Real Talk
Holiday Heart Syndrome: 5 Tips to Remember to Avoid It During the Season
The holidays for many means binging on food but you have to be careful not to develop holiday heart syndrome!
Christmas is the time of the year where everyone gets off their diet to feast on all the food. After all, what is a celebration without food? But this also means higher chances of getting sick or developing the Holiday Heart Syndrome.
Holiday Heart Syndrome occurs when irregular heartbeats are detected after binging on excessive salty and fatty food and drinks. This could lead to conditions such as heart attack or stroke. People with existing conditions such as diabetes should be careful of this as well.
So how do we combat holiday heart syndrome? Here are some tips to take into consideration.
1. Limit your food and drink consumption
You don’t have to pile up your plate with all the food in front of you. Get enough portions and return for the rest after. Or you can just try a little bit of everything without having to indulge!
As for drinks, one or two glasses of alcohol or sweet drinks should be enough. Remember that driving under the influence of alcohol could also lead to accidents and you don’t want that.
2. Add more vegetables and fruits to your food intake
Instead of piling up on meat, make sure to balance it out with vegetables. The Food and Nutrition Research Institute recommends under the Pinggan Pinoy to have a 3/4 proportion of the plate known as the Glow category.
During the online forum called Minimizing Heart Risk to Optimize Diabetes Care sponsored by ZP Therapeutics, Dr. Lynn Gomez said that eating more plant-based food can help with the environment.
“Kasi hindi lahat galing sa animals, which increases carbon footprint,” she said. “Totoong problema po ito ng buong mundo, ang global warming. So pag magshishift tayo sa plant-based [food], we also contribute to climate change reduction.”
(It’s not just coming from animals, which increases carbon footprint. Global warming is a real problem. So if we shift to plant-based food, we also contribute to climate change reduction.)
3. Reduce salt, caffeine, and sweets
Make sure to reduce the food that is either too sweet or salty. If you’re a coffee-lover, make sure your caffeine is in check because sometimes, too much caffeine can also be a cause of irregular palpitations.
4. Hydrate yourself
Replace your drinks by consuming a lot of water. Water detoxifies the body and also hydrates the skin.
5. Stay active
It’s very important that you move your body. Do anything from dance classes, yoga, or going for a walk around your village with your dog. At least 30 minutes to an hour would be enough so that you’ll feel energized.
Everything in Moderation to Avoid Holiday Heart Syndrome
The holiday season is meant to be with family and friends and be festive. But with health now as our main priority due to the pandemic, it’s important to continuously watch what we eat and drink because it might hard our bodies. After all, we only have one to take care of. Together, let’s avoid Holiday Heart Syndrome this Christmas.
Are you looking for health articles to read? Check these out:
Families and Diabetes: Why We Need To Be Careful
Does Your Family Need To Go On an Anti-Inflammatory Diet? This Doctor Says Yes
How Danika Nemis and Luke Landrigan Are Raising A Vegan Kid
