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Deadliest Season of All: Tips for staying healthy during the holidays

Dr. Jennifer Rooke

Tis’ the season to be jolly but not everyone is.

There are more deaths from heart attacks on December 25th than on any other day of the year. The second largest number of heart attack deaths occurs on the day after Christmas and the third highest peak occurs on New Year’s Day.

Winter holidays can be deadly for a variety of reasons. We spend more money than at any other time of the year, if finances are tight and friends and family expect presents that we can’t afford, it can be stressful. We have more family gatherings at this time of the year, and coping with dysfunctional relationships can be stressful.

In our culture, traditional holiday meals always involve at least one dead animal and high fat foods. We now know that a single animal-based, high fat meal causes our blood to look like sludge and our arteries to stiffen with inflammation that decreases blood flow and can lead to a heart attack. Stress and overeating is a lethal mix at any time of the year, but during the holidays it’s even worse because emergency departments are usually short-staffed and or have less experienced temporary personnel.  You can’t control hospital staffing but you can prevent a heart attack and enjoy the season.

So a few tips:

  • Start healthy holiday food traditions to protect yourself and your children. Most people prepare the foods their parents and grandparents prepared for holiday celebrations. If health problems like high-blood pressure or diabetes “run in your family” it’s time to reconsider your food traditions and the eating habits you are teaching your children. If you are hosting a holiday meal, learn to cook and serve healthy plant-based versions of traditional foods. If you don’t think your guests will approve, don’t tell them and observe their reactions. Most people are pleasantly surprised that healthy food tastes good. At the end of the day your conscience will be clear because you did not contribute to anyone’s health problems.
  •  If you are going to a holiday party bring a healthy dish to share; this also ensures that you have food to enjoy. If you have no control over the food and everything looks good, start with the vegetables, fill your plate up with them, then sample a little of everything else. Eat slowly and consciously, actually taste the food. Put your fork down between bites and enjoy the company of your friends and family around the dinner table.
  • We celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas, but every religion has universal concepts such as peace, love, compassion and forgiveness that we associated with Christ. This is a good time to stop and consider our spiritual lives. Forgive and forget old grudges and hurts because holding on to them is stressful for you. Look for the good in others and the humor in every situation, laugh as much and as often. Laughter lowers your blood pressure and reduces stress. Reconsider all of your holiday season “must dos” and only do the things that bring you peace and joy.
  • Stay well hydrated, especially if you are drinking alcohol. Alcohol loosens inhibitions and leads to overeating and other unsafe behaviors.  Drink at least one glass of water for every glass of an alcoholic drink you have. Water fills you up, slows down eating and decreases the chances of a morning hangover.
  •  If you have chest pain or feel ill or uncomfortable in any way during or after a holiday meal, don’t worry about disturbing the celebration. Tell your family or friends, you are more likely to survive a heart attack if you are treated early.  Go immediately to the nearest emergency department, it’s better to find out that it was just heart burn than to become a holiday statistic.