5 Ways to Keep Your Heart Healthy Throughout the Holidays

The holidays are quickly approaching, which means decorating is in full force, and holiday dinner planning has begun. With the stress and excitement of the holiday season, it's easy to forget to take care of yourself.

It's essential to concentrate on your health over the holidays, especially if you're living with heart disease. The busy holiday season brings a lot of food and stress, which can exacerbate cardiac symptoms.

At the Heart Clinic of Hammond, Dr. Ghiath Mikdadi and Dr. Farid Zayed offer Holter monitoring, electrocardiograms, and exercise stress testing to evaluate for heart issues. They also provide a range of tips and treatments to keep your heart healthy year-round.

The holiday season and your heart

The holiday season is about to be in full swing, meaning holiday music, shopping, and preparing for family and friends. Most people focus on food and drink around the holidays, as well as on spending much-needed time with family.

However, the holidays are also daunting for people with chronic health conditions, especially heart disease. The constant stress of preparing for holiday dinners and overeating can have dangerous consequences if you're not careful.

The holidays are a fun and exciting time, but they also bring on a lot of anxiety and stress. Both of these issues can exacerbate heart problems and lead to a trip to the ER for chest pain or a heart attack.

Overeating and indulging in sweets and alcohol are also prevalent during the festive season, which could also spell trouble for people with heart problems.

The best thing you can do to preserve heart health over the holidays is to listen to your body and prepare to stay healthy. Create a game plan before the holidays arrive to ensure a happy, healthy holiday season.

Tips to keep your heart safe over the holidays

Maintaining a healthy heart during the holidays is essential for enjoying the festivities and being around to celebrate for years to come. Taking care of yourself while enjoying family and friends should be a priority.

It's easy to get swept up in the gatherings, parties, and feasts, but remember to put your heart first. We offer the following helpful tips to keep a healthy heart over the busy holiday season:

1. Watch the sweets

Most holiday gatherings feature pies, cakes, and other desserts, along with chocolates and other sugary treats. Although they're tempting, remember your heart health before indulging too much.

You may indulge a little bit, but be mindful of how much sugar you're consuming. Stick with dark chocolate or a small sweet treat to avoid heart problems later.

2. Limit alcohol intake

It's easy to lose track of your drinks when you're having fun with family and friends, but it could spell disaster for your heart. Try to limit yourself to one drink a day and be sure to hydrate with water throughout the festivities.

3. Prioritize sleep

Sleep is hard to come by when you're trying to get holiday shopping done, prep and cook meals, and be everywhere you want to be. However, sleep is essential for a healthy mind and heart.

Aim for at least eight hours of restful sleep per night. Wind down before bed and limit screen time to ensure you get a good night's rest.

4. Stay active

Getting daily exercise is tough with busy holiday schedules, but it's a good idea to keep your heart in shape. Aim for about 30 minutes of exercise per day; brisk walking, lifting light weights, or even running after your kids are great ways to stay active during the busy winter months.

5. Control food portions

It's easy to overeat during the holidays with many delicious foods and parties. However, overeating isn't good for your heart. Try to control portion sizes and avoid going back for seconds to prevent weight gain and maintain a good, healthy heart.

Don't hesitate to contact the Heart Clinic of Hammond team today in Hammond or Amite, Louisiana, to discuss cardiac treatments or request an appointment online.