OPTIMIZE YOUR HEALTH
Happy and Healthy Holidays!

Tips for a Healthy Stress-free Holiday
By Sue Kim-Saechao, RN, MSN, CRNP, and Jannet Huang, MD, FRCPC, FACE, ABHM

One of the ways to stay healthy and stress-free during the holidays is to be prepared. Read on for tips for stress-free traveling and holiday gifting.

Holiday Traveling

• Carry handy wet wipes to reduce the risk of catching germs & to clean up messes.

• Remember to pack all your medications and vitamin supplements. Try to stay with your regimen as much as you can. (don’t forget to check travel restrictions and bring medications with original prescription labels)

• Get up and walk around every 1-2 hours to avoid blood clots on long flights or car rides, especially if you are on the birth control pill or oral hormone replacement therapy. At least exercise your lower legs and feet if you are not able to get up. Compression stockings can also be helpful.

• Bring along a travel bag with exercise tubing and exercise cards, available at the Center, for stress-relieving workouts during the holiday season.

Holiday Gifting

• One of the most precious gifts for the holidays is a happy and healthy family; don’t let the quest for the perfect material gift become a source of stress!

• Research your family health history and record the information, making it available to your other family members and future generations. The more we understand about the genetic influences of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, autoimmune disorders etc, it becomes even more important to have as complete a family health history as possible.

• Give the gift of health. Purchase a Center gift certificate for wellness-promoting services and programs. It’ll pay off meaningfully in the years to come.

• Choose from our selection of aromatherapy products, tea, books and music. There are many little ways to show your concern for the health of your loved ones this season.

Holiday Health Basics

• Take care of yourself. Take time to breathe and enjoy the moment.

• Sleep is absolutely essential to good health & a positive holiday outlook. Make sure you catch your Zzz’s. Try some of our chelated Cal-Mag with Vitamin D – take 3 capsules at bedtime to help achieve restful sleep.

• Tai chi is a wonderful exercise for mind-body health and also helps cut those inches around the waist & prevent osteoporosis! Pick up a DVD today at the Center!

• Don’t forget to make your doctor’s appointments at the start of the New Year for your scheduled “tune-ups”

• Our team members are here to support you in optimizing the 4 essential components of a healthy lifestyle – nutrition, exercise, sleep and stress reduction, for the holidays and for life.

—December 2007

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