The holidays can be chaotic, stressful, and unfortunately full of sickness. In order to stay healthier through the entire season, these are my best tips to avoid getting sick so you don’t miss out on what’s important to you!

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The holidays are my favorite time of year! I love all the events, the lights, the sparkle, the food, the snow (because I’m not sick of it yet), and the magic of the season. I also start to notice just how many people share that they are sick this time of year.

It’s certainly not that my family never gets sick, but it is pretty rare. We take a lot of steps to make sure we are feeling our best, especially during the holidays when we don’t want to miss out on any of the fun.

It’s fair to note that I have a toddler who is an only child and does not attend school or daycare. I know so many of you reading this probably rolled your eyes and thought to yourself “well, lucky you.” Yes. Very lucky me. But I’m not naive enough to think that this can’t be the reason we’re never sick. It totally is. It’s a HUGE reason why we don’t get sick much.

But, like I said, it still happens occasionally. Also notice I didn’t title this article “how to never get sick over the holidays.” I think everyone does around this time of year, to be honest. And if it isn’t during the holidays, it’s immediately after.

Here are some of the things I focus on daily and weekly to make sure we are at our healthiest.

Duh, right? But…are you drinking enough water? Are your kids? Is your spouse? If you live in Minnesota like I do, or anywhere in the Midwest, it is hecka dry right now. You’ll know because any surface you touch will conduct a static shock and your toddler’s hair will constantly be a mess.

As someone who used to coach other women on health + wellness, I used to tell all my challengers to drink half their body weight in ounces of water. It sounds like a lot because it’s a lot. But it also keeps your body functioning at optimal levels. And for winter, you should drink MORE because of how dry out it is with the cold weather.

Are your lips dry? Skin? Nails and hair feeling brittle? Speaking of hair, does it look like you just stuck your finger in an electrical outlet? These are all signs you are dried out. Hydration starts from within.

Your body is literally made up of about 60% water. It’s why you need it to feel your best. The more water you drink, the more toxins you’ll flush out, including sickness. It’s why doctors tell you to drink plenty of fluids with you do get sick. And when you are already sick, your body is using all of its energy to fight off the junk so you need to replenish it.

If you get sick of plain water, which I totally understand, choose something that has electrolytes, which will hydrate you faster and keep you hydrated longer. You can get a powder electrolyte mix in several flavors or unflavored if you do prefer plain water or want to toss it in another beverage of your choice. Just be careful of how much sugar is in it. Sugar dehydrates you, which is counterproductive.

Speaking of sugar, it helps a lot to pay attention to how much sugar you, and especially your kiddos, are consuming. I get it. It’s the holidays, there are tons of treats around with cookies, candy, and special outings. It’s honestly one of my favorite things about the holidays is all the indulgence. And part of creating memories for the holidays does involve food and treats. How many of us participate in holiday baking or cookie exchanges? Peppermint stick chocolate swirl cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory? Hot chocolate from our favorite coffee shop? Candy canes? All the yes, am I right?

Notice how this section is not called, “Eliminate Sugar.” It is appropriately titled “Limit Sugar” because I do believe that we shouldn’t deprive ourselves AND certainly not during the holidays, unless you have some type of medical condition that unfortunately forces you to do so (in which case, I am truly very sorry).

Here’s the facts though. As I mentioned above, sugar dehydrates you. If you’re explaining it to your kids, I tell Viv that sugar makes us thirsty so we have to drink more water when we have treats (all the more reason to up your water intake). If you are dehydrated, your body is working harder to function on a basic level. You’re asking it to run on minimal resources. Kind of like asking your car to run with minimal oil. If you run your car out of oil, it will literally start on fire. If you run your body out of water, you’ll crash and burn too.

Sugar also weakens the immune system, which makes it harder for your body to fight off infection. Consuming lots of sugar makes us more prone to getting sick AND harder to get better. I chuckle a little when the media talks about it being flu season because, when you put it that way, it sounds like the flu comes into town this time every year and leaves when it’s warmer. When really we have back to back holidays filled with indulgence and tons of sugary treats and drinks (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s) that are quite literally working against us. Of course it’s flu season, but it’s also sugar season.

Allow yourself and your kids some treats. But put a limit on how much. Don’t have sugar at every meal or too late in the day. Try to stop having treats after 5-6pm so you can have a little water to help out before bed (and without having to worry about little ones having accidents) right before you won’t have any water for hours. If you think you’re thirsty and dried out now when you wake up, add some sugary treats before bed and you’ll really be parched.

By increasing your protein, you are doing the reverse of what sugar does. Protein plays a huge role in supporting our immune systems by providing what’s necessary to build antibodies that help fight off infections and the yuck that doesn’t belong there. Without an adequate amount of protein, your immune system becomes compromised and you become more susceptible to getting sick.

Bumping up your protein to include an extra serving or two per day will not only keep you fuller longer but also help support your immune system during a season where there’s a lot of sickness around.

