One of the overlooked aspects about the holidays is the abundance of foods that you may be putting into your body, unaware of the reaction your body may have to those foods. For those who have a hard time when it comes to managing their food intake, whether it may be too much or too little, we’re going to break down 5 ways to stay healthy while dining during the holidays.

1. Use a few healthy alternatives.

Many holiday foods have a lot of healthier alternatives, for example some people may switch out sweet potatoes for white potatoes, or use mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes for mashed potatoes. So you can recommend a family member or friend a healthy alternative to make for the holidays, or you can even make it yourself!

2. Do fun exercise games before or after your holiday treats.

You and your family and friends can play many different activities that will make exercise less of a boring chore, and more of a fun exercise game. You can try things such as Activity Dice, Dancing, or Twister. You can always have a nice snowball fight in the cold!

3. Stay hydrated!

Keeping yourself hydrated is always important, and during the holidays we often forget that sodas, sparking waters, and other yummy things may not be the best main source of hydration or energy for our bodies. It’s important to make sure you drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day, so you can always carry around a fashionable water bottle of sorts to make sure your body is getting the correct amount that it needs.

4. Eat more vegetables and meaty foods.

All people need about 100g of protein a day, and that delicious pot of greens on the stove along with the ham in the oven is a great way to fulfill those daily needs! Things like collard greens, green beans, spinach, ham, turkey, chicken and more provide you with loads of protein, which will benefit your body more than you might think.

5. Monitor your sodium intake.

A lot of foods are loaded with sodium, although it tastes good, too much of it can be harmful to your body. Your body can only handle up to 2,000mg of sodium a day! It may seem like a lot based on numbers, but consuming any more than that can lead to heart problems and other issues with your organs.

Now that we’ve gone over 5 great ways to keep healthy during the holidays, you can go out there and load your day with all sorts of new things to share with your friends and family that you can all try together. Remember the holidays are a time to enjoy yourself and have fun, so don’t worry about any repercussions of food intake, but be sure to keep hydrated either way, and have a happy holiday!