’Tis the season for temptations, with holiday dinners and treats nearly everywhere we turn. So
stick a fork into these 10 tips from the UCSF Center for Prevention of Heart and Vascular Disease.
“Holidays can really take a toll on our stress levels and diets, even if we’re healthy
the rest of the year. The average person gains five pounds over the holidays, which is hard on the
heart,” says Anne Thorson, MD, cardiologist and associate director of UCSF’s Center for
Prevention of Heart and Vascular Disease. “What’s important to remember any time
we’re trying to improve our health is that even the smallest changes can have a big
impact.”
- If you have a packed holiday schedule, give the first gift to yourself: Splurge on a
healthy treat like berries for breakfast and try to do one healthy thing every day.
- Exercise is a wonderful stress reliever and it helps us look better and feel good about
ourselves. Instead of making exercise a New Year’s resolution, fit in small bits
throughout every day, using a walk or trip to the gym as an opportunity to catch up with friends
or get some much-needed time to yourself.
- Before a party, eat a high-protein snack such as nonfat yogurt and a piece of fruit.
The protein will give you sustainable energy and make it easier to pass up party foods that are
high in fat and salt. The fruit will fill you up and help give you the vitamins you need.
- Instead of accepting that first glass of wine or champagne, start with a glass of bubbly
water, with a squeeze of lime. Many of us drink more alcohol (and calories) than we want
because we start out thirsty and want something in our hand. Replace one of those drinks with
water, and you've cut 100 or more calories from the evening.
- If you have the choice between olives or other snack food, go for the olives –
they’re good for your heart, take longer to eat and give you clear evidence (with the
pits) of how many you’ve eaten.
- Can’t resist chocolate? Don’t. Instead, look for dark chocolate with
intense flavors and savor a small piece. If that minor indulgence keeps you from eating that
whole box of milk chocolates, it’s done the trick.
- If you’re feeling frenzied or emotionally run down, take care of yourself in ways
other than overeating. Overeating triggers biological processes throughout the body that
end up making us feel worse: hormones go into overdrive to process the extra food, the pancreas
overproduces insulin resulting in low blood sugar and tiredness, and the sleep cycle can get
disrupted.
- While shopping or returning holiday gifts, instead of cramming into the elevator, take the
stairs. Or pass up that parking space closest to the store and walk a little farther.
Every step helps.
- If you feel your blood-pressure rising, stop right then and take a few minutes for
yourself. Get a massage or a hot tub at a spa if you can, but even a homemade facial mask
or a $5 bottle of bubble bath can relieve stress.
- And finally, remember the spirit of the season. Whether we practice a religion or not,
this is a time to pause, reflect on our priorities and spend time with people we love. These
actions alone will help you not only survive the season, but create a lifetime of wellness.
The UCSF Cardiovascular Care and Prevention Center generated these tips after years of seeing
cardiology patients struggle to maintain healthy lifestyles during the holidays. Heart disease is
the leading killer of both men and women in the United States, but most of its effects can be
prevented or delayed through small ongoing lifestyle changes, Thorson says.
But during the holidays, it’s also important to avoid adding further stress to the season by
trying to deprive yourself of foods you and your family love, she adds.
“Despite all of the fad diets out there, the current thinking on weight loss and management is
not to deprive yourself of the foods you like, but to have them less often or in smaller
portions,” Thorson says. “As long as your overall diet is moderate in fat and calories,
you’ll still be able to fit in the foods you love.”
And if you’d like professional guidance from a physician, the team at UCSF’s
Cardiovascular Care and Prevention Center uses state-of-the-art technology to screen patients for
coronary disease and thoroughly assess risk factors such as hypertension, stress, obesity and family
history of heart attack or stroke. Patients also meet with a dietary specialist and exercise
counselor to create a plan that includes lifestyle changes as well as medication. To make an
appointment, call (415) 476-1326.
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