It’s the holiday season – a time of joy, cheer and heartburn. Mainstream holiday fare – high-fat foods, alcohol and desserts – can trigger heartburn. Of course, heartburn isn’t just a holiday thing – many of us experience bad heartburn anytime we eat foods that are spicy or high in fat or drink alcohol – whether it’s New Year’s Eve or Super Bowl Sunday.

“Celebrations can trigger heartburn because people tend to sit down, socialize and eat and drink much more than usual,” says Dr. Andrea Klemes, chief medical officer, MDVIP. 

I love the holidays. From time with family to time away from work to good food and good cheer, it’s a near perfect time of year.

But not for everyone. Some people dread the holidays because of family history and memories that aren’t joyous. Others find the added stress of crowds, finances and travel difficult to manage. In fact, surveys by the American Psychological Association and Healthline found that nearly half of Americans see their stress levels rise during the holidays.

As an internal medicine physician for 36 years, I was never fond of New Year’s resolutions. They always seemed artificial and destined to fail. And if you’ve ever made one, you probably know what I’m talking about. 

For most of us, the term “early death” isn’t scientific. It simply describes death that occurs unexpectedly early: in children, of course, but also their parents and anyone else in the so-called prime of their lives. 

Public health experts offer a clearer definition, and the age cutoff may surprise you.

What is Premature Death?

Early death, also called premature death, occurs earlier than the average age of death in a population. In the United States, that age is around 75 years old.

Americans love salt. From shaking it on their food to gobbling up salty, prepackaged snacks to dining on sodium-rich restaurant food, it’s a staple of our diet. As a result, the average American consumes about 3,400 mg of salt each day, despite the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommending Americans limit their daily salt intake to a maximum of 2,300 mg.

Ever since the COVID-19 vaccine became available last December, Americans have been wondering which provides more protection: the vaccine or natural immunity acquired from a previous COVID-19? 

The vaccine offers higher protection than natural immunity, according to a new study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Antibiotics are one of the greatest medical achievements. They help cure infections like bronchitis, pink eye, upper respiratory infections, strep throat, UTIs, pneumonia, E. coli and salmonella. They can even help with secondary bacterial infections like ear, sinus and lung infections triggered by cold and flu viruses — even if they aren’t effective against those viruses.

You’re probably familiar with a host of different antibiotics masquerading under different drug names: penicillin, amoxicillin, doxycycline, clindamycin, azithromycin and levofloxacin, among others. 

If you sleep poorly, you risk more than crankiness in the morning: You risk your heart. Studies show that even if you are at a healthy weight, get exercise and don’t smoke, too little sleep can increase your risk for heart disease. 

That’s because good sleep does more than leave us feeling refreshed in the morning. It lowers our blood pressure, regulates our metabolism and insulin uptake and reduces inflammation — all critical influencers of heart disease.

You surely know by now that there’s an “ideal” amount of sleep we’re supposed to get at night: roughly seven to nine hours. This applies to the entire age range for adults, whether you’re 18 or 88.  And it’s not a loose suggestion, like how many days a week you should shower. 

A lot of surprising things can affect your sleep. For example, what you drink and when you drink it, electronic devices like your phone or tablet, the temperature of the room, how much you exercise — even when you go to bed each night.

Together, these things are called sleep hygiene and practicing good sleep hygiene can help you get consistent, healthy sleep — and help your heart at the same time. 

Here are some proven tips that can help you get more sleep: