“New Year’s Eve is an occasion to celebrate but be SAFE, and the last thing you want is a health and safety issues.

The holidays are always a busy time of the year in the Emergency Department,” says Northwestern Medicine Emergency Medicine Physician Steve R. Edelstein, MD, FACEP. “Conditions outside are precarious, and people are inclined to do things they normally wouldn’t do.”

No matter what plans you have in store, keep these tips in mind to help stay safe on New Year’s Eve.

Plan Accordingly  If you’re going to a party or heading to a public event, make plans to arrive and leave with a group. A lot can happen on New Year’s Eve, and you want to ensure you, your friends and family are safe. Be sure to share your plans for the night and communicate your whereabouts if plans change.

To this end, pack a charger for your phone — a portable one may be especially helpful if you can’t find an outlet. Be aware of your surroundings; if you get separated from your group, you will want to know where you are, where you’re going and where you’re spending the night.

A filling dinner is another way to prepare for a long New Year’s Eve night. A wholesome dinner can not only help to absorb some of the alcohol you might indulge in, but it will also help you avoid nibbling on bar snacks.”

North Western Medicine (https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/nye-safety-tips)

New Year’s season is one of the most fun and joyous holidays of the year. However, did you know that it is also one of the most dangerous holidays of the year?

It is estimated that during Christmas and New Year’s season, almost 95 million Americans will be on the road traveling to visit family and friends. People are much more likely to drink and drive around Jan. 1 than during any other major holiday of the year. Almost half of all car accidents on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are due to drinking and driving.

When planning New Year’s Eve, the majority of people aim to celebrate as best they can and create one of the most memorable nights of the year. This often involves lots of alcohol. While it is hoped that most make responsible plans, many often do not. By not ensuring the safety of yourself and others around you during this night, you put yourself at a higher risk of the biggest dangers surrounding this holiday. Make sure you take the proper precautions to ensure your own safety as well as the safety of those around you. Here’s what you should know to avoid some of the biggest dangers and to stay safe and healthy during the New Year’s season:

Don’t drink and drive. Jan. 1 is the No. 1 day of the year with the highest percent of deaths related to alcohol, according to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety data. Between 2007 and 2011, alcohol accounted for 42 percent of all traffic deaths during the holiday. The more alcohol we consume, the slower the activity of the brain, heart and lungs. Before you celebrate, plan ahead. Aim to have a designated driver, or at least to take a cab or an Uber. Beware of other drunk drivers as they are probably more of a worry than yourself. And as always, wear your seatbelt!

If you will be drinking, pace yourself. What many people don’t realize when drinking is that our bodies absorb alcohol faster than we metabolize it. Therefore, the faster we drink, the more time the toxins from the alcohol spend in our bodies. As a result, we have harsher hangovers. Aim to drink no more than one drink per hour. Our livers metabolize about one alcoholic drink per hour. Know the difference in the amounts of the types of alcoholic drinks you are consuming, and that one beer does not equal six shots (12 oz. beer = 4-5 oz. of wine = 1.5 oz. of hard liquor). When drinking, sip slowly. Melted ice will dilute drink, so order drinks on-the-rocks. Add more club soda or tonic water to your drinks than alcohol.

Know what to mix, and what not to mix. Make sure to stick with the same drink all night. While it is a myth that mixing drinks causes greater intoxication, is remains true that it can often makes people sick and experience worse hangovers. To avoid this, choose light liquors such as vodka. Dark liquors have a higher concentration of toxins which make hangovers more severe. Instead of mixing with soda, use non-carbonated fruit juice or water instead. Carbonated mixers speed up the rate of absorption in the blood. Avoid diet mixers such as Diet Coke. With less sugar and calories, the alcohol goes directly into your bloodstream.

Alternate alcoholic drinks with water. Alcohol is a diuretic. This means that the more you drink, the more you have to urinate. More frequent urination leads to dehydration. Dehydration causes hangover symptoms such as headaches and dizziness. Aim to drink at least one large glass of water before and in between drinking alcoholic beverages. You should drink one glass of water for every alcoholic drink you consume. This will also keep you from getting too drunk.

