Celeste Cruz/Vaquero Radio
For some, the holiday season means enjoying festive dishes, but it also brings concerns like the flu and stress. UTRGV healthcare workers shared advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle during the holidays.
Cristel Escalona, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the UTRGV School of Medicine, recommended staying vigilant, as flu season often spikes during this time of year.
“We have two wonderful vaccines,” Escalona said. “The updated flu and the updated COVID vaccines. If you’re going to be around your loved ones, especially elderly parents or grandparents, you want to keep them in mind and protect them.”
She added that it’s important to stay home when feeling unwell.
“If you are sick, stay home,” Escalona said. “That’s really hard to do, especially if you haven’t seen your family in a long time. But the last thing you want to do is put somebody in the hospital.”
To avoid gaining weight, she suggested eating until full and maintaining exercise routines during the holiday season.
“Just eat until you’re no longer hungry,” Escalona said. “You don’t have to go on a bender and end up in a food coma afterward. Keep up with your activity, go outside, and get some exercise.”
She also encouraged eating greens before other foods at holiday gatherings and avoiding overly restrictive diets.
“Don’t deprive yourself completely because you’re just setting up yourself for failure,” Escalona said.
Rick Gray, director of health services at UTRGV, highlighted common mistakes people make during the holidays.
“The problem is not paying attention to it and overdoing everything,” Gray said. “The foods themselves—desserts and traditional meals—aren’t bad. It’s just how much of them we eat. The other issue is neglecting health and hygiene.”
He noted the holiday season can also bring overwhelming stress, making mental health a key focus.
“You can have family dramas, traveling, buying gifts, decorating, hosting your own parties, and so forth,” Gray said. “Those are things that increase stress.”
To manage stress, he suggested going for a walk, practicing breathing exercises, or stepping away from stressful situations to take a break.
For more information about UTRGV’s health services, call (956) 665-2511 in Edinburg or (956) 882-3896 in Brownsville. UTRGV also offers the TimelyCare app, a 24/7 mental health service for students.
This is Celeste Cruz for Vaquero Radio.
