SOS Christmas

Dr. Lenisse Candelario, Family Doctor. Family Medicine of the General Hospital of the Plaza de la Salud.

The celebration of Christmas, the end of the year parties and the welcome to the New Year, are times of joy, which arouse many emotions in all Dominicans, being also a believing country that maintains the link with the meaning of these dates.

All the great celebrations have something in common, there is food, and that is that eating generates pleasure, unity and above all, connection, in addition to the satisfaction of those who serve for these special occasions. And this is how everyone is encouraged to participate in the kitchen in the preparations and to get involved in the magic of that atmosphere of harmony and joy.

However, we must remember that diseases do not go on vacation, they do not celebrate or give truce, that is why we must learn to live with them.

For some time now, we have been working on the stigmata that generate diseases, seeking a friendlier, more positive language to describe the association of a person with a disease and there is a background behind the management of that semantics: we want our patients to have a full, active life, without limitations by a diagnosis, a "normal" life.

In these dates, where the family gets together, they come from outside or from the inside, it is important to handle general knowledge that can make a big difference in a tense moment.

Next, we are going to present key points: Patients spend more time with themselves, than with their doctor (obviously), it is for this reason that we need to train them in self-care, so that they need us less and less when making decisions from day to day.

In the last trimester consultation, your doctor warned you of the excesses, I propose scenarios remembering the abundance of food and temptations that are approaching, however, on the ground, you will be alone! Alone, thinking that in January it starts again, that from here to the laboratory we are not going to realize, that “a taste a year does not hurt”. Know that this mental battle between wanting and knowing that you can't do it is a minefield from which you have to leave quickly.

Here are some possible escape routes:

1- Before consuming, ask yourself: what or what type of food will you consume, what will you accompany it with, how is it prepared (boiled, fried, baked) and how much will you consume? This exercise should be a natural part of your routine. I encourage you to start practicing it now.

2- Schedule dinner early and prudently.

3- Lean on the broths as input.

4- Start with salads and place several options.

5 - Have fruits for dessert and reduce proposals for high processing and excess sugar.

7- Staying well hydrated (substantially reduces anxiety).

8. Avoid excess salt at meals.