Winchester GP brings you tips for physical, mental and emotional wellbeing over the festive period.
Christmas should be a time of merriment and wonder…. but in all that frivolity there is ample potential for misadventure and mishap. Read on for our ‘big day’ pre-briefing, designed to keep you and yours out of A&E and on an emotional even keel!
Avoid Kitchen Catastrophes
The Christmas meal is the biggest and most complex meal most families cook all year. Busy kitchens, with lots of well-meaning, and possibly inebriated helpers become more dangerous. Hot fat and boiling water are obvious burn risks. Sharp knives hurriedly left in the wrong place pose obvious hazards. Chef’s agree that unintentionally blunt knives attempting to do the work of a sharp one can be the most dangerous of all. Without wanting to come over all military, we suggest you stick to a clear kitchen rota, keep children ensconsed elsewhere with their stocking presents and go easy on the alcohol until you’re sat down safely and tucking in!
Food Poisoning
The risk of food poisoning rises over Christmas because people are often cooking food they don’t usually prepare — and for larger numbers. Keep raw meat at the bottom of the fridge so juices can’t drip down and contaminate cooked food. Don’t overfill your fridge, and make sure leftovers have cooled before putting them away, as warm food can raise the fridge temperature and encourage bacterial growth.
Most importantly, wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food and after handling raw meat. The Food Standards Agency advises allowing adequate time to defrost your turkey — large ones can take a couple of days — and to do so in the fridge. Make sure food is cooked through, and throw away leftovers after two days unless they’ve been frozen.
Slips and Trips
A frenzy of toy opening and, within minutes, your home can become an homage to Macaulay Culkin’s booby-trapped house in Home Alone. Add alcohol and tiredness into the mix and it’s easy to see why slips and trips are a major source of A&E visits over the festive period. Keep an eye out for cables trailing from newly acquired electrical goods, and ensure stairs are clutter-free and well lit — especially if guests may be heading to the bathroom during the night.
Present-Opening Perils
You’ve managed to secure the longed-for present, but you didn’t bargain on needing a crowbar to get it out of the packaging — and your little darling is bursting with anticipation! Slow down long enough to find the right tool for the job. Typical Christmas Day accidents include people cutting themselves with knives while opening presents, or parents stabbing themselves with scissors when assembling toys instead of using a screwdriver.
Diabetes Control
Over Christmas, eating routines change — along with the type of food we eat — which can pose particular risks for people with diabetes. If you’re diabetic, be mindful of how much and how often you eat. Avoid drinking alcohol on an empty stomach, keep your medication with you, and make sure those around you know what to do in an emergency.
If you use insulin and expect to eat or drink unfamiliar foods, you may want to check your blood sugar levels more frequently. Further advice is available on the Diabetes UK website.
A cautionary note Re: Christmas Plants
Mistletoe is poisonous — its berries contain toxic proteins that can slow the heart rate and cause hallucinations. The orange berries of the Christmas cherry can cause stomach pain, while the Christmas rose is so effective at causing diarrhoea that it was reportedly used as a chemical weapon by the ancient Greeks (!!) Always check a plant’s toxicity before buying, and if there’s any risk, keep it well out of reach of children.
Check Your Medicine Cupboard
It’s easy to overlook this in the pre-Christmas rush, but with many pharmacies closed over the holiday period it’s easy to be caught out. Check that your first-aid kit is well stocked and that any medicines are within their expiry date. Out-of-date medication can be ineffective and, in some cases, harmful. For example, bacteria can thrive in expired eye drops and cause infection. If you take prescription medicines, make sure you have enough to last over the festive period.
Manage Your Risk of an Asthma Attack
December is full of potential asthma triggers, including cold weather, stress, smoke from open fires, and strong fragrances from perfumes and scented candles. Even real Christmas trees can be a problem, as they may harbour mould spores. You can reduce your risk by taking your preventative medication as prescribed — surprisingly, many people don’t. We would also suggest asking your GP for a written asthma action plan if you don’t already have one.
Keeping Your Cool
Unrealistic expectations that Christmas should resemble a John Lewis advert are enough to drive anyone round the bend. Try to relax and remind yourself that responsibility for a convivial, enjoyable day doesn’t rest with you alone — or indeed with any one person — and that it is just one day of the year.
The people closest to us are often the most likely to wind us up, so it can help to think ahead. What normally sets you off at Christmas? Are there recurring conversations or arguments you could avoid, or handle differently this year? A bit of strategising in this area can make a real difference. Oh, and pacing yourself on the alcohol… of course…
Finally…
Christmas doesn’t have to be perfect to be good. A bit of planning, a dash of common sense and a willingness to ask for help can prevent many of the festive mishaps we see each year. Be kind to yourself, look out for one another, and remember that what people tend to value most isn’t the flawless meal or the biggest present — it’s feeling safe, relaxed and together.🎄