MERRY STRESSMAS – Here comes the Holiday Stress!

/in , /by

Holiday Stress

REMEMBER WHEN CHRISTMAS WAS MAGICAL?

As a kid, you counted the days, you soaked up the have-to-have toys on tv. You couldn’t wait to bake cookies. You hunted dauntlessly for where your parents hid the gifts. You wanted the biggest tree on the planet and stringing popcorn was high on your list. Stress? What was that? You were clueless of the headaches the approaching holidays gave your mom. This was “happy” time. For most moms, it was “labor” time. She did all the things then, that fall heavily on your shoulders now.

TIS THE SEASON TO BE STRESSEFUL

Yep, Santa is coming to town, along with Rudolf, the stress nosed reindeer, and if truth be known, it makes most today’s moms want to run for it. You work 50 hours a week. Take the kids to endless classes and lessons. You’re exhausted and on the edge of burn out, before Thanksgiving even comes. And oh, but how the holidays have become Pinterest and Instagram maniacal. You’re supposed to become craft mom and whip up wonders of all sorts including Santa pancakes and talking trees. And Christmas lists? Now, replaced by Christmas texts. (More often than our President’s tweets.) “Want this”. “No, want this”. “No, want both.” “Want this, and this…and this…and this…” You text trail is unnerving.

STRESS TO THE WORLD

You’re probably not alone in the making a feast thing either. So, don’t feel alone.

In Iceland, the most common is probably hamborgarhryggur, which is a kind of gammon steak. Other common dishes are roast game like reindeer, ptarmigan and smoked lamb, (hangikjöt) and a great variety of steaks such as duck, turkey.

Indian people cook a variety of foods, including biryani with chicken or lamb/mutton, chicken and mutton curry, followed by cake or sweets like kheer. Long established Christian communities such as goan Catholics have pork dishes and beef dishes as part of their main course of their Christmas dinner. These include pork vindaloo and sorpatel. For dessert, a dish called bebinca is popular

Japanese Christmas cake, a white sponge cake covered with cream and decorated with strawberries, is often consumed and stollen cake, either imported or made locally, is widely available. A successful advertising campaign in the 1970s made eating at KFC around Christmas a national custom. Its chicken meals are so popular during the season that stores take reservations months in advance. (Finger lickin’ brilliant.)

But we’re talking about your world here. Turkey, ham, and a lot of what seems to have made the Thanksgiving table groan. So, it’s get-out-the-recipe time, shop ‘til you drop and then rush back to the market a dozen or so times more for the things you always seem to forget. And does Christmas dinner (eve or day) ever call for less people than you can muster up chairs for? Does it seem that everyone is bring a +one? Is chaos ever not on the menu?

WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND THIS

Thanksgiving is barely over and Christmas comes at you like a steamroller. You’re frazzled before you even realize it. Peace might be on earth, but it’s not in your house.

And it doesn’t stop. You’re driven to distraction. The other thing you might not realize is how all the stress starts revving up your stress hormones and messing up your entire body.  Your tinsel is in a tangle and you don’t know what to do. Fortunately, putting

STEPHEN A. GOLDSTEIN MD, F.A.C.S. AT DENVER HORMONE HEALTH on your list is the best, and easiest thing you could do for yourself. He understands what a killer Christmas can be on your hormones, and with simple tests, he can wrap up your hormone imbalances in no time. Then he creates a totally unique treatment plan that’s going to feel like a true holiday present. Call now.

It will be a true reason to celebrate.

BINGE ON THIS – Healthy, Not Heavy

/in , , , , /by

Healthy

Think healthy. The fact is, you can easily make a Thanksgiving menu that your gut will be extremely thankful for. Taking away some of the fat and high calorie foods, doesn’t mean taking out the taste. Just cutting down on the damage that’s sure to hit when you cook up the calorie and fat combo you usually do, can do wonders. This year, put away your time worn recipes and hit the computer. Recipes galore. Recipes no one but you, will know are actually good for you. There are platters of turkey day tips to help put a halt to indigestion from an overload of all the things you look forward to and think you are entitled to.

THE BEST KIND OF TRIMMINGS

We’re going to give you a few tips here that could help. You just have to blast the “are you kidding me?” thoughts out of your brain. So here goes:

  • Start the day with a healthy breakfast. That way you won’t be as ravenous later.
  • Keep the food in the kitchen instead of loading it on the table. People will be more aware (and sometimes even embarrassed) of getting up and down to refill their plates.
  • Use smaller plates. The less to give you gerd, and worse, my dear.
  • After dinner, try going for a walk instead of diving to the sofa or a comfy chair. Give your food a chance to digest before the half-time show.
  • Give your leftovers a makeover. Think of healthier ways to use all the food groaning to break out of your fridge the next day. It’s a lot more sensible than stuffing yourself all over again.
  • Get back on track with an exercise routine. And we’re not suggesting an

routine like the Rock lives by. Just something sensible.

THE VERY BEST END OF THE MEAL

Get back all your holiday hormones that are out of whack. Hormones that the Thanksgiving feast put on overload. Hormones that a totally unbalanced meal probably caused your hormones to end up in an unbalanced state. Fortunately for you, Dr. Stephen A. Goldstein at Denver Hormone Health can help. If it has to do with hormones, he’s the specialist to see. With years of experience and expertise, he knows how to get you feeling your best again. He takes simple tests which tell him exactly where your hormones stand and what to do. Then he creates a unique treatment plan to get you back in balance. Make an appointment now.

And celebrate how good he’ll make you feel.

BINGE ON THIS – What’s Gut Got To Do With It?

/in , , , /by

Gut

Gut? You probably won’t believe it, but Thanksgiving happens to fall on the same week as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Awareness Week. (Who in the world even knew such a thing existed?) The gut is the body’s largest hormone-producing organ, releasing more than 20 different peptide hormones. Is there a link between hormones and heaving food uncontrollably into your body? Without question. And how they link up is enough to make you want to give the whole binging thing up. But, of course, who would ever even consider such a thing? Thanksgiving really gets you in the gut in endless ways.

PASS THE GERD, PLEASE

What actually happens to your system when you overeat?

Your entire body goes into hyperdrive the second you get a whiff of the wonders awaiting you. From the first bite of your unable-to-resist regalia, your stomach immediately begins to expand because it knows more food is on the way. That’s when the “hunger hormones” (yes, they’re actually called that—medical fact, not fiction,) kick in. These hormones are leptin and ghrelin. Leptin is a hormone, made by fat cells, that decreases your appetite. (But that you can ignore.) Ghrelin is a hormone that increases appetite, Then there’s insulin. Something to be pretty concerned about as you dig into those sugary desserts, as insulin is the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar. It could have negative effects on those who aren’t even diabetic. After about 1500 calories in one sitting, the gut releases a hormone that among other post meal malaise and anguish, causes nausea. Not to mention gerd, acid reflux, indigestion, and heartburn. Heartburn, that for some, make them feel like they’re having a heart attack and rush to the hospital. On Thanksgiving, there’s an emergency room overload.

HORMONES AND HOLIDAY BINGING GO TOGETHER LIKE MASHED POTATOES AND GRAVY.

Every bite you binge on travels a complex journey through the body, touching off a simultaneous release of hormones. You might not know it, but gratefully, Dr. Stephen A. Goldstein at Denver Hormone Health is renowned in knowing it all. And more importantly, what to do about it. Hormones are like messengers swimming through our bloodstreams, each with an important chore to achieve. But when the guck in the typical Thanksgiving slows up their journey or sends them in the wrong direction, anything can happen. You feel hungry. You feel full. You feel sick. You want even more. At some point of packing it in, your gorge gauge explodes releasing hormones that can make you nauseous and make your body work harder, the digestive overload requiring the heart to pump more blood to the stomach and intestines. It’s a digestive disaster. You feel as boated as a Macy’s Parade balloon. The real answer to counter all your distress is making an appointment with Dr. Goldstein before you even lift a fork to your face. No one has the expertise and experience in knowing how to help. With simple tests, he can determine your hormone imbalances and get them working in sync again by developing a treatment plan tailored to your problems. Make an appointment now.

Discover what “grateful” truly means.