MERRY STRESSMAS – Here comes the Holiday Stress!
REMEMBER WHEN CHRISTMAS WAS MAGICAL?
As a kid, you counted the days, you soaked up the have-to-have toys on tv. You couldn’t wait to bake cookies. You hunted dauntlessly for where your parents hid the gifts. You wanted the biggest tree on the planet and stringing popcorn was high on your list. Stress? What was that? You were clueless of the headaches the approaching holidays gave your mom. This was “happy” time. For most moms, it was “labor” time. She did all the things then, that fall heavily on your shoulders now.
TIS THE SEASON TO BE STRESSEFUL
Yep, Santa is coming to town, along with Rudolf, the stress nosed reindeer, and if truth be known, it makes most today’s moms want to run for it. You work 50 hours a week. Take the kids to endless classes and lessons. You’re exhausted and on the edge of burn out, before Thanksgiving even comes. And oh, but how the holidays have become Pinterest and Instagram maniacal. You’re supposed to become craft mom and whip up wonders of all sorts including Santa pancakes and talking trees. And Christmas lists? Now, replaced by Christmas texts. (More often than our President’s tweets.) “Want this”. “No, want this”. “No, want both.” “Want this, and this…and this…and this…” You text trail is unnerving.
STRESS TO THE WORLD
You’re probably not alone in the making a feast thing either. So, don’t feel alone.
In Iceland, the most common is probably hamborgarhryggur, which is a kind of gammon steak. Other common dishes are roast game like reindeer, ptarmigan and smoked lamb, (hangikjöt) and a great variety of steaks such as duck, turkey.
Indian people cook a variety of foods, including biryani with chicken or lamb/mutton, chicken and mutton curry, followed by cake or sweets like kheer. Long established Christian communities such as goan Catholics have pork dishes and beef dishes as part of their main course of their Christmas dinner. These include pork vindaloo and sorpatel. For dessert, a dish called bebinca is popular
Japanese Christmas cake, a white sponge cake covered with cream and decorated with strawberries, is often consumed and stollen cake, either imported or made locally, is widely available. A successful advertising campaign in the 1970s made eating at KFC around Christmas a national custom. Its chicken meals are so popular during the season that stores take reservations months in advance. (Finger lickin’ brilliant.)
But we’re talking about your world here. Turkey, ham, and a lot of what seems to have made the Thanksgiving table groan. So, it’s get-out-the-recipe time, shop ‘til you drop and then rush back to the market a dozen or so times more for the things you always seem to forget. And does Christmas dinner (eve or day) ever call for less people than you can muster up chairs for? Does it seem that everyone is bring a +one? Is chaos ever not on the menu?
WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND THIS
Thanksgiving is barely over and Christmas comes at you like a steamroller. You’re frazzled before you even realize it. Peace might be on earth, but it’s not in your house.
And it doesn’t stop. You’re driven to distraction. The other thing you might not realize is how all the stress starts revving up your stress hormones and messing up your entire body. Your tinsel is in a tangle and you don’t know what to do. Fortunately, putting
STEPHEN A. GOLDSTEIN MD, F.A.C.S. AT DENVER HORMONE HEALTH on your list is the best, and easiest thing you could do for yourself. He understands what a killer Christmas can be on your hormones, and with simple tests, he can wrap up your hormone imbalances in no time. Then he creates a totally unique treatment plan that’s going to feel like a true holiday present. Call now.
It will be a true reason to celebrate.