Eat before you drink, and snack while you drink. Never drink on an empty stomach. Make sure to eat a full meal before drinking, and continue snacking while drinking. Eating while drinking will slow down the absorption of alcohol in the digestive track. This gives the alcohol more time to metabolize in the body. Aim to eat foods high in protein such as cheese, meat, and nuts. Fatty carbs work well too, however these are not as healthy.

Myth: Coffee sobers you up. Many people believe that coffee sobers you up in that the caffeine will speed up alcohol’s metabolism. As a result, many think it is helpful to drink a quick cup of coffee before hitting the road. However, this is a MYTH. Coffee may help you wake up a bit, but will not sober you up. The only cure for being drunk is time. If you need to get home and don’t have time to wait, get a ride from a sober driver or call a cab. You don’t want to risk getting into an accident and hurting yourself, or someone else.

“Fun games are a great way to get everyone mingling if you’re hosting a New Year’s Eve party. They’re also a fun way to spend time while waiting for the countdown to midnight. Funny stories and questions, heated races, and hunting for elusive holiday items will keep guests on their toes.   Try Taboo Words.  This game penalizes players who say the wrong words. Tell your guests that during the evening the words yes and no are off limits, as well as any words that contain those words, such as yessir, yesterday, snow, and casino. If someone says the taboo words while mingling with other guests, they get a sticker to wear. The guest with the least stickers at the end of the night is the winner.  Try Adult Loaded Questions.  If you’re unfamiliar with the board game Adult Loaded Questions , the idea is to test players on how well they know each other through suggestive and silly questions. An example includes “What would you be willing to do to get out of an expensive speeding ticket?” Feel free to DIY your own version with questions that pertain to the year’s events. If they succeed in making your guests blush, you’ve accomplished the goal of the game.  There is active games like Name that tune; or Who am I?.  How this game works is as guests arrive, have them write a name on a slip of paper and put it in a hat. Use the names of newsmakers from the past year, characters from recent shows or movies, celebrities in the spotlight, or people in the room. To play, divide partygoers into teams. A player from one team chooses a slip of paper from the hat and draws or acts out the famous person listed for their teammates to guess. Limit the amount of tries teams have to guess correctly. The team with the most correct guesses wins.”

Southern Living (https://www.southernliving.com/holidays-occasions/new-years/new-years-eve-party-games)

“On New Year’s Eve

Avoid leaving your car overnight

New Year’s Day is the most active holiday for car thefts. If you must leave your car somewhere overnight, be sure it’s locked and try to pick it up as early as possible the next day. If you do decide to drive home, let someone know when you leave and when you arrive safely at home.

Plan a ride in advance

On average, driving accidents rise during the holidays, so it’s crucial to have a safe ride on a night when so many people are out and about. Don’t assume you’ll be able to hail a cab. Know your options in advance and decide whether you’ll take public transportation, use a ridesharing service or carpool with your friends.

Plan for guests’ safety

If you’re hosting a party, you’ll want to be sure your guests get home safely. One option might be to hire a driver for the evening to provide people a way to get home. Stop serving alcohol at least one hour before the party ends, provide additional food or snacks and ensure that guests do not drive after drinking.”

State Farms Insurance (https://www.statefarm.com/simple-insights/family/new-years-eve-safety-tips)

“The holiday season is just around the corner! The hallmark of most American winter holidays are centered around big, indulgent meals; think Thanksgiving Dinners, Friendsgiving Dinners, Christmas Breakfasts, Christmas Dinners and New Year’s Eve parties. Research shows that Americans gain an average of one to three pounds from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, which can mean a weight gain of 10-30 pounds per decade. This may not seem like a number to be concerned about; however, this type of weight gain left unchecked can increase the risk of other serious conditions such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension. So how do we balance our holiday eating without wrecking the holiday cheer?

The plate model is a guide from Harvard’s School of Public Health for creating healthy, balanced and satisfying plates of food. Here are the basics:

• Make most of your meal vegetables and fruits (1/2 of your plate)
• Go for whole grains (1/4 of your plate)
• Protein Power (1/4 of your plate)
• Healthy plant oils (in moderation)
• Drink water, coffee or tea (skip the sugary drinks)”

Island Health Care Courageously (https://islandhealth.org/healthy-eating-for-the-holidays/)

Here’s what experts recommend for de-stressing after a hectic holiday season:

Adults young and old know the holiday season presents an exhausting array of physical and emotional demands that, for many, can bring about lingering stress and anxiety.

