By Dan Murphy
As all of us enjoy the holiday season in different ways, we should also be aware of how the celebrations can lead to over-eating, stress and falling away from the healthy routines you may have established in 2021. Alon Gitig, MD, Director of Cardiology at Mount Sinai Doctors-Scarsdale and Mount Sinai Doctors-Yonkers, shared with us some helpful thoughts and tips to avoid some common heart health pitfalls during the holidays.
I: Controlling Your Holiday Meals and Treats
“A lot of people are working hard at this time of the year to stay on the right track with their eating habits. Some of my patients started in September to redouble their efforts to eat healthier and now come the holidays, where the temptation to overeat and have a drink or two and then enjoy dessert, are all around us. And then comes our New Year’s resolution to be healthier in 2022,” said Dr. Gitig.
“But there are ways to stop this cycle and still enjoy the holidays. You can never be too prepared, and if you want to eat healthy you must understand that our world is set up in a way to make it easy for you to eat unhealthily, and if you don’t prepare, there is little chance for success.
“A lot of meals made in stores and restaurants are not healthy. If you are going out, be aware that in social settings, having a drink or two makes it easier for you to overeat and get off track. You need to keep in mind your goals of weight loss and eating healthy during these festive times.
“If you are at a restaurant or a holiday party, try to hold off on having a drink until the end of your meal, and have that drink instead of dessert. Try to have a clear mind when making your diet choices,” said Dr. Gitig.
“If you are hosting a holiday gathering, almost all of us want to make sure there is enough for everyone, and we overcook, and there are leftovers in our fridge for days, which becomes a clear temptation to continue to stray from your healthy choices. Try to send your guests away with some leftovers, and a little bit for each guest so that your holiday meal becomes a one-time indulgence for you. And if you and your partner are preparing the meal for all, make sure that your input includes health dishes that are still in the holiday spirit.
“If you have a holiday party at your workplace, several co-workers usually bring in their treat, like a box of chocolate or cookies, for everyone to enjoy. I used to have a hard time with this, but now I insist on keeping those items out of sight, so I won’t be tempted to take one every day until the box is gone. Perhaps you can also give these treats to coworkers who have kids at home who could enjoy them.
“The realistic thought on Holiday eating is that it is ok to indulge here and there, but don’t put yourself in a position where you have constant access to unhealthy foods, because it turns into an unconscious decision to overeat,” said Dr. Gitig.
II: Find time to Exercise:
“We have to stay on top of finding time during the holidays for exercise and continue to keep our appointments with ourselves to exercise. When our regiments get derailed, and the kids are off from school, or when we go on vacation, it’s easy for exercise to go by the wayside,” explained Dr. Gitig.
“First, don’t get demoralized if you lapse off for a brief period, but try not to make it more than a week because then you lose the work that you made, and you might be feeling weak again after gaining back a few pounds. Don’t let the holidays go on for months.
“Next, schedule time during the holidays to exercise and plan your week around it. If you are going away, find a way to prepare for exercise and a time in the day for it by thinking about ways on your vacation to exercise, like using a step counter when you go out with your family exploring the place of your visit. Or do something that involves exercise that the kids will enjoy, like taking a hike, or visiting an outdoor place that requires walking.
Dr. Gitig said that he likes patients to think about the ’80-20 rule’ during the holidays. “One way to consider your holiday eating and exercising is to think that if you can stay on target 80% of the time, its ok to go out and have one unhealthy meal and that its not the end of the world. And just like small steady progress is usually the best way to eat healthy and stay fit, resist the urge to let everything go for two months and think that you can make a New Year’s resolution to get it all back. Those resolutions don’t always work out but taking small concrete steps to improve your health add up to permanent good habits.”
III-Your Mind Plays a Larger Role in your Heart Health than you think:
“The holidays can be a time of stress for many, over buying gifts, or family conflict, or sadness over the loss of a loved one, or the stress about dealing with COVID for the past 18 months. And this stress directly affects our arteries and our heart. Your heart health relies on your mental health and being in a positive frame of mind,” said Dr. Gitg.
“We all need to sit down with ourselves and ask how we can connect in a positive way. The obvious way is to socialize with our friends and loved ones. Studies have shown the importance of spending time with family, bonding with friends, tapping into spirituality, and connecting to humanity.
“While this may sound Kindergarten and basic Sesame Street, the research is overwhelming that it works. Sometimes a pill, or medication, isn’t the best answer. It’s good for your health to be happy, but how can we be happy? Laughter is one way to lower your markers of stress.
A good, deep, belly laugh positively affects your nervous system and impacts your heart, and has wide ranging, positive impacts on your body. Research has shown that deep laughter emanating from the belly (think: Santa) or meditation, can lower markers of inflammation in the body, which in themselves are predictors of increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
“COVID has made us lose many of our personal connections to our friends, family and co-workers. But even if you don’t want to go out and socialize, there are other ways to connect. You can invite a friend over and have a movie marathon with your partner, and watch comedies, and do something that will make you happy,” said Dr. Gitig.
“If you wake up in the morning and feel nervous or know that bad feelings are coming, you need to consciously think of the things in your life that you are grateful for. And everyone can identify something that they are grateful for.
“It can be as simple as having a meal with your family, or appreciating your home, your education, your job, or a sunset or a chocolate chip cookie, but only one cookie please. Try to write down 2 or 3 things that you are grateful for and understand that all these positive thoughts contribute to a healthy, mind-heart connection.
“Spirituality is also very healthy for your heart and can come from formal religion but can also be any kind of spiritual relationship with the world, and to feel more connected to the earth, or your community or a social group. These types of connections help lower heart disease,” said Dr. Gitig.
“If that connection is through prayer and attending services, or to focus on nature, or by meditating, it will help you focus on the things that you and connected to, instead of the strife and craziness in the world. There are research studies that monitor your basic involuntary responses that find slowed breathing patterns and slower heart rates, through meditation and spirituality.
“There is clear evidence that shows our body reverts to a rhythmic flexibility associated with good health when we focus on meditation. People tend to feel in a relaxed state, and lower the biological process triggered by stress. And slowed breathing patters result in lower heart rates and better health.
Dr. Gitig also reiterated his thoughts to our readers earlier this year about how deep breathing exercises can also reduce stress. “Usually, we are not conscious about how we are breathing during our day. But slow, abdominal breathing, and taking six breaths per minute, is a major stress reliever.
“There is good evidence that breathing this way, 10 minutes a day, in through the nose and out through your mouth, will lower your blood pressure hours later. When you feel stress coming into your life, if you breathe this way even for a few minutes, it will help your heart health.
“When you start out your day in the morning, focus on your body, and close your eyes and scan your body for where you feel the most tension. Most of us feel tension pressure knots in the neck, or chest or belly. Then focus on your deep breathing and after a handful of times you should notice a difference. All of these ideas can help you have a healthier, heart happy holiday.”
Alon Gitig, MD, is Director of Cardiology at Mount Sinai Doctors-Scarsdale and Mount Sinai Doctors-Yonkers. He is also an Assistant Professor of Cardiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Medical Director of the Heart Failure Management Program for the Mount Sinai Health Network.
To make an appointment, visit https://www.mountsinai.org/locations/westchester.
