Named the most dangerous dish for the New Year, and it’s not Olivier

As the New Year approaches, authorities and experts are increasingly discussing the topic of the safety of the holidays. So, in Moscow this time there will be no big fireworks and mass events – the reason is not least the safety of people. The Ministry of Emergency Situations warned ahead of time that the best pyrotechnics is its absence (and it will be possible to launch firecrackers on New Year’s Eve only at special sites). And Moscow doctors reported what other risks the usual New Year’s practices bring with them.

It seems that the key virtues of the New Year holidays-2023 will be Griboyedov’s “moderation and accuracy.” This is exactly what the titled doctors of the capital are calling for in relation to the celebration of the New Year and the following days. And they start right from the trump cards – from the festive table.

“I’ll give you advice: don’t let the New Year’s table be the main one this New Year’s Eve,” says Moscow’s chief nutritionist Antonina Starodubova. – Let there be many other things: communication, movement. But it is food that should not be made the main part of the holiday. The New Year is a time to remember the rules of a healthy diet and follow them, including on New Year’s Eve.

No, of course, no one forbids anything. However, according to the expert, it is better to eat as usual, leaving only some beautiful, but rather symbolic dish for the night. And actually eating is superfluous.

This year, stocks for the holiday have become relevant again for many: of course, you can buy almost everything at the table at the end of December, but not at the best prices, and in general – in December the budget is bursting with gifts, so buy caviar, sausages, fish and other things for the New Year in advance looked like a good decision. So, Russian experts also dissuade Russians from this: it is unsafe!

“Don’t buy groceries too early,” emphasizes Antonina Starodubova. – And special attention should be paid to expiration dates: poisoning is a fairly common situation that doctors face during the New Year holidays.

What else is harmful, according to the chief nutritionist of the city? Mayonnaise (and salads based on it – do not get carried away!), fatty meat (pork and beef) – fish and turkey are better, sweets (prefer jelly, marmalade, fruits and berries). Salted herring is harmful for hypertensive patients (if you want a fur coat, it is better to soak the fish).

And yet, experts believe, a “meat plate” will be completely superfluous. So superfluous that it was voiced at a special press conference by the chief Moscow Father Frost, who said that “there are a lot of carcinogens in it, but little benefit.” Well, it means that I didn’t really want to celebrate the New Year with sausage and ham …

For children, according to Moscow’s chief freelance pediatrician Ismail Osmanov, sweets (more than 2 pieces a day for preschoolers and 3 for schoolchildren) and “untested” toys can be dangerous. “On holidays, the risk of swallowing foreign bodies by children increases. These are parts from toys, keys, coins, everything that lies under the tree and hangs on it.

One cannot but agree here – by the way, “sticky” toys made of magnetic balls are especially dangerous. The strong neodymium magnets that are in them can be attracted to each other in the child’s gastrointestinal tract, creating an intestinal obstruction. In this case, a surgical operation is required – downright “cut without waiting for peritonitis.”

What else could be dangerous? New Year’s winter festivities: here you can catch the now rampant swine flu, and suffer from hypothermia. “It’s best to attend events in moderation,” says Andrey Tyazhelnikov, chief freelance adult primary health care specialist. – Sleep and wakefulness in NG should be the same as during working hours. Even if you go outside for a short time, you need to warm up with high quality. For example, bring a change of socks with you. And it is certainly dangerous to bask in the cold with alcoholic beverages. It is under the influence of alcohol that one can inadequately assess the surrounding temperature.

And it is best to spend this New Year’s Eve without alcohol at all, Valery Skryabin, the chief narcologist of the capital, recommends. “This is the best thing you can do for your health,” the specialist emphasized.

The psychiatrist Polina Svechnikova said that seemingly innocent entertainment, for example, the construction of Napoleonic plans for the next year, also carries a danger: “Many drive themselves into a crisis of perfectionism, meanwhile, balance is important. You don’t have to make many plans. On some days, you can just lie down at home, stay with loved ones. Then it will be easier to return to working days.”

If you go outside, you need to beware of injuries – ride, for example, so that there are no stationary objects, cars and other riders nearby (it doesn’t matter if it’s skates, skis or