There are more serious heart attacks in December and January than at any other time of the year. For years it was thought that the increased heart attack rate was a result of the increased stress and anxiety revolving around family get-togethers. You know, there always seems to be an Uncle Joe who disagrees with everyone and who makes a festive meal not so festive.
Current research seems to show that the ingestion of an unusually large, high-fat meal is the trigger for a heart attack. The heart attack risk increases four times the normal rate within two hours of consuming a fatty meal. That high-fat meal causes the coronary arteries (those arteries that crown the heart and feed oxygenated blood to the heart muscle) to spasm and become smaller, suddenly decreasing oxygen to the heart muscle.
A heart attack results when there is some type of blockage of one or several of the coronary arteries. This causes the muscle that the blood vessel was feeding to die. If there is enough damage to the heart muscle, the heart fails to pump properly, and the person dies.
There seem to be several reasons, all interacting with one another, that causes this. A large, heavy meal overfills the stomach, and digestion of this meal shifts the blood flow from other organs to the gastrointestinal tract. The distended stomach can lead to an increased heart rate, blood pressure, and risk of an irregular heartbeat.
The arteries are lined with endothelium which is responsible for the flexibility of the vessels and allows for expansion and contraction initialed by the heartbeat. A high-fat meal and/or bacterial toxins from animal products, especially meat, impair the function of the endothelium. Animal products cause an endotoxin to be produced which crosses the gut wall, ferried by saturated fats (in animal products) into the bloodstream. This causes an inflammatory reaction within the blood vessels, it stiffens the endothelium and causes an arterial spasm.
Some studies have been done to evaluate the connection between arterial blood flow and a high-fat diet. In one study, a group was given a high-fat meal which resulted in a blockage in the blood flow of the arms of normally healthy young adults. In those ingesting a low-fat meal, the arterial blood flow resumed rapidly. In those consuming the high-fat meal, resumption of normal arterial blood flow took two or more hours after the occlusion is released. This type of study appears to support the concept that a high-fat meal impairs arterial function.
So, what can be done? Well, this is what I am planning for my family’s holiday meals.
I want the foods to be tasty and lovingly presented, but also want to make the meals as low in animal fats as possible (think meat, gravy, butter, cream, etc.). I also want to discourage over-eating. Perhaps some of the following ideas will stimulate your imagination in holiday meal planning.
We will have turkey. To fill people up and to prevent overeating, I often start a meal with soup. This time of year, a “creamed” soup can be made with cooked vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or pumpkin and blended with vegetable broth, eliminating the need for heavy cream or butter. Instead of mashed potatoes (which we make with butter and heavy cream), I am going to roast some red potatoes, cut in half with a sprig of rosemary pressed into the cut side of the potato, and sprayed with just a tiny biota olive oil.
For the dressing, I will use cornbread, because it is a whole grain, and I will add a load of vegetables and fruits to it. For example, grated parsnips or carrots can act as a binder. I can add onions, celery, mushrooms, chopped apples or pears, cranberries and/or raisins, pecans, chestnuts – however, the spirit moves me. All of this, well flavored with sage, thyme, parsley, poultry seasoning, mixed with low sodium vegetable or chicken broth makes a fine dressing. Some dressings can be made with brown or wild rice or other whole grains.
When it comes to the gravy, instead of grease from the turkey drippings, I will use vegetable broth as my base. I have found that whole wheat pastry flour (finely ground) works for thickener. We always have a couple of vegetables, Brussel sprouts are a family favorite, again, roasted with a little garlic and a light spray of olive oil.
Salad is always welcome and can be tossed. Consider a fruit salad. It can be very refreshing.
I love dessert. I have made a crustless pumpkin pie in the past, thus eliminating the high-fat in the crust. This year I plan on making a nut milk Panna Cotta, with some brandied figs poured on top, that I canned during the summer when we were overloaded with figs.
Sometimes, in the winter, I make a warm fruit compote, using a combination of fall fruits and dried fruits with a splash of curry powder – both healthful and yummy.
I hope I have given you some ideas for making your holiday meals yummy and healthy and heart attack proof.
