For most people, the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve mean two things: celebrating with family and friends, and eating. And while this sudden flurry of parties (and all the rich foods and sweet desserts that go with them) can be fun, too much merry-making can also have a negative effect on your health. But if you take a few minutes to find out what you need to know to protect yourself and your family from several common holiday pitfalls, you’ll ring in the new year happy and healthy.

Holiday Heart Smarts

This may not be what you want to hear as you prepare to deck the halls, but several recent studies have confirmed that December and January are the deadliest months for heart attacks in the United States. Why are we so much more likely to die from a Christmas coronary than one that happens in July? Some researchers believe that people tend to delay medical treatment when they have better things to do, or simply misinterpret heart-attack symptoms as nothing more than indigestion. And while these theories are probably true, the real culprit lies mainly on our plates. We all know that a poor diet comes with a high price over the long term, but what you may not realize is that even one particularly heavy, high-fat meal stresses the heart immediately as it is digested, causing your blood pressure and heart rate to rise. What’s more, if you’ve really overindulged, the lining of your arteries can even become temporarily more clot-prone. “Eating even one meal high in saturated fat can make it tougher for HDL cholesterol [the good kind, which carries bad cholesterol out of the body] to protect your arteries,” explains Darlene Husch, a dietician at Overlook Hospital’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Center. And once you add salt to the mixture, you really have a recipe for disaster; salt causes fluid retention, which forces the heart to pump harder. And it’s not just what we eat that’s bad news. Drinking heavily can also lead to what doctors like to call “holiday heart syndrome,” in which a heavy dose of booze actually triggers an irregular heartbeat.

So now that you’ve heard the bad news, what can you do to protect yourself?

• At dinner parties, start the meal by loading up on heart-healthy foods. “Fill two-thirds or more of your plate with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and one-third or less with animal protein,” says Husch. “The fiber-rich foods will fill you up, leaving less room for more calorie-dense food.” Husch suggests nutritious yet traditional holiday fare like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squash, cranberries, and nuts.
  
  
• Practice portion control. To keep calories in check, estimate portions by comparing them to objects. For example, three ounces of meat is roughly the size of a deck of cards, one ounce of cheese is like four dice, and a medium potato is generally the size of a computer mouse.
  
  
• Don’t come to the table starving. Many people believe skipping lunch is a good way to conserve calories for the smorgasbord they’ve planned for that evening, but this just leads to scarfing down too much food too quickly when you finally do eat.
  
  
• Eat slowly. “It takes 15 minutes or more for the message that you are full to get from your stomach to your brain,” says Husch, “and you can do a lot of damage in that time.”
  
  
• If you have a history of heart disease, stick to the diet your doctor or dietician has prescribed.
  
  
• Know the signs of a heart attack and don’t ignore them. A classic heart attack usually causes pain in the chest that may radiate down the left arm, but it can also feel like a strained muscle. And because the heart is a muscle the pain often waxes and wanes in intensity. Other signs of a heart attack include discomfort in areas of the upper body, like the jaw, neck, back, or stomach; shortness or breath with or without chest discomfort; nausea, lightheadedness, or breaking out in a cold sweat.

Stay One Step Ahead of Strokes

Unlike heart disease, no reliable study has ever shown a higher incidence of stroke during the holiday season. But Shalini Bansil, MD, medical director of the Stroke Center at Overlook Hospital, believes we’re not exactly out of the woods. “Many of the behaviors people engage in this time of year can increase their risk of stroke,” says Bansil, “especially if they are already battling high blood pressure.” Here’s how to protect yourself.

• Watch what you eat. “Fatty, high-cholesterol, and salty foods increase blood pressure and make you more vulnerable to stroke, so eat in moderation when you go out to restaurants and parties,” suggests Bansil. If you’re heading to a party, have a small, healthy snack before you go to take the edge off your hunger.
  
  
• Stay mobile. If you exercise regularly, don’t stop just because you’re busy shopping and socializing over the holiday season.
  
  
• Drink responsibly. “Binge drinking increases your risk of intracranial bleeding, also known as a hemorrhagic stroke,” says Bansil. Many drugs also interact negatively with alcohol, so read your prescription information before imbibing.
  
  
• Take your meds. If you suffer from high blood pressure, be sure to adhere to your daily drug regimen. “At the holidays, many people get so busy they run out of meds and forget to refill their prescription,” explains Bansil. This is extremely dangerous, so stay vigilant. Remember, you’re never too busy to take
  care of yourself.
  
  
• Don’t smoke. Lighting up isn’t good for anyone, but if you already have high blood pressure and you continue to smoke, you’re really asking for trouble.

Despite your best efforts, a stroke can still strike without warning. Your best chance for survival and a full recovery is to recognize and address symptoms if they occur. If you or a loved one develop any of the following stoke signals, call 911 and ask to be taken to a stroke center immediately.

