It’s the season for good cheer, but it’s also a time of year that can be exceptionally rough on the body, mind, and spirit.
Research shows that during the winter months — particularly the holiday season from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day — the number of heart attack deaths rise. Researchers have found that the numbers peak on Christmas and New Year’s days, prompting Dr. Robert Kloner to call the phenomenon the “Merry Christmas Coronary” and “Happy New Year Heart Attack” in his editorial accompanying the 2004 study in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.
This is also the time of year many of us gain weight, although probably not as much as you might think. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that people gain an average of about one pound during the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day — far less than researchers expected. However, those who gained weight tended not to lose it over the remainder of the new year, and more weight accumulated over time, increasing the risk for obesity and its related ills.
The fall and winter months also are prime time for Seasonal Affective Disorder. People with SAD suffer symptoms of depression brought on by a lack of sunlight because of the season’s shorter days and dreary, gray weather.
All of a sudden, the holidays don’t seem so merry, do they? Before you start fretting this time of year — after all, it is supposed to be joyous — consider this: There are practical, proven ways of maintaining your health as the calendar approaches New Year’s. They take a little bit of planning, a certain amount of will power, and a strong desire to live to see many more celebrations.
Stress Less
In the holiday heart attack study, researchers said people’s emotional stress — from having to see relatives they may not want to encounter, to the financial pressures of the giving season — likely played a role in the number of cardiac deaths they saw. Experts advise spending as little time as possible with people who bring you stress. Give up resentments of those who mistreated you in the past, PsychologyToday.com suggests. Accept that those people likely will not change and be prepared to adjust your attitude or take a walk when you’re around them. Being prepared gives you greater control over how you will feel.
Relieve financial tension by setting realistic spending goals, experts advise. Keep holiday spending in check next year by saving a little money all year, making a budget, and sticking to it.
Help Your Heart With Healthy Food
Foods with excessive amounts of salt and fat, as well as alcohol consumption also may factor into the high heart attack numbers during the holidays, researchers said. Gaining weight can tax the heart, and fatty meals can harm blood vessel function.
In her blog Nutrition and You!, Boston University nutrition professor Joan Salge Blake suggests trading in the high-fat, calorie-laden appetizers for delicious fruit or roasted veggie kabobs, and delectable sliced pears or apples topped with paper-thin slivers of mild Manchego cheese and dollops of fig jam.
Other ways of keeping holiday weight down include baking fewer treats for less temptation, and ditching sweets as gifts. Give presents that encourage activity instead, such as ski lift tickets, she suggests.
If you’re out shopping and craving a cup of coffee, steer clear of those yummy, rich lattes and decadent hot chocolate drinks that are full of syrup and topped with whipped cream. A 16-ounce Starbucks White Hot Chocolate has a whopping 420 calories and 12 grams of fat. Stick to Starbucks Bold Pick of the Day, with its measly five calories per 16-ounce cup. Or brew your own coffee or tea at home and tote a thermos. You’ll save calories and money.
Lift Your Spirit
With the gift shopping, decorating, and cooking many of us do, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed around this time of year. Mental health experts from the University of Maryland Medical Center warn that trying to do too much can leave us exhausted and frazzled. They urge prioritizing what is truly important, organizing your time, letting some things go, and enlisting the help of others.
Don’t use the holidays as an excuse to overindulge, experts also advise. If you’re feeling sad or anxious, a hangover will only make you feel worse. The same goes for food. Overdoing it with starchy sweets can wreak havoc with your blood sugar levels, quickly raising them and triggering an increase in stress hormones. Instead, enjoy sparkling water and reach for the fresh vegetables at the hors d’oeuvre table.
If you think you might suffer from SAD, sitting in front of a light therapy box for 30 minutes daily can help alleviate symptoms. (Some insurance companies often cover this, at least in part, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.) A mental health professional can also help with psychotherapy and medication.
During this hectic time, be sure to take some time to be alone, especially if holiday crowds and parties add to your stress levels. Making time for exercise also is critical. Breaking a sweat not only helps abate physical problems like diabetes, but it also helps relieve symptoms of depression, mental health experts say. While the exact links between physical activity and depression are not entirely known, research has shown that exercise helps reduce anxiety, improves mood, and may work to keep depression from returning. Any activity that gets you moving and increases your heart rate will help, says MayoClinic.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment