December 15, 2025

How to eat your cake and have it too, this Christmas!

Christmas time is the time for family, friends, and lots of rich food and drinks. It also that time of year when there’s a spike in uncontrolled high blood pressure…

Before we get to the cake part of this article, I just want to point out that while the saying usually goes “Have your cake and eat it too”, I like to think that “Eat your cake and have it too” makes more logical sense. If you “have your cake”, why then wouldn’t you be able to “eat it too”? On the other hand, if you “Eat your cake” then you cannot also “have it”, you’ve already eaten it.

But I digress! 🙂

Christmas time is the time for family, friends, and lots of rich food and drinks. In medicine, it is also that time of year when there’s a spike in uncontrolled high blood pressure and diabetes. This results in increased emergency visits to the doctor’s office or the hospital. And these are the very last places you want to be in at Christmas! Doctors, nurses, and patients alike would ALL rather have a relaxing holiday season 🙂

So what causes this spike?

Too much food: Food at Christmas time is delicious, hands down! It is tasty because it tends to be high in salt, sugar, and fats. The salt can increase your blood pressure; the sugar and starches can increase the blood sugar levels, and excess fat can be harmful, especially for those who already have High Cholesterol.
Too Much Alcohol: ‘Tis the season for increased drinking of rum, wine, beer, and other spirits. But, unfortunately, too much alcohol can cause dehydration and increased blood pressure.
Lack of exercise: Sometimes, your regular exercise routine can be thrown off by the hustle and bustle of Christmas chores, cooking, staff parties etc. Exercise is important for blood sugar and blood pressure control, so people with diabetes and hypertension may find it even more difficult to control their blood sugar and pressure during the holidays
Not taking medication on time: This is, unfortunately, very common during the holidays. People get so caught up in the stress and or excitement of the season that they:
1. Forget to fill their prescription on time, and to make sure they have enough medication for the holidays
2. Forget to take their medication on time, even if they have their medication at home

Combined with stress, over-eating, and increased alcohol intake, it is not uncommon for us medical professionals to see an increase in heart attack, heart failure, and stroke cases. No one wants these emergency conditions and especially not at Christmas time.

Stress: This one can be hard to avoid. But, unfortunately, it can cause increases in blood sugar and blood pressure. This is especially so, if you are not getting enough sleep.

So, how can I avoid health emergencies this holiday season?

Good question! No one wants to be in the Emergency Department at the Hospital at Christmas time if they can avoid it. Here are a few tips you can follow this holiday season to avoid a trip to the Emergency Room:

Fill your prescriptions on time: This will help you avoid the stress of rushing to find a doctor or open clinic at odd hours. It will also ensure that you have the medication you need to avoid any health emergencies.

Take your medication on time: This is especially important for those who have high blood pressure or diabetes. If you don’t take your medications on time, you may end up with a health emergency at the worst possible time. Prevention is better than cure!

Plan your meals: You will eat what you have in your cupboard and fridge. It’s that simple. If you have lots of cake and ham and no fruits or vegetables, perhaps that’s not the best set-up. You can have your cake and ham in your kitchen, but make sure you ALSO have lots of healthy food options as well, and prepare yummy healthy foods in advance so it’s easier for you to make healthy food choices.

Navigating Staff Parties and other Fetes – Consider eating something healthy before you go. That way, you are not starving when you get there, and you will be less likely to overeat. Also, when putting food on your plate, try to focus on taking lots of fruits, vegetables, and proteins. Try to limit the amount of salty and sugary foods you eat – you don’t have to avoid them completely, just try to eat less of them. Everything in moderation!

If you are Diabetic or Hypertensive – check your blood pressure and blood sugar regularly: That way, if you are noticing big increases in blood pressure or blood sugar you can alert your doctor early enough to avoid a health emergency.

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise: This doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym every day or do 1-hour-long workouts or train for a marathon. #aintnobodygottimeforthat! Keep it simple. A 5-minute walk after eating a meal, brisk walks in the early mornings, running around with the children, and dancing at a fete are all easy and effective ways to get some form of physical activity into your routine at Christmas.

Try to get enough sleep: This can be hard, but it’s very important. You need to have 7-9 hours of sleep each night. You can have 1 million problems to solve, until you have a health emergency, now you have only one problem. You want to avoid this scenario as much as possible. Please, please, please prioritize your health. You can’t pour from an empty cup!

Drink Responsibly: Try to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink this season. I won’t put a damper on your holiday spirit by mentioning that there’s actually no safe alcohol drinking level, I will leave that for a post in the New Year 😄. For now, consider drinking lots of water each day, and drinking non-alcoholic beverages to help reduce your alcohol intake. And last, but certainly not least, DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE.