Can a single meal trigger a heart attack?
According to researchers, a huge meal similar to what many eat at Thanksgiving or Christmas, can actually set the stage for a heart attack, in those at risk for heart disease.
The study of 1,986 heart attack patients in 2000, suggested that an unusually large meal quadrupled the chance of having a heart attack within the next two hours.
Dr. Lopez-Jimenez said this,
Overeating should be considered as a heart attack trigger, much in the same way as extreme physical activities and severe anger episodes may cause an MI... People at risk for a heart attack should be careful not only about the total caloric intake they eat every day, but the size of individual meals as well.
So, if you tend to eat way to much at this time of year, here are 3 ways avoid overdoing it this holiday season:
1. Downsize Your Serveware
Most people will eat everything that is pilled onto their plates, regardless of whether it's more than they need to feel satisfied. So, eating from a salad plate is a good way to control this.
Studies have also shown that people eat as much as 56 percent more when they serve themselves from a one-gallon bowl, rather than a half-gallon one. So, if you plan to serve your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner from large bowls in the centre of the table, try using smaller serving dishes, as a way to encourage everyone to eat a little less.
This idea works with glassware, too. Large gobblet-shaped glasses can hold up to one third of a bottle of wine. However, people fail to realize just how much alcohol they are consuming from these supersized glasses.
If you drink alcohol, limit your intake to just one small glass of wine. As for juices and soft drinks, they are simply empty calories -- you would be better sticking with water, and saving up the calories for something tastier later on.
2. Portion Control
As an extra way to check that your food portions aren't too big, here are some guidelines: fill half your dinner plate with non-starchy vegetables, then one quarter with starchy carbs, and one quarter with lean meat, or alternatives.
3. Indulge -- but just a little!
Personally, I enjoy dessert way too much to avoid it. If you are the same, pass on the drinks pre-dinner, the bread roll and butter with your entree, and also that extra scoop of potatoes at dinner. Then you can easily enjoy a small piece of cheesecake, guilt-free and without too much sacrifice.
If all else fails, and you end up eating enough to feed a tiny country, get back on the healthy eating handwagon right away, and then get some exercise. There's no point slacking off just because it's the holidays. When you do that, you set yourself up for a long slippery road back to where you were pre-vacation. It's not worth it!
So, what are your tips for surviving the holiday season without gaining those dreaded extra pounds?
Image source: falconreid
Food 14 Comments Berzerker on 24 Nov 2010Could always try fasting for Thanksgiving - By giving up food for the day (Or at least most of), it makes you realize what you take for granted, and thus feel truly thankful. I've told several people this and they either ignore me or think I'm crazy - Figures.
Reply Melanie Thomassian R.D. on 25 Nov 2010That would certainly be a unique way to approach the holiday. I don't fancy it personally, though!
Reply Spectra on 24 Nov 2010I don't plan on overdoing it at all this year. I usually do what I normally do--fill about half the plate with salad and take a tiny serving of all of my absolute favorites (green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, turkey, and a little bit of cranberry sauce). I share a piece of pie with my husband and drink a cup of coffee with cream and sugar for dessert. It's a nice meal, but I don't pig out or anything.
Reply Dennis Blair Fort Collins Personal Trainer on 24 Nov 2010You know, why is it that every year these common sense tips are always offered but never followed? We always hear about portion control, but since it is the holidays, we just tell ourselves it will be okay!
Reply Melanie Thomassian R.D. on 25 Nov 2010Yes, and then wonder where all the extra fat came from!
Reply ArrowSmith on 25 Nov 2010Yeah tell it our poor, overstressed bodies that it's a holiday.
Reply Bethany on 24 Nov 2010Love the site's new look!
Reply Melanie Thomassian R.D. on 25 Nov 2010Me too!! :)
Reply Auden C on 24 Nov 2010Is it really that terrible to indulge for one day, especially if it is a cherished holiday? If you do not want to, more power to you. But for those dieters who love partaking in a family meal, or specifically enjoy Thanksgiving, why not have one day where you can have both cocktails and a slice of cheesecake? Think of it as your 'free' day. Checking the anxiety at the door will go a long way towards your mental health, and towards finding a balanced approach to eating, as opposed to cycles of binging and restriction. Maybe reduce calories in the days leading up if you are that concerned. For me, what has always worked is allowing myself to enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas but showing restraint at the endless procession of holiday parties. 6 weeks of fudge trays, rhubarb pies, mashed potatoes, egg nog, etc. is what kills most people's waistlines, I think, not a slice of pumpkin pie and an extra scoop of mashed potatoes one day a year.
Reply Melanie Thomassian R.D. on 25 Nov 2010No I don't think it is. But, overdoing it can send some people off on a downward spiral. And, the reality is that for many people the overeating is constant from Thanksgiving right through to New Year, with so many parties and family get togethers.
These tips can be applied all over the holiday season, not just on one day of the year.
Thanks for the nice article. I think that weight gain is the major concern of most people during this festive season. One simple way to avoid overeating during the holiday season is to firstly opt for veggies and healthy salads. It will ensure that you will eat less of high calorie foods on your second trip to the kitchen. Also, try to exercise a bit more to burn off the extra calories that you consumed during the holidays.
Reply ArrowSmith on 25 Nov 2010So what are the details of the study? 2000 perfectly healthy people had heart attacks after having an "unusually large meal"? Or were it high-risk people who had this meal and that's what triggered it? Really if you're gonna have sensationalist articles like this, please back it up with more concrete facts.
Reply Melanie Thomassian R.D. on 25 Nov 2010Hi ArrowSmith,
I've added a bit more detail to the article. The findings were reported at one of the American Heart Association's Scientific meetings. I've linked to the Medscape Medical News coverage of it in the article now. They reported that people at risk for heart disease were 4 times more likely than others to suffer a MI after eating a large meal.
You would think those people would be extra careful with portion control.
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