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“Around the holidays, we tend to let ourselves go, and that’s the absolute worst thing you can do if you have a heart condition, high cholesterol, or blood pressure problems,” says Yazid Fadl, MD, MPH, a cardiologist with Indiana University Health in Indianapolis. “In a single month you can eat all the wrong things at once, putting significant stress on your body.”

Though it’s easy to eat all the wrong foods, picking up simple lifestyle strategies can be almost as simple. Make a few small changes to ensure that your holidays are happy and healthy, whether you’re trying to avoid weight gain to lower blood pressure or limit fats to lower cholesterol intake.

• Watch the beverages. It’s no surprise that creamy eggnog is bad when you have high cholesterol, so avoid it whenever possible. But keep in mind that any sugary beverage or whipped-cream-laden after-dinner drink will pack on the calories and jeopardize your diet to lower cholesterol. Red wine has been shown to reduce cholesterol, says Dr. Fadl, but remember to drink it only in moderation — it still has calories, and drinking too much of any alcoholic beverage is unhealthy. One useful strategy is to alternate a glass of red wine with a calorie-free beverage, like sparkling water.
• Eat smart. “Follow healthy-eating guidelines: Eat breakfast; don’t skip meals; drink lots of calorie-free liquid; and eat small, frequent lighter meals at home,” says Janet Bond Brill, PhD, RD, a cardiovascular nutritionist and author of Cholesterol Down: 10 Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol in 4 Weeks—Without Prescription Drugs. Carry healthy snacks like fruits, veggies, and light yogurt, and never ever arrive hungry at an event where holiday treats are being served. These yummy delights are impossible to resist when you’re famished.
• Plan ahead. For a healthy snack to have at home before attending a party, try veggies and hummus dip or even a glass of tomato juice and a handful of nuts. Consider preparing and bringing a healthy dish to the party so that you’re guaranteed at least one good-for-you selection.
• Make careful choices. Who doesn’t want to eat everything in sight at a holiday party? However, especially for people who are trying to lower blood pressure or are on a diet to lower cholesterol, making thoughtful selections is crucial. “Watch the cheese,” says Joan Salge Blake, MS, RD, a clinical associate professor at Boston University’s Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. “Cheese is the No. 1 source of heart-unhealthy saturated fat in the diets of Americans.” Also limit or avoid fried foods, duck, goose, gravy, and the skin from chicken and turkey. Healthier alternatives include nuts (which may actually help lower cholesterol but still need to be eaten in moderation because they are calorie-dense), high-fiber foods, veggies, and white-meat chicken and turkey.
• Exercise. No matter how busy you are over the holidays, don’t neglect exercise as part of your program to lower cholesterol. Good exercise can help offset extra calories consumed at holiday parties — add a bonus workout to your week if you know you’re going to several gatherings where you might eat more than usual. Not only can working up a sweat keep weight gain at bay, but researchers have found it may help increase the amount of HDL (good) cholesterol.
• Keep stress to a minimum. “Stress can increase levels of cholesterol, and as we all know, the holidays can be a stressful time,” says Fadl. Stress turns people to comfort food, which is often unhealthy and can negatively affect the heart. Those elevated stress levels also release hormones in your body that can increase cholesterol levels. “That said, stress has much less to do with your cholesterol than what your next meal will look like,” says Fadl, who suggests making healthy eating your first priority. Exercise can also help with stress relief, whether it’s yoga or simply taking a mind-clearing walk. Be sure to take care of yourself both physically and mentally, even if that means turning down a few social engagements to save your sanity.

Ultimately, remember to keep all things in moderation for a healthy holiday season, including a diet to lower cholesterol — but don’t make this the month you decide to start a diet. Simply maintaining your weight will be an accomplishment. And remember what the season is really all about. “Hark back to what’s really important,” says Brill. “This time of year is not just about the holiday goodies. Focus on celebrating the season and reveling in the sights, sounds, and warmth of sharing meaningful memories with family and friends — what the holidays are truly all about.”

Hope this takes you through the winter in health and happiness, God bless.

See you next year!

Shannon

Thank you Kristen Stewart!