Newswise — Below are tips from The Methodist Hospital in Houston on how to enjoy the holiday season by managing stress, avoiding excessive caffeine and eating a healthier diet. To follow up on any of these helpful tips, contact information can be found below.
Holiday stress could be particularly bad for women
Since women are usually the primary drivers behind organizing family visits and feasts, they may experience more stress than men during the holidays, and that can be bad for heart health.
Cardiovascular disease can be made worse -- and even caused -- by stress, says Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center cardiologist Karla Kurrelmeyer, M.D. Kurrelmeyer says women don't always know they're experiencing a cardiac event, in part because symptoms for women are not always as recognizable as they are for men. A survey in 2006 showed women believe they are at greater risk for breast and other types of cancer and even HIV/AIDS than cardiovascular disease. As a result, women are less likely than men to believe they're having a heart attack and more likely to delay seeking emergency treatment.
The reality is cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death in women. Approximately half a million women die of cardiovascular problems every year—about 17 percent more women die than men yearly. The rate of cardiovascular-related deaths in American women has not declined over the last 30 years. Even if it is 10 minutes before the Thanksgiving meal, women need to pay attention to the symptoms (listed below) of a heart attack.
• Extreme weakness, anxiety, or shortness of breath;• Discomfort, pressure, heaviness, or pain in the chest, arm or below the breastbone;• Sweating, nausea, vomiting or dizziness;• Fullness, indigestion, or choking feeling; • Rapid or irregular heartbeats.
Drinking more caffeine this holiday season could be bad for your health
You may want to think twice about that extra cup of coffee to help you through a busy holiday shopping day. “Many people won’t get enough sleep during the holidays and will drink numerous cups of coffee or high energy drinks so they’ll have enough energy to finish shopping and attend numerous parties,” said Dr. Joshua Septimus, an internist with The Methodist Hospital in Houston. “Most will use caffeine to push their bodies to the extreme, when they could get just as much energy from a good night’s sleep.”
Septimus says heavy doses of caffeine (between 500 and 600 milligrams or about four to seven cups of coffee) will not only cause difficulty sleeping, but can also increase your heart rate, cause muscle tremors and headaches. Doctors recommend drinking no more than 200 milligrams of caffeine (about two cups of regular coffee) a day.
Holiday overeating could endanger those with type 2 diabetes
Eating excessive fat, carbohydrates and salt is common during the holidays. Not only can that diet lead to weight gain, but it could also cause far more damaging health problems.
“People who are unaware they have type 2 diabetes are putting themselves at great risk by indulging in this type of diet during the holidays or any time of the year,” said Dr. Dale J. Hamilton, an endocrinologist and diabetes specialist with The Methodist Hospital in Houston. “They are opening themselves up to heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, lower limb amputations and blindness.”
More than 17 million Americans have type 2 diabetes. In 2010, nearly two million new cases were diagnosed, and if the current trend continues, one in three adults will have the disease by 2050. Hamilton suggests limiting carbohydrates including white bread, white rice, potatoes and pasta, as well as cured meats that contain high levels of salt. With or without diabetes, Hamilton says when combined with other high fat foods, this diet can put a strain on the heart, elevate blood pressure, cause shortness of breath, and heart failure.
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