Christmas arrives the same way every year—quietly at first, then all at once. The season brings joy, laughter, generosity—and, if we’re honest, exhaustion, indigestion, traffic and a spike in blood pressure.
Christmas is a fascinating paradox. It is a time of profound warmth and connection, yet also a season when emergency rooms fill, chronic illnesses flare and mental health struggles intensify. It is a time when we celebrate life—yet often neglect the very bodies and minds that sustain it.
Christmas, after all, is not just about being merry. It is about being well.
Let’s start where Christmas often begins—and ends—for many people: the table.
Christmas food is glorious. Turkey, ham, pastelles, macaroni pie, sweet bread, black cake soaked since July, sorrel sweet enough to raise eyebrows and blood glucose levels in equal measure. These dishes are not the enemy. They are culture, memory and love served on a plate.
The problem is not Christmas dinner. It is Christmas December.
Research consistently shows that most people gain one to two pounds over the holiday season—and those pounds tend to stay. More importantly, salt, sugar, alcohol, and saturated fats can trigger spikes in blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and gout. For people living with diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease or obesity, the festive table can quietly become a minefield.
The solution is not deprivation—it is mindfulness. Portion control is not punishment. It is wisdom. Eat slowly. Taste your food. Fill half your plate with vegetables, beans, and provisions before reaching for seconds. Avoid eating straight from the serving dish—a habit that defeats all self-control.
And here’s a radical idea: don’t skip meals to “save space.” That strategy almost always ends in overeating, regret and an unbuttoned waistband by 8 pm.
Christmas drinks flow freely—rum, wine, ponche-de-crème, beer and cocktails dressed up with fancy names. Alcohol adds empty calories, disrupts sleep, worsens reflux, raises blood pressure and lowers inhibitions—leading to poor food choices and risky decisions. Alternate alcohol with water. And remember: you don’t owe anyone an explanation for saying no. Your liver, heart, and brain will thank you long after the music stops.
Few things ruin Christmas faster than food poisoning.
Leftovers should be refrigerated within two hours. Reheat food thoroughly. Don’t gamble with dishes that have been sitting out “since morning.” Bacteria do not respect tradition—or nostalgia.
A little kitchen vigilance can prevent a miserable holiday spent hugging a toilet instead of family.
If there’s one lesson COVID taught us, it’s this: viruses love crowds. Christmas shopping, church services, office parties, school events, and travel create the perfect storm for flu, COVID-19, and respiratory infections. Handwashing remains one of the most powerful public-health tools ever discovered -simple, cheap and effective.
Cover coughs. Stay home if ill. Wear a mask if you’re symptomatic or vulnerable. Hydrate. Rest. Paracetamol works for fever or pain. Staying away when sick is not antisocial—it’s an act of love.
Sleep is often sacrificed at Christmas—late nights, early mornings, endless obligations. Yet sleep deprivation weakens immunity, worsens mood, increases appetite and raises the risk of accidents. Protect your sleep like you protect your phone battery. Set boundaries. Say no to one extra event. Wind down before bed. Christmas joy is far easier to access when you’re rested.
Not everyone experiences Christmas as joyful. For some, it magnifies grief, loneliness, financial stress, depression, anxiety or trauma. The pressure to be cheerful can feel suffocating. Social media doesn’t help—everyone else appears to be thriving, laughing and perfectly decorated.
It is okay not to be okay at Christmas.
If you’re struggling, reach out—to a friend, family member, faith leader or healthcare professional. If someone confides in you, listen without fixing. Presence matters more than advice. Forgiveness—of others and yourself—may be the most powerful therapy of all.
Emergency departments know December well.
There are more road traffic accidents, falls, burns, drownings, and alcohol-related injuries. Designate sober drivers. Avoid speeding. Wear seatbelts. Keep an eye on children around pools, open flames, hot liquids and slippery floors. Toys should be age-appropriate. Decorations should be secured. Silent fireworks deserve respect—all others should be banned.
Exercise doesn’t have to look like a gym.
A morning walk. A beach lime. Dancing to Christmas music. Playing football in the yard. Chasing children around the house. Movement improves mood, digestion, blood sugar, blood pressure and mental health.
Thirty minutes a day—broken into small pieces—can transform how you feel during the season.
Gratitude is not cliché—it is evidence-based. Studies show that gratitude improves sleep, lowers stress and increases happiness. Around the Christmas table, invite everyone to share one thing they’re thankful for. It costs nothing and changes everything. Gratitude shifts focus from what’s missing to what’s meaningful.
Charles Dickens wrote in his classic A Christmas Carol, “For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas.”
The season invites us back to simplicity. To wonder. To kindness. To compassion.
Health, ultimately, is not just about numbers—blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol. It is about connection. Purpose. Love. Belonging.
As Norman Vincent Peale beautifully said, “Christmas waves a magic wand over the world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.”
May we carry that softness into our choices—what we eat, how we speak, how we care for ourselves and others. The true spirit of Christmas is not found in tinsel or gifts—but in health, hope and humanity shared.
And that is a gift worth unwrapping every day of the year.
