Dr. Mitra: Ways to help you keep your waist slimmer, mind sharper during the holidays

The holidays are a busy time full of festive gatherings with friends and family.

The extra hustle and bustle can make maintaining your nutrition and fitness goals challenging.

Take time to relax and do something you enjoy doing for yourself.

You’ll feel refreshed, recharged, ready to conquer the holiday season and welcome a happier and prosperous 2024.

Here are some tips for at-home strategies that can help with your healthy habits throughout the upcoming holiday season.

Dr. Mitra's previous columns:

Understand diabetes: November is American Diabetes Month. Here's a breakdown and what you should know

Heart health: Sudden cardiac arrest has a low survival rate. Here's how to avoid it

Ladies, listen up: Polycystic ovary syndrome causes many issues for females during reproductive years

Eat at home

Holidays often center around heavy, delicious meals, but they truly mean spending quality time with your loved ones.

Even though the temptation may be to order carryout or eat out at a restaurant, try to prepare more meals at home.

Start by having a list of the ingredients for healthy meals at hand.

During grocery shopping, fill most of your cart with fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meats, seafood, eggs and low-fat dairy.

Then, add some healthy items, including whole-wheat pasta, grains, seeds, nuts and wild or brown rice.

Make the dinner plate look festive by half your plate with fruits and vegetables — one-quarter of protein and one-quarter of grains.

Substituting whole wheat, reducing the amount of sugar and cutting down on saturated fat by half can make holiday baking healthier.

Breakfast and dessert

Do not skip your breakfast — or any meal during this holiday season. Consuming balanced meals throughout the day has a higher metabolism and better appetite control.

Avoid juices as they contain added sugar, providing unnecessary calories to your diet.

Fresh fruit smoothies can be a nutritious snack, often reaching a calorie count of 300–500. So, you may want to reach out for a piece of fruit instead and save the smoothie calories for a particular day.

Fresh fruits offer natural sweetness and fiber — and are fun to eat.

Eating healthy during the holidays may seem challenging, but that doesn’t always mean avoiding your favorite desserts and candies.

Try to split a dessert with a family member or friend, or avoid having a dessert at every meal.

Stay active

Exercise is the secret to holding on to the waistline when holiday indulgences pour in.

Engage in aerobic activities, such as ice skating with friends and family.

Or, you can do indoor activities, like working out on exercise equipment in your local gym, challenging yourself with exercise-based video games, or even jumping rope with your kids.

Find opportunities to incorporate exercise into your everyday activities. For example, take the stairs rather than the elevator, park farther away from buildings, or lap around the store before you start shopping.

Maintain your brain power

Create some “me time” and a thoughtful plan to tackle your busy holiday schedule so you can still enjoy the season.

During this holiday time, don’t forget about your mental health!

The holidays can be a stressful time. Be sure to avoid overeating and stay aware of your stress levels and ways to reduce stress during the holidays!

If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to be more active and healthier, consider scheduling a physical with your healthcare provider before you start.

Your physician can guide you on how to stay healthy for the holidays.

Dr. Sue Mitra is a Primary Care Physician and Board Certified in Internal Medicine. She has been practicing in Brevard County since 2002. Dr. Mitra is accepting new patients and can be reached at 321-622-6222. You can also visit her at www.suemitra.com and schedule an appointment.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Ways to help you relax, eat right, stay on track during the holidays