• A sudden onset of vision loss or speech difficulty.
  
  
• Numbness on your right or left side, weakness in your arms and legs, and difficulty walking.
  
  
• A sudden, severe, and unusual headache.
  

Beat the Holiday Blues

Hallmark may have dubbed this the happiest time of the year, but if the whole holiday scene leaves you feeling rather low, you’re not alone. Millions of people, especially women, suffer from the blues this time of year. “A recent survey done by the American Psychology Association shows a dramatic disparity between men and women when it comes to holiday depression,” says Rosalind Dorlen, PsyD, ASPP, a clinical psychologist in Summit and a member of the Allied Medical Staff at Overlook Hospital. Nearly half the women studied reported having a heightened level of stress around the holidays, and a whopping 31 percent of them turn to food to cope, whereas only 19 percent of men eat to relax. “What’s more,” adds Dorlen, “women are more likely to accept stress as a normal part of the holidays, rather than a problem to be managed.”

And this is where the trouble lies. “Too much stress can make you sick,” says Dorlen, “causing headaches, loss of sleep, nervousness, fatigue, and muscular tension.” It should also come as no surprise that suicides increase after the holidays as well. “Most people tend to process stress after the fact,” explains Dorlen, “so deeply depressed people may be able to hang on during the holidays, but then unravel right afterward.”
What’s causing all this seasonal stress? “The biggest problem is the fact that just because it’s Hanukkah or Christmas, all your other problems don’t just miraculously disappear,” says Dorlen. And the constant pressure to be cheerful only adds to the misery. But there are ways to cope. Herewith, a few of Dorlen’s suggestions for nipping anxiety and sadness in the bud and putting a smile back on your face.

• Manage your expectations. Trying to make the holidays “perfect” will just make you crazy. This year, simply love your family, your home, and yourself for what they are.
  
  
• Accept help from family and friends when you start to feel overextended with shopping, cooking, and your children’s activities.
  
  
• Avoid grim movies and news programs and watch something funny instead. And remember, you don’t have to listen to Bing Crosby or other holiday tunes if they leave you weepy. Play some classical music, show tunes, opera, or whatever you like instead.
  
  
• Exercising a few times a week is a great way to reduce stress (and you get a health bonus as well). Just start slow and talk to your doctor if you have any health concerns.
  
  
• Set attainable goals for yourself each day so you feel satisfied when you go to bed at night, rather than overwhelmed and frazzled.
  
  
• Tend to your finances and don’t get in over your head—no matter how much you want to buy your kids the latest, greatest video game. You may feel good for a few moments when they open it, but you’ll be stressed to the max when the bill comes a month later.
  
  
• Don’t accept party invitations right away. Instead, say, “I need to check my calendar and get back to you.” This way you can seriously evaluate each event and avoid frantic party-hopping, which is usually not enjoyable anyway.
• If you’re mourning the recent loss of a loved one, it can be uncomfortable to share your sadness with family or friends when they all seem so happy. Instead, record your feelings in a journal, and go ahead and cry if you need to.
  
  
• Tend to your spirituality. Pray, meditate, or do whatever else helps you shut out the commercialization of the holidays. Focus on everything you have been blessed with, rather than what may be missing from your life.

Top 10 Strategies for a Healthy 2009

1. Lose the weight. “In many cases, losing a significant amount of weight can actually lower your blood pressure and cholesterol and eliminate the need for medication,” says Bansil.
   
   
2. Eat right. Minimizing the fat and salt in your diet will go a long way toward keeping your blood pressure down and preventing heart attacks and stroke.
   
   
3. “Come up with three news ways to cope with and manage stress, so it doesn’t take over your life and make you sick,” says Dorlen.
   
   
4. Stay connected to family and friends, not just at the holidays but all year long. You’ll be glad you did.
   
   
5. Stop avoiding the doctor. Get a regular annual checkup and ask about which vaccinations and tests you should have, based on your age, medical past, and family history.
   
   
6. “Start reading food labels,” suggests Husch You’d be surprised what’s hiding in foods you thought were healthy!
   
   
7. Get help. If you’ve been trying to lose weight for a while or have been yo-yo dieting, seek nutritional counseling and really make a lifestyle change.
   
   
8. Quit smoking. It will add years to your life.
   
   
9. Take care of your smile. Recent studies have drawn a loose connection between healthy gums and a long life. Even though the jury may still be out on this one, why take the chance? Start flossing regularly.
   
   
10. Catch some ZZZs. While a solid eight hours a night isn’t always possible, get as much sleep as you can. This may mean turning off the TV or putting down that celebrity gossip magazine, but the boost in your overall health and energy level will be well worth it.