17 Ways to protect your Oral, General and Mental Health during the Christmas Holidays!
8 Days Until Christmas?
Decorations… Presents … Food … Friends & Family … all need to be ready! During this wonderful and sometimes crazy time of the year do not forget to take care of you, your oral, general and mental health!
Here are 17 easy tips that can help you protect your oral and general health during this Holidays!
1- Brush your teeth after every meal!
During this time of year, we enjoy so different types of fantastic and unique food and sweets. Because we eat considerably more sugar during this time is essential not to keep the sugar on our teeth to protect them from sugar bugs and cavities. We encourage you to brush your teeth after every meal or at least 2 times a day!
2- Floss your teeth
I know you may be tired in the evenings or mornings after so many things to do and after so many Christmas Parties, but remember that if you do not floss your teeth, 35 % of your tooth is NOT clean. This means your risk of getting tooth decay is growing exponentially every time you skip flossing. Just floss every tooth you want to keep!
3- Nutrition is first
Yes, we do know it’s Christmas, this means some unhealthy food on our daily meals… but remember that we got only one body and we do have to take care of it. To prevent is always easier and cheaper! So make sure you got enough nutrients on your meals, enough protein, fivers, vitamins and minerals. Enjoy some fruits and veggies this season too!
4- Drink more water
After all the food and drinks the best way to clean our body and hydrate it is with water. Also, the low temperatures make your boy dihydrate easier and faster, so make sure you have lots of water every day. The best way to do this is to have a water bottle with you, and you can know if you had enough water or not. Drink lots of water and less alcohol to stay hydrated!
5- Get 8 or more hours of sleep
When you have many things to do, many people to visit, lots of food and so many new people around it is easy to get overwhelmed. One easy way to protect both your physical and mental health is to make sure you sleep and rest enough. Rember that one lost night is recovered in 2 weeks of normal sleep. So try to rest and go to sleep early!
6- Exercise daily
No, going shopping it doesn’t count as exercise, nor is cleaning and cooking. You need to stretch and use your muscles to keep your body in shape and all your vital organs to keep working properly. Your hearth, your lungs, your brain need it! Make time and make it a priority to exercise daily!
7- Quality over quantity
Choosing quality over quantity is essential when it comes to food and drinks, but it is even more critical when it comes to events and meetings. To maintain a healthy body and mind, you need to make sure you do not exaggerate, but you are moderate in all you do. No extreme will ever give you something good. So make sure you try quality over quantity when it comes to Christmas Parties, events and social gatherings. Choose just the places where you enjoy going the most, and be sure they will understand if you say “NO” this year.
8- Find a meaning beyond appearances – Be generous!
Like any other celebration, Christmas can be just a routine, a reason to overeat and neglect our health. But remember there is a reason for the season. Try to find the meaning for you and your life and try to take some time to enjoy the season, not just for gifts and tasty food but because it reminds us to be generous, to be thankful and to remember those who have less than we do. Be generous!
9- Be aware of the people around you!
No, this Christmas is not just about you, your gifts, your new clothes, your new gadgets. This Christmas should be a reason for us to pay attention to each other and acknowledge our need and support each other. It is the moment when we should care for each other and especially to care for those that nobody cares for.
10-Be aware of food safety
If your Christmas duties include cooking the dinner, you won’t be delighted to hear that according to the Food Standards Agency, December is one of the most common months for people to get food poisoning. To minimise the risks, don’t leave food out all day. Not only that we should wash our hands properly and often when we cook for this season, but we should be mindful of how we combine different foods and drinks. Remember these simple steps: Wash hands and surfaces often, avoid cross-contamination, cook foods to proper temperatures and refrigerate foods promptly.
When you serve the food put out small amounts at a time so that what is on the table has just been cooked or just come out of the fridge. Ideally, try to use any leftovers within 48 hours or freeze them. As for the turkey, always defrost it in the fridge, allowing 10 to 12 hours per kilo and do not wash the bird, as this can spread bacteria around, which will be destroyed by cooking anyway.
11- Have some fun and engage your brain
Instead of switching off in front of the TV, keep your mind active by playing games like Trivial Pursuit or Charades. This is also a great way of getting everyone together. If you aren’t a ‘game’ person, engage your mind by setting up any new gadgets, such as Playstations, iPads, mobile phones or laptops. Also, a great book can entertain you even better than TV or Netflix.
12- Get some fresh air
Yes, it can get freezing outside, but even 10-15 minutes shovelling the snow can help you stay fit and improve your overall being. If you can take a walk in a park or mountain and enjoy some unique views with friends and family. Make sure you dress appropriately, and you have the right kind of shoes.
13 – Prevent infections
Handshakes, kisses and hugs are great ways to spread infections like colds, flus and gastroenteritis. Prevent them by washing your hands often and keeping your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth. Also, remind people who are coughing or sneezing to cover their mouths with their elbows. A single cough or sneeze can project thousands of saliva drops into the air. Always keep a small bottle of antibacterial gel on hand—even better, leave a big bottle out for everyone to use—to protect yourself from the many viruses you’re sure to come into contact with over the holidays. Try to keep your distance from people who present cold or other infectious symptoms. It may sound simple enough, but it’s not always easy to do at gatherings and parties. Finally, if you are feeling sick, stay in bed. It’s better to miss a party than to infect all your relatives!
14- Get a flu shot
Although it’s best to get the shot well before shopping malls start piping in carols, it’s not too late come December. Health Canada recommends that you get the flu shot sometime between October and early December. The flu usually runs rampant from November to April, but remember, the inoculation takes two weeks to kick in to give you full protection. Although nearly one-third of Canadians get the vaccine – which covers different strains every year – up to 25 per cent of Canadians come down with the flu annually.
15 Book a day for yourself
Among that jampacked calendar, you may have this December, ensure that you make one significant arrangement – to treat yourself to a ‘me’ day. Veto any last-minute shopping or running to meet people in favour of doing.
It may just be an opportunity to catch up on sleep, make Christmas cookies, watch Home Alone or arrange an ad-hoc five-a-side. Still, a day to spend doing whatever you love will make a world of difference when facing any stress associated with the season.
16 Take some time to plan and dream about the new year
The new year is just around the corner and if you haven’t done it yet, now is the best moment to stop, evaluate the last year and plan the new one. Remember to be graceful with yourself and others over the things that did not go according to the plan, but be bold and optimistic for the new year vision! Dream big and plan carefully! You cand achieve everything you set your mind to, and you plan.
17 – Book your next dental cleaning and checkup
To make sure you did an excellent job with taking care of your oral and general health, book your dental cleaning and checkup and will make sure to offer you honest feedback.
Our holiday hours are:
December 17, Tuesday, 7.00 am – 3.00 pm
December 18, Wednesday, 11.00 am – 7.00 pm
December 19, Thursday, 7.00 am – 3.00 pm
December 20, Friday, 8.00 am – 2.00 pm – reception only
December 21 – January 2 – Closed
January 3, Friday, 8.00 am – 2.00 pm – reception only
January 4, 5, Saturday, Sunday – Closed
January 6, Monday 11.00 am – 7.00 pm
Starting from January 6 we will have our usual office hours.
Monday, Wednesday, 11.00 am – 7.00 pm
Tuesday, Thursday, 7.00 am – 3 pm
Friday, 8.00 am – 2.00 pm – reception only
To book an appointment call 403.242.5900 or chat with us on Facebook Messenger here.
May you have a cheerful Christmas, healthy and joyful new year and a safe time travelling.
Lakeview Dental Centre Team