Most people immediately think of animal meat when they think of protein. Chicken, steak, pork, etc. However, protein can come from other things too. Eggs, beans (black, pinto, chickpea, kidney, lentils), nuts and seeds, yogurt, cottage cheese, and quinoa are all great sources of protein. These are especially great options if you have a hard time getting your toddler or kiddos to eat animal meat.

Viv tolerates chicken and shrimp. We’ve had a hard time getting her to eat any other traditional animal proteins, and it’s not even a guarantee that she’ll eat chicken and shrimp when we serve it. She enjoys cottage cheese, yogurt, quinoa with lentils, and she’s starting to enjoy scrambled eggs. If you have the same experience, mix in some of these high protein foods for your kiddos and see if they like them. There are tons of ways to serve them so keep trying if one doesn’t stick.

I know there also a ton of protein supplements out there, mostly in the form of a powder or shake. If you are going this route, do me a favor and read the ingredient list. Ingredients MATTER and if your protein powder (or one you are considering purchasing) is loaded with sugar…you’re paying a lot of money for something to not even work the way it should or do what you want it to do. Look for low or no sugar, and make sure it’s at least 15-20g of protein per serving.

I cannot stress this one enough and it is probably the most ignored piece of advice. I used to think if I did all the other healthy things but skimped out on a few hours of sleep, my body would still function fine. Not only is this totally wrong, it’s also harder on your body when you do not get enough sleep.

Ignoring your body’s need for sleep deprives you from restoring your body to its optimal levels and hurts your chances of fighting off illness. Getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night (more if you’re sick or during your period if you’re a woman of childbearing age) reduces stress on your body and allows it to keep your immune system running the best it can.

Now, I want to include a disclaimer here. If you are going through a life changing season and sleep is difficult to obtain, it is even more important that you do all of the other things to keep yourself healthy. It’s worth noting that getting good sleep is probably going to be more challenging for you. When I say life changing I’m talking about having a new baby, caring for a sick loved one, grieving a death for someone close to you, healing yourself if you are very sick…those are all really tough things to handle, but especially around the holidays. If sleep is minimal, rest is best. Even closing your eyes for awhile helps you reset and refocus and allows your body to do some work behind the scenes to keep you healthy.

Indulging is a holiday pattern. Overindulging is where you’re going to feel negative side effects, especially with alcohol consumption. While alcohol is usually associated with liver damage, it also negatively affects your immune system. While your body works to rid itself of alcohol, it can’t protect your immune system as aggressively, which means you have a higher chance of getting sick.

Again, I’m not saying to completely give up alcohol if you enjoy a drink. You don’t have to give up your wine at book club with the girls. But capping it at a glass or two instead of half a bottle or more will do your body good. Indulge this holiday season. Try not to overindulge.

If you just laughed out loud reading that, I’m right there with you. I laughed a little while typing it. HOWEVER, I’m talking to all of us here, myself included. Reducing stress will actually make you feel better and even if it doesn’t technically keep you from getting sick (although it puts your body through less stress, which CAN weaken your immune system), it’s a good idea to do anyway to stay healthy mentally.

The events, kids’ activities, holiday parties, volunteer opportunities, family and social commitments…it’s enough to make anyone’s head spin this time of year. While it’s tempting to say yes to everything so you don’t miss out, the kids don’t miss out, or you don’t hurt someone’s feelings…I want you to remember something very important.

“No.” is a complete sentence. It is perfectly okay to opt out, leave early, or say no in order to protect your peace and keep your stress level lower. Especially when you have children and you are looking out for their best interests and their health, both physical and mental.

I do understand feeling guilty for having to decline, particularly if you really want to go or love the people who invited you. As women and nurturers, we tend to try and please everyone first and put our needs on pause. But hear me loud and clear when I say this: It is not up to you to please everyone. If someone gets upset because you turn down an invite, that says more about them than you.

I find that when I am upfront and honest about my not attending, it’s received better and there are way fewer hurt feelings rather than giving a noncommittal or vague excuse (“We might make it” or “Not sure, I’ll get back to you” and then you never do) You could try something like, “I am so sorry, we won’t be able to attend. We have three other events we’ve already committed to that weekend and I do not have the bandwidth to add another one to the mix. Thank you for thinking of us! Let’s get together after the chaos of the holidays when we can spend more time together catching up.”

Not sure how to decide what to accept or what to decline? If you get an invite and you don’t get excited and your gut is not yelling a resounding “heck yes!” then it’s a “No.”

The holidays are a time that should be enjoyed! Anyone that has been sick for any duration during them can confirm that it’s the worst. Even though I left off a few basics, like wash your hands often and cover your cough, I believe these six tips combined are the keys to a healthier holiday season. I also think that even if you wash your hands a lot, running on a donut and 5 hours of sleep every day will get you sick quicker than forgetting some hand sanitizer when you leave a store. Of course there’s no guarantee that you won’t get sick, but doing what you can to control it is the best way to see success.

Here’s to a healthy holiday season for all!