Healthy Holidays Tips

For Healthy Holidays, we used 20 different tips for people to write about. They were suggested by students from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

Healthy Holiday Tips:

1. Don't force yourself to eat - stop when you feel full.
2. Don't abstain utterly - pick 2 or 3 treats that are okay to eat.
3. Guess how much is a good portion, then take a little less.
4. Skip adding alcohol to drinks.
5. Substitute “light” and “fat-free” whenever possible.
6. A good holiday platter: veggies, hummus, and shrimp.
7. Recycle your fruit cakes and other holiday refuse.
8. Combine going overseas on holiday vacation with volunteering.
9. Reduce temptation: share your treats with others!
10. Keep your exercise schedule flexible.
11. Mix exercise and winter play: skiing, skating, snowshoeing, etc.
12. For the holiday wish list: keep a body area fit.
13. Buy home gym equipment on sale – and use them!
14. Walk while you shop for presents.
15. Visit people you like and avoid the ones you don’t to reduce stress.
16. Don’t be too rigid about your diet – it adds stress.
17. Keep your loved ones safe; start the new year with a gun permit.
18. It’s okay to say “No” when offered a treat.
19. Include a leafy salad with your holiday meal.
20. Get a pedometer and keep track of how much you walk.

Tips 6 and 12 didn't really work, so they were retired from use partway into the event. The tip that worked best with the comics was #7 (re-gifting fruit cake amused some people).