Healthier Holidays,
Happier New Year!
Somewhere along in our traditions, Black Friday sales started on November 1 instead of midnight on Thanksgiving, and we started celebrating the holidays on December 1.
Instead of just a day or two or three of overindulging during the actual holidays, you throw in the towel December 1 and say: “I’ll get back on track after the New Year”.
One of the issues with that thinking is, your body isn’t as young as it used to be and may not be able to bounce back on January 2. The other issue is, if your body isn’t in a resilient enough state on December 1, it may not make it to January 1.
I want to give you some strategies to get through the holidays in a festive and fun, but healthier way.
Holiday Health Risks
Thanks to my newest best research pal, Grok.com., it was easy to put together the latest statistics showing how the occurrence of heart attacks increases over the holidays.
It is referred to as “Christmas Holiday Effect” or “holiday heart syndrome” but whatever you call it, the numbers speak for themselves:
1. If you are 75 or older, or have diabetes or heart disease, your risk for heart attack increases up to 37% on Christmas Eve
2. Hospital visits for heart failure increase up to 33% in the 4 days after Christmas
3. Peak days for fatal heart attacks in the U.S. are December 25, December 26 and January 1.
4. Overall heart attack risk peaks at 37% on Christmas Eve, 15% on Christmas Day, and 20% on New Year’s Day
Not to mention the other health consequences to your liver from too much alcohol, or to your immune system from too little rest and recovery, or the increase in inflammation from too much sugar.
The Perfect Holiday Storm of Unhealthy Habits
So, what all contributes to the increase in heart attacks, and other undesirable health events over the holidays?
1. Stress – Instead of embracing and enjoying the holiday season we stress over it: What presents to buy? How much money do you have to spend? What parties to go to? What to wear? Who to invite to your house? What to serve? Are you traveling or staying home? The stress of family dynamics. All this stress results in a month-long, sustained level of the stress hormone, Cortisol, which your body was not designed to maintain. Which leads to #2.
2. Stress Eating and Drinking - To calm your nerves or to help muscle through the holidays, you start your day with holiday Mimosas or Irish coffee, and Christmas cookies. Or to try to recover from the late nights, you survive on more caffeine than your system can handle and sugar. Your heart can only handle so much.
3. More Exposure, Weakened Immunity – During the holidays you are generally around more people, in smaller spaces. Whether it’s your office party or the 20 or so family and friends in your kitchen, you are exposed to more people and more susceptible to catching something from someone.
4. Less Restorative Sleep – I’ve talked about the importance of getting consistent, restorative sleep. Whether you are traveling, staying in hotels or other people’s homes, or just staying up later than normal on one too many nights, when your body doesn’t have the necessary time to recover, your body is in an elevated sympathetic (stressed) state. And, when you don’t get a good night’s sleep, you are more prone to wake up craving carbohydrates, so that bagel and Eggnog latte sound really good.
5. Colder temperatures – While colder temperatures do tend to constrict blood vessels, so over exertion in colder temperatures is not a good idea, cold weather in and of itself does not increase the holiday risk as outlined above. So, all you Floridians are subject to the same risks.
Staying Heart Healthy
Through the Holidays
So, for the good news: If you can stay healthier during the holidays, you are more likely to have a happier New Year – and without a trip to the ER! Let’s get started now on December 1.
1. Stick to Your Routines – Whenever you can take control of your day, or even a portion of your day, do it. If that means exercising at your normal time, eating a healthy breakfast or lunch, going to bed at your normal time when you can, do it. What’s the saying – throwing the baby out with the bath water? Just because you have a holiday party to go to at night doesn’t mean to throw away your healthy habits during the day. You may actually be less likely to overindulge later if you’ve had a healthy day where you have balanced your blood sugar and exercised.
2. Don’t Overindulge – It sounds simple, but just because it’s there doesn’t mean you have to eat or drink it. Your tastebuds are satisfied after two bites of anything – after that it’s just calories or worse yet, toxins. For women, your liver can only really handle one serving of alcohol a night, and men you get two. Once you feel the “buzz” from the alcohol, your liver is not happy and the alcohol is now going to your brain causing damage.
3. Contribute Something Healthy – If you are invited to a party or family gathering, ask what you can bring. Select something festive, yet healthy, so that when you get to the party you know there will be at least one thing there you can partake in. There are plenty of websites with healthy holiday recipes, including primalkitchen.com. Also, if you are the host, show the people you love how much you love them by serving healthy holiday fare. No, I am not talking celery sticks and broccoli – make it festive and fun!
4. Include Movement and
Exercise into Holiday Fun – Instead of lingering around the table and continuing to pick at the leftovers on the table or pouring another glass of wine, get everyone up and out for a walk. An easy 10–20-minute walk after eating improves your body’s ability to process glucose (sugar), helps with digestion, reduces bloating and gas, and lowers your cardiovascular risk.
5. Pay Attention to Your Body – Your body will send you signs and signals it needs a break. Don’t ignore them: The new pains, the tightness in your chest, the fatigue, the nausea, the dizziness, and/or the heartburn are ways your body is trying to get your attention.
6. Find Your Polite “No” – Lastly, learn how to politely say “no” – You get to choose how to celebrate the holidays, and if you feel you need a break, find a way to say “no” to invitations with grace and a smile. “No but thank you for thinking of me” or “Maybe at another time but thank you for inviting me” and then stop. Don’t feel you have to explain or justify your reason.
Make time to reflect and appreciate all that you have in your life. Feeling love and gratitude in your heart is one of the best ways to take care of your heart!
I wish you all the happiest and healthiest of holiday seasons!
Annie Bush
Your Total Body
