas displays up. It’s a reminder that ready or not, we are entering the holiday season. What does the holiday season typically mean for your waistline and for your teeth?

It often means that there will be many parties, special occasions, and treats, many reasons to break routines of good health. Now is a good time to decide what your goals are for your health this season. What will you do now to start 2019 in good health? General dentistry in Salt Lake City goes down the hill with the holidays. Here are some tips to help you stay healthy.

Here are some tips for feeling great this holiday season:

1. Plan non-food activities. So many holiday traditions focus around food–yummy, sticky, cheesy, chocolatey, high-calorie food. Too much of this type of food is not good for your body or your teeth. Start some holiday traditions that don’t involve food. Invite friends over for a karaoke night. Go rock wall climbing. Try a winter sport like skiing. Take the kids sledding. Start making memories that aren’t centered on food.
2. Do all you can to prevent infections. Unfortunately, every winter, the holidays also bring higher numbers of people getting colds and flus in Utah. Wash your hands EVERY TIME you walk in your house. Hand washing is one of the best things you can do to limit the spread of sickness. When you feel rundown, make time for sleep and rest. Don’t push yourself to the point that your immune system is weakened and you get really sick.
3. Stick to your routine. If you brush and floss your teeth twice a day, keep doing it. If you walk your dog every day, keep doing it. Keep doing the routine things that help you to stay healthy. Getting the plaque off your teeth is more important than ever during the holidays because of the number of sweets that all of are probably eating. Keeping our teeth healthy helps our entire bodies to stay healthy.
4. Avoid sugary drinks. This is good advice to follow at any time of the year. Sugary drinks are high in calories but don’t really fill you up. Even after drinking them, you are tempted to overeat. Sipping on a sugary drink is also really bad for your teeth. When you take a sip, the pH balance of your mouth (your body’s ability to fight off cavity-causing bacteria) is compromised. With each sip, the time your mouth is compromised gets longer. As a result, more damage is done to your teeth and gums.
5. Choose indulgences carefully. Let’s face it. All of us ARE going to be around holiday treats at some time (perhaps many times) in the next few months. We ARE going to eat holiday treats. If we know we are going to eat them, let’s decide now to only eat the ones that we really love, not everyone. Avoid mindless eating. Eat only what you truly love. Keep tempting food out of reach or even out of the house. You can still have what you love but setting limits will help your body and teeth to be healthier and happier throughout the holidays and into 2019.

If your dental health does go by the wayside this holiday season, contact us at Holladay Family Dentist and we can get you back on track!