It’s Carnival Time! King cakes, parades, and parties are right around the corner. With multiple viruses, Covid, RSV, the flu, and other viruses going around, staying healthy is a top priority. Here are seven tips for staying healthy during Carnival season so you won’t have to miss any of the fun!
HYDRATE
This is probably the most important tip on the list. Long hours in the sun, plus drinking alcohol will dehydrate you. It’s best to skip the sugary sports drinks and drink lots of water. For extra hydration try adding Liquid IV or Pedialyte to your water bottle.
USE SUNSCREEN
Yes, you can get sunburn in the winter, it doesn’t matter if the temperature is 30 degrees or 80 degrees! Protect your skin with an SPF 30 or higher. Don’t forget to reapply it regularly.
Wear SUNGLASSES AND HATS
The sun can also damage your eyes. Plus squinting causes wrinkles. Don’t forget your sunglasses or a cute hat to protect your eyes. Bonus, a hat also gives you some share and protects your head from getting sunburned!
Don’t forget HAND SANITIZER AND WIPES
Beads are gross, the ground is gross, port-a-potties are gross, and everything is just gross. Bring baby wipes, Wet Ones, and hand sanitizer to keep your hands as clean and germ-free as possible.
EAT HEALTHY
We tend to eat badly during Carnival season. Late nights and long days make it easy to resort to fast food and other junk. Let’s not forget everyone’s favorite – KING CAKE! Pack protein-filled snacks like nuts, cheese sticks, turkey, hard-boiled eggs, humus, beef jerky, peanut butter, protein bars, etc. along with fruits and raw vegetables. Another thing you can do is prepare meals in your slow cooker so dinner is ready when you get home. For some quick recipes to help you feed the family a good meal before the parades check out our posts full of New Orleans Slow Cooker Meals and New Orleans Instant Pot Recipes.
EXERCISE
Don’t forget to work out! You can sneak in some extra steps by parking further away or walking the parade route before the parade starts. You can also play ball with the kids or bring some chalk and play hopscotch. Stay active and MOVE!
SLEEP
Most of us aren’t getting the proper amount of sleep we need to begin with. Add in the long nights of parading and fun and we’re a mess. Getting proper sleep can help keep you from getting run down and sick. So make sure you are getting plenty of it.
MASK UP
Wearing a mask will help protect you from spreading your germs and getting germs from others. So if you are inclined, wear a mask! N95 masks are the best and you can always jazz it up with a sparkly mask over it!
Remember Mardi Gras is a marathon, not a sprint so don’t try to do it all! Have a safe and happy Mardi Gras!
MORE MARDI GRAS TIPS
