The truth is the holidays can be a stressful season. When feasting during the holidays, it’s easy to cope with the stress by piling your plate high with holiday favorites and avoid self-care practices. However, it’s important to note that physical health challenges can become increasingly difficult as you age, leading to long-term health consequences.

Courtney Schauder, UnitedHealthcare's Health Engagement Strategist and Dietitian, offers these tips for shifting away from traditional and societal weight maintenance challenges and focusing on overall physical and emotional well-being. This approach can support many health gains, especially during a festive, yet stressful time of year.

 Balanced eating tips 

• Plan your portions: Use the American Diabetes Association’s Create Your Plate tool to get an idea of healthy portions of vegetables, protein, grains and starchy foods, fruit and drink.

• Revise recipes. There are many recipe alternatives that can reduce fat and sodium content… as well as calories. Check out these five easy ingredient swaps to get started.

• Avoid emotional eating: Digging into a cheeseball when you’re cranky may offer short-term comfort from holiday stress, but emotional eating suppresses negative emotions with only a temporary effect, often landing you in an unhealthy cycle, according to the Mayo Clinic. Try managing stress levels with yoga, meditation or deep breathing instead.

• Don’t show up hungry:  Does your office holiday party take place over lunch? If so, eat breakfast and a mid-morning snack to curb your appetite. If it’s an evening bash, have chicken or fish paired with vegetables for lunch and a high-fiber, mid-afternoon snack to keep you fuller longer.

• Indulge selectively: Think you can’t eat pumpkin pie? Maybe you can, if you keep the portion small and forgo the whipped topping. Or, maybe you choose to pass on dinner rolls and bacon-wrapped sausages to free up discretionary calories for a cookie or cup of eggnog.

• Benefit from a buddy: The American Diabetes Association recommends enlisting the help of a friend, coworker or family member who also wants to avoid overeating. The two of you can split a dessert or even go for a walk together while everyone else sits down to pie and ice cream.

Emotional well-being tips

• Prioritize family time.

• Enjoy and embrace the physical activity associated with holiday shopping and try to avoid stressing about spending too much or picking just the right gift.

• Volunteer at a local non-profit.

• Perform random acts of kindness.

• Embrace a gratitude-filled mindset.

• Focus on your sleep during your time off from work or school.

• Go for a walk in nature.