Emergency rooms are packed during the holidays. Many patients who end up seeking immediate medical treatment are suffering from a condition known as Holiday Heart Syndrome. It is brought on by drinking too much alcohol too fast and eating too much salt. Caffeine can add to the problem.
These outside influences can throw the heart into abnormal heart rhythms. What's especially troubling about this condition is that people who are affected with it, often have no history of heart disease. Alcohol has been proven to cause several different types of heart rhythm disturbances sometimes. The most serious is called atrial fibrillation, or A-fib, which can lead to stroke.
Salty foods, which are certainly plentiful at the holidays, cause fluid retention, and add to the problem. So try to avoid those types of foods and drink more water than usual to flush-out your system.
Caffeine can sometimes make irregular heart rhythms worse, so avoid combining alcohol and caffeine. If your heart starts racing or beating irregularly, don't ignore it. Sit down. If you are drinking, stop. Wait five minutes. If the feeling isn't gone by then, go the emergency room.
So much of the damage we do to our bodies during the holidays is completely preventable, if we only practiced a little (or a lot) of discipline. Let's not let our overindulgent society dictate to us what the holidays are all about.
Thanksgiving is not about a 3,000-calorie meal, although that's what it has become to many Americans. Yes, that's the average calorie count for the typical Thanksgiving meal. That's the amount of calories most women should consume over a two-day period, not at one sitting.
Lets shift the focus away from the food and on to the people. Family gatherings can be stressful, of course. Stress is terrible for our health. But again, if we shift our focus from what is wrong with our family members, away from what they can give us, or should be doing for us, and instead focus on loving them and ministering to them the way Jesus teaches us to do, stress will not be a problem. This holiday season, let's make sure to make time to pray...pray for our families and pray for the peace that God promises to those who love Him.
Another stress reducer is exercise, and we all know the health benefits of exercise! So why not make exercise a new part of the holiday tradition. Go for walks with the family or instead of hitting the mall or the movies, how about hitting the gym together? Go for a swim at the YMCA pool, or how about ice skating?
Lastly, the best thing you can do to prevent health mishaps this holiday season is to quit smoking.
I pray God's protection, wisdom and strength to all who read this, throughout the holiday season.