The holiday season is officially upon us and that means festive cheer, quality time with loved ones and of course, delicious food. As we celebrate the holidays, it’s important to remember that a few simple steps can go a long way in keeping us healthy while still enjoying the festivities. We sat down with Steward’s Miranda Boyer, RDN, LD, a clinical dietician at Trumbull Regional Medical Center in Warren, Ohio, and Dr. Nicholas Noble, a family medicine doctor at Davis Hospital and Medical Center in Layton, Utah, to discuss how to maintain a healthy diet and manage stress throughout the holiday season. Happy Holidays!
Diet Tips with Miranda Boyer, RDN, LD
Miranda Boyer, RDN, LD is a clinical dietitian at Trumbull Regional Medical Center. She provides inpatient care as well as outpatient nutrition counseling and is a contributor to our Diabetes Education program. She’s a firm believer in the “everything in moderation” motto, and strives to make patients feel confident and in control of their own health goals.
Q: The holidays are often centered around cooking, baking, and enjoying big meals. How do you recommend that individuals struggling with health conditions, such as diabetes, enjoy these meals while maintaining their diets?
A: Meal planning is a helpful tool to maintain diets throughout the holidays. For instance, if a holiday meal is scheduled around lunchtime, plan for that to be your lunch meal – but be sure to incorporate breakfast and dinner meals into your day as well. Additionally, be sure to limit your portions and never skip meals to save up for one large meal as this will ultimately do more harm than good to your diet.
Q: Do you have any tips on regulating alcohol consumption over the holidays?
A: The American Heart Association recommends that women drink no more than one drink a day, and that men drink no more than two. For reference, a 12 oz beer, 5 oz glass of wine, or a shot of liquor is considered one alcoholic beverage. For people with conditions like diabetes, we recommend that alcohol consumption always be accompanied by a meal, and never to drink on an empty stomach.
Q: From hot chocolate, to cookies and pies, the holiday season is filled with sugar. How can people maintain healthy levels of sugar consumption?
A: If there’s any way you can cut out added sugar – such as sugar in your cereal or coffee – that will help regulate your sugar levels. I believe in “everything in moderation,” and don’t believe in telling people not to eat dessert. It would be better for someone to have a smaller portion and enjoy it rather than restrict themselves only to binge later. For instance, if there’s a smorgasbord of pies at Thanksgiving, maybe try a small sliver of all of them.
Managing Stress with Dr. Nicholas Noble
Dr. Nicholas Noble is a family medicine doctor at Davis Hospital and Medical Center. He completed his family medicine residency at Promedica Monroe Regional Hospital, where he served as chief resident. Dr. Noble also served two medical missions to Ghana as a student, and a medical mission to Honduras as a physician. He graduated summa cum laude with a medical laboratory science degree from Weber State University, and later earned his medical degree at Des Moines University.
Q: What are common stressors that may be unique to the holiday season?
A: The holiday season can have several unique stressors that may affect different people in various ways. You don’t need to have clinical depression or anxiety to be stressed out by the holidays. Please be mindful of your friend or family member who has a more introverted personality. They may have a more difficult time engaging in large crowds and gatherings but would thrive in situations where you can connect with them one-on-one. We also know that Seasonal Affective Disorder is a well-studied issue in some that can make the winter months extra difficult especially with less sunlight.
Although we spend so much time and effort trying to help our loved ones associate the holidays with joy and happiness, many often suffer because of a historical tragic event in their life that occurred in this timeframe. Reach out to those for whom the holidays may be associated with loss, a listening ear may be more meaningful to them than the usual holiday festivities.
Q: What are some adverse effects that may result from becoming overwhelmed by holiday stress?
A: We hope that the holiday time can be beneficial as a season to connect with family and friends, but the stress we place on ourselves and others can be overwhelming. There have even been studies[i] describing an increased incidence of heart attacks around Christmas and New Year holidays. One study[ii] suggests increased stress and impaired psychological well-being as potential causes of the increased number of heart attacks associated with this season.
Q: What are tips you would recommend to better manage holiday stress?
A: Be honest with yourself. Don’t overdo all the activities at the expense of your own mental health.
Have you thought about seeing a therapist or a doctor about your mental health? Perhaps a family or friend has encouraged you to do so? Consider planning this before the added stressors of the season make your life a little more challenging, and your calendar fills with other activities.
Q: How would you recommend someone offer assistance to someone who may be experiencing holiday stress?
A: I would invite you to take a moment to think of those whom you desire to see this season and consider how they might enjoy different types of service. For the people in your life who plan and organizes big events, how can you help take some of that stress away? For those at social gatherings, who are talking the least, find a way to pull them apart from the crowd where perhaps they would thrive in a more personal conversation. If you have had any personal tragedy in your past that you associate with the holiday season, I encourage you to continue to seek support, and embrace the love and joy in all that is to come.
References
- [i] Mohammad MA, Karlsson S, Haddad J, et al. Christmas, national holidays, sport events, and time factors as triggers of acute myocardial infarction: SWEDEHEART observational study 1998–2013. BMJ. 2018;363:k4811. [PubMed]
- [ii] Anneli Olsson, Ida Thorén, Moman A. Mohammad, Rebecca Rylance, Pyotr G. Platonov, David Sparv & David Erlinge (2021) Christmas holiday triggers of myocardial infarction, Scandinavian Cardiovascular Journal, 55:6, 340-344, DOI: 10.1080/14017431.2021.1983638. [PubMed]
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