Santa Clarita Valley residents can help keep themselves and their families healthy this holiday season by following a few tips from a Santa Clarita physician.

High holiday stress levels can have a negative impact on health, so Dr. Rochelle Feldman of Prima Pediatrics recommends residents do a few things to help reduce their stress.

“Do whatever you need to preserve your sleep,” Feldman said, adding that staying awake into the early morning hours to wrap presents or finish online shopping is simply not worth it. “Take a deep breath, and say no when you have to.”

If an individual knows their limits and is aware of their right to say no to things that will just cause added stress, they can lower their overall stress level and help maintain their good health through the holidays.

To cope with the inevitable stresses of the holidays, Feldman recommends taking deep breaths and practicing mindful meditation throughout the day.

“Focus on one thing that’s not at all related to your stress– choose your favorite place,” she said, naming the setting of her own mindful meditation: lying on a smooth, warm rock in the Mediterranean sun. “Whatever it is that makes them feel rested and happy and calm and comfortable, do it.”

Feldman also noted that it’s okay to indulge in traditional holiday treats, but with a few caveats.

“Within the range of good choices for your diet, you can indulge a little bit as long as it stays in moderation,” she said. “But it doesn’t take over the next three weeks. The indulgence is on Christmas, not on the week before and the week after.”

However, those with specific illnesses that forbid them from eating certain things, like diabetics, should not indulge themselves even in moderation during the holidays, she added.

Skipping meals to “save calories” for larger meals later can cause an unhealthy drop in blood sugar levels, so Feldman recommends that people instead eat small, protein-laden meals frequently.

Having an egg or piece of cheese for breakfast coupled with a small salad and piece of cheese for lunch can give an individual enough calories to maintain healthy blood sugar levels throughout the day while still “saving” about 1,200 calories to spend on dinner, which Feldman called “a reasonable choice.”

Washing hands after being in public places like shopping malls and grocery stores is also crucial to staying healthy during the holidays.

“There are four ‘F’s’ that carry germs– food, fingers, feces and fomites (inanimate objects),” Feldman said. “If you look at the studies that have been done in public bathrooms… the number of germs that are on the doorknobs of the bathroom, are on the plastic handles of the supermarket carts are huge. So if you don’t want to catch the germs, you wash your hands.”

The last piece of advice Feldman has for SCV residents this holiday season was offered with a good-natured laugh.

“The best tip of all,” she said, “is just chill. We will all survive.”