Remember those family get togethers?
There was a huge table for the adults and…….
The “kids” table – which the MOST fun place to be, right?!
Even though we’d ask every.single.year. if it was time to move to the ADULT table.
Regardless of your seating, there was lots of food and drink and, hours of pre-game appetizers and goodies.
If your family was like mine, you had grandparents present. And, now it’s US……wow!
There are a few “standard” items that can cause some “chest grabbing” that appear during every cocktail party or family holiday.
While heart palpitations can be NOTHING. You should ALWAYS check with your doctor if it’s something you are noticing regularly.
Some of the culprits can be:
THE CHARCUTERIE BOARD
You might think, “If I can’t just snack on BROWNIES, I’ll head to the snack platter and have some cheese, salami, and pickles.” While that’s a better choice from the standpoint of avoiding sugar and carbs – as long as you aren’t eating too many crackers at the same time – it might trigger palpitations.
That’s because many of the food items you find on a typical holiday platter contain high levels of tyramine. Tyramine is a hormone that your body uses to control blood pressure. When you consume foods high in tyramine, it can cause blood pressure to spike. Foods high in tyramine include smoked and processed meats like salami and pepperoni, aged cheeses, and pickles.
If you are looking for a place to snack that won’t increase your risk of heart palpitations, stick to the veggie tray.
THE HAPPY COCKTAILS
Wherever you go, it always seems that someone is pouring. If you hit multiple parties on a single day, you’ll probably be offered drinks at each one. So, it’s no wonder that alcohol is another common source of heart palpitations that people often consume more of during the holiday season. Many people who don’t drink much all year let themselves indulge a little bit over the holidays. This can lead to heart palpitations.
This phenomenon is so common that cardiologists have a name for it: holiday heart syndrome.
THE DESSERT TABLE or TRAY
It’s just impossible to resist all the tempting desserts people bring to holiday parties. The odds are good that you have several favorites you look forward to every year and want to make sure you enjoy them. Unfortunately, consuming a lot of sugar can also lead to spikes in blood pressure and heart palpitations.
Spikes from eating sugar are worse if you’ve been fasting and suddenly consume foods high in sugar and other carbs. We understand the temptation to try to fast so you can enjoy more of the special holiday meals but believe us: it’s best to keep eating at least a little bit of healthy food all day long. Whatever you do, don’t simply stand by the candy tray all day.
THOSE YUMMY COFFEE DRINKS
Around the holidays, many coffee shops, whether they’re local bakeries or international chains, offer unique holiday coffees. These taste so good that people seek them out in addition to other caffeine consumption, which can lead you to consume too much caffeine. This can trigger heart palpitations.
Note that some coffee beverages sold as a single serving can contain more than what is considered a safe amount of caffeine to drink in a day.