To cope with stress during the holiday season, a large number of pet owners say they turn to their petfor comfort, but even this may not be sufficient for getting rid of persistent worries.

If you’re still dealing with holiday-related stress and anxiety into the new year, it’s important to take steps to de-stress. Reducing stress after the holidays can help ensure your mind and body are in the right state to stay healthy and cultivate good habits for self care.

Some tips on de-stressing:

• Meditate. Quieting the mind and relaxing the body is goal of meditation. Even as little as one minute of mediation can be beneficial, says Jordan.
• Put down your devices. The blue light emitted from digital devices like iPhones, iPads, and laptop can impair your “fight or flight” mechanisms, says Jordan. For a more restorative night of sleep, avoid using devices two hours before going to bed.
• Take walks. Sitting for long periods can lead to low energy, but getting up and walking around (even just for a few minutes) can help boost your energy and problem-solving levels.
• Get outside. Take 15 minutes during lunch to go outside and get some sun. Getting outside — even on cloudy winter days — has been shown to help combat seasonal depression.
• Get to bed early. Sleep deprivation can impact our body’s de-stressing ability, memory compiling, and hormone cycling functions. Try to get to bed early — no later than 10:00 PM. Even as little as ten minutes of extra sleep per day can be a boon to your health.

Remember that Christmas is your holiday too, those after giving the party or those after going to the party with getting ready for it and even those who had to work the holiday and want to relax now. Play some relaxing music, perhaps seasonal carols, and burn some scented candles, incense or aromatherapy oil. Take a relaxing hot bath to unwind.

Music always help anyone relax; turn off the hard rock or hard metal and this is why:

• Calm music can reduce stress and anxiety by soothing the mind and emotions. It can help a person enjoy a clearer perspective about life and its stresses and strains.
• If a distressed or disabled person listens to calm music, it promotes communication and coordination. This helps to improve the person’s quality of life.
• Research shows adult cancer patients enjoy a better quality of life as music therapy can reduce emotional distress due to their ailment.
• Elderly people can relieve their depression and also boost their self-esteem by listening to calming music.
• Stresses of life can have an adverse impact on your mood, making you snappish and irritable. You can improve your mood by listening to music!

Stress can take its toll on your skin:

Stress can take its toll on your skin and leave it feeling dry and irritated. Hydrating ingredients, including hyaluronic acid and squalane can help calm the situation. Cue , with ceramides, squalane and shea butter it’s the skincare equivalent of giving your complexion a hug. If your skin is feeling temperamental, we recommend swapping this in for your usual face cream for a few days.

Sleep and rest its your Christmas time too the day of and after!

ENJOY THE FUN OF YOUR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY and THE WEEK!

Put your feet up, warm by the fire, drink, be merry and safe at the sametime!   ENJOY THE HOLIDAY AND THE SEASON!  Don’t forget to be extra loving to the pets of the families!!  Love you Teddy amd miss you Pumpkin and T.J.!!  ALL dogs are so COOL!  MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL including God’s creatures!

LOL

“As host/hostess, Yes, you may be in charge of the food, decorations and guest list, but you can’t fully control everything.

Dr. Potter suggests letting a bit of that control go by reaching out to ask for help if you need it. Something as simple as a couple of people bringing some side dishes or putting someone on dishwasher duty can take a level of stress off you. And remember, you can’t be everywhere at once and take care of everyone all the time. Once you get the main preparations done, let the party unfold and run on its own.

“It’s also important to remember that as the host, you’re responsible for things like providing the space and maybe the food. However, everybody at the party is responsible for themselves for making sure that they have a good time,” says Dr. Potter.  Dr. Potter is a psychologist,PsyD.”

Cleveland Clinic (https://health.clevelandclinic.org/holiday-anxiety)

1. Keep Valuables Secure 
2. Monitor Alcohol Consumption 
3. Protect Your Property 
4. Manage Guest List Effectively 
5. Have a Plan for Handling Disruptions 

A Few Tips for dueing your holiday parties this holiday season by CPI.

CPI (https://cpisecurity.com/blog/cpis-guide-to-hosting-holiday-parties-without-compromising-safety/)