Holidays are good for you - but don't overdo it

By: Dr. James Aw, Chief Medical Officer, OMERS

December 18, 2024

I love the holiday season! Friends, family and lots of snacks – and often a chance for us to relax, take time off, have a vacation. In the past, I’ve written about taking time off and the impact it can have, referring to something called The Vacation Effect.

So, let’s talk about the Vacation Effect and the predictors of success of a healthy vacation:

• Joyful anticipation: Careful planning of the vacation gives you something to look forward to.

• Start and finish strong: The first and last days of your vacations can influence your experience and wellbeing.

• Exercise during your vacation, get good sleep, spend time outdoors, meet new people and ensure free time for yourself.

• Don’t work while away. Unplug.

• Create memories. Focus on the unique aspects of your own vacation.

• Explore your creative side. Open your mind and try something new!

Taking a holiday is good for you, but it can be an emotional rollercoaster for many. Celebrations can take you to new heights of gratitude and joy, but it can still be a stressful time. Combining this stress with overindulgence in food and drink can have a compounding effect that can lead to serious issues such as a heart attack. There is also a medical condition called “Holiday Heart Syndrome,” first described in the 1970s, whereby healthy people who binge drank alcohol developed heart arrhythmias.

What are the predictors of an unhealthy holiday season?

An interesting Swedish study (Christmas holiday triggers of myocardial infarctionOpens new window) looked at the triggers for heart attack (also known as MI), over the holidays.

The main finding was that increased stress (acute anger, anxiety, sadness, grief) and low psychological wellbeing were key factors for developing a heart attack over the holiday season. It was noted that many individuals may also stress eat and drink to beat the holiday blues if they are lonely or dealing with family tension and drama.

They also found that approximately 8% of heart attacks followed heavy meal ingestion and high consumption of sweets, which can lead to elevated blood sugar levels that alter inflammation and blood cells called platelets that affect bleeding.

Other studies have also shown that triggers also include emotional stress, worsening diet, higher alcohol consumption, understaffed medical facilities, non-compliance with medications and change in physical environments (travel, visiting relatives, delay in seeking medical care).

Not to mention that glucose control can be challenging for diabetics with the change in daily routines.

And, for those of us in colder climates, heart attacks can be triggered by heavy physical activity in cold weather (such as shovelling wet snow in the morning).

So the take home message is: don’t overdo it and have a healthy plan this year.

Here’s a few tips for a heathier holiday season:

1. Avoid excess. Don’t overeat or binge drink. Enjoy in moderation!

2. Be prepared. Take your medications and monitor your glucose and blood pressure regularly if at risk (particularly if you overdid it on the holiday meals).

3. Seek immediate medical attention if you have symptoms. Don’t delay (even if it is socially awkward during a holiday gathering)!

4. Go for a walk. Do some light activity over the holidays. Avoid sudden intense physical activity if you have overeaten or drank.

5. Find time for relaxation and do the things that help you recharge.

I would like to wish you all the best for a healthy holiday season!

For those who want to read more:

• The proarrhythmic conundrum of alcohol intake - ScienceDirectOpens new window

• Holiday arguments brewing? Here's how to defuse them - Harvard HealthOpens new window

• Revisiting the "Christmas Holiday Effect" in the Southern Hemisphere - PubMedOpens new window

• Cardiac mortality is higher around Christmas and New Year's than at any other time: the holidays as a risk factor for death - PubMedOpens new window

• Investigating Temporal Patterns of Glycemic Control around Holidays - PubMedOpens new window

• Christmas, national holidays, sport events, and time factors as triggers of acute myocardial infarction: SWEDEHEART observational study 1998-2013 | The BMJOpens new window

• What to Know About Holiday Heart SyndromeOpens new window

Learn more about Dr. Aw.

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