Are You Doomed to Get Sick This Holiday Season?
Over-indulgence in rich food and drink over the holiday season can cause - or at least exacerbate - chronic illnesses of many kinds. These can include: respiratory problems, gastrointestinal illnesses, heart problems, flu, depression ... the list goes on.
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Blue Care Network-Health's Medical Director, Dr. Rice, states: "We all need to remember to take care of ourselves during the holidays. Good lifestyle habits can pay off in avoiding illness."
Dr. Rice goes on to say: "Take care of yourself. Enjoy holiday revelry, but get plenty of rest. In addition to holiday sweets, eat a balanced diet. Fruits and vegetables are through to boost the body's natural immune system."
With this in mind, it is no wonder that illnesses increase during the holiday season. As all thoughts of fruit and vegetables are pushed to the back of our minds, replaced with sumptuous desserts and rich main courses, our immune systems plummet as fast as out weight rockets.
The stress levels experienced during the holiday season are also partly responsible for the rise in illnesses. With all of the running around, buying presents, worrying about finances, and trying to please the family, stress can be at an all-time high. Coupled with an unhealthy diet of rich or fast food, alcohol, and large meals, our diet and health takes a real battering.
Nancee Blum, from the University of Iowa's Department of Psychiatry, states: "...if you do have a chronic illness, it can certainly be worsened from stress during the holidays, whether it is emotional stress or the actual stress from trying to do too much, eat too much, use excessive alcohol, etc..."
Studies conducted by the University of Southern California show that reports of heart attacks increase over the holiday period. Jennifer Halls-Carson, Education Co-ordinator at McKinley Health Center, states that the stress increase over the holidays often leads to health problems.
In addition to this, we tend to go ahead and eat whatever is on offer, regardless if whether it may contain ingredients to which we are allergic or sensitive - and often unaware of whether we actually are allergic to any foods that could cause ill-health.
The make-up of the food that we over-indulge in over the holidays - sweet, sugary foods - means that we experience sugar highs followed swiftly by lows as our sugar levels crash. Our only option then is to reach for yet more sugary food to get rid of the sluggish low feeling. However, we then feel guilty and depressed ... it seems that, as long as we are determined to binge on this type of food, we just can't win.
These low moods and the constant fluctuation in sugar levels are all contributory factors to poor health and stress. One way to help overcome these mood swings is to take part in regular exercise. Physical activity will not only help to raise your mood by releasing endomorphins but will also help to speed up your metabolism and assist with weight loss.
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