How to have a heart-healthy Super Bowl celebration
For many, Super Bowl Sunday is like a national holiday.
It’s Christmas in February, especially when your team is playing for the National Football League championship and the Lombardi Trophy. That’s the case this year for many local fans, whose beloved Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 at 6:30 p.m. at the Superdome in New Orleans.
Weeks of planning often go into opening your home for guests: Inviting friends and relatives, deciding what food and beverages to serve, shopping, cleaning the house, making sure the hot food stays hot, the drinks stay cold and everything else goes smoothly while hosting a party for the big game.
And all that’s before kickoff and the first hilarious, memorable commercial airs.
That’s a lot of stress, too, especially for those with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Events like heart attacks, strokes and heart palpitations can strike unexpectedly. Add unhealthy food choices and alcohol consumption, and the risk goes up.
Dr. Ghulam Akbar, Associate Chief, Division of Cardiology, Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill, cautions his heart patients to avoid rich, high-calorie foods that are high in sodium (salt), such as pizza, French fries and chips. Those foods can raise blood pressure and cholesterol and lead to more serious conditions. While water is always best, Dr. Akbar recommends limiting fluids like Gatorade and soda.
When stressed, the body produces catecholamines, Dr. Akbar said. Those are neurotransmitters and hormones that the body uses in response to stressful conditions. In layman’s terms, the more stress, the more heart rate and blood pressure go up.
“An elevated heart rate will increase the demand on the heart, and a person may not be able to tolerate that,’’ Dr. Akbar said.
Some FYIs
* February is National Heart Health Month
* LVH-Schuylkill has a Level IV Trauma Center, a certified Chest Pain Center and an accredited Primary Stroke Program
* In addition to its diagnostic services, LVH-Schuylkill also offers an outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation Center
* The hospital has the American Heart Association Gold Award of Get With the Guidelines Target Stroke Honor Roll
Sitting too long also can be a problem for heart patients. Every 45 minutes to an hour, get up, walk around, just get the body moving a little bit.
“More and more, we’re finding out that sitting for long periods is as bad as smoking,’’ Dr. Akbar said. “A sedentary lifestyle is not recommended.’’
The dangers are even higher for at-risk people in cities or regions where the teams call home. Heart-pounding events, from the World Cup to the Super Bowl, are known to be a risk factor for cardiovascular events.
Strong emotions ebbing and flowing on every play can increase blood pressure and heart rate, especially for fans of the losing team. Eating fatty, high-calorie foods like wings and beer can increase cholesterol and blood pressure. Alcohol adds to the risk of heart attacks.
“I tell my patients that they should take it as a game and think of their body first,’’ said Dr. Akbar, who noted he will watch the Super Bowl with friends and family. “Take it as enjoyment. If they’re enjoying the game, that has a better effect on the heart. Happiness creates balance in the hormones.’’
While it’s just one night, research indicates rises in blood pressure and cholesterol can impact the health of people already dealing with cardiovascular disease. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and make sure the gameday stress doesn’t get the best of you while still having fun.
Christina Beitler, MS, RD, LDN, Registered Dietitian, Sodexo Clinical Nutrition Department, Lehigh Valley Health Network-Schuylkill, offered common-sense advice for cardiovascular patients and those just looking to stay healthy.
The No. 1 no-no: “Overeating. It’s a long event, and people have a tendency to have a plate, then another plate and another plate,’’ said Beitler, who will watch the game with family. “Stick to one plate. One plate and done.’’
She stressed focusing on low-fat and low-sodium food options.
For example, air fry or bake chicken wings instead of normal frying. Choose low-fat ranch dressing and dip the wings instead of coating them with sauce.
Another tip: Have celery and carrots first.
“Fiber will fill you up faster,’’ Beitler said. “There’s a tendency to eat less. Choose water over beverages high in carbohydrates. Unsweetened iced tea and seltzer water are good options.’’
If pizza is involved, choose thin crust Margherita pizza because it’s more sauce and less crust and cheese. That’s especially important for cardiac patients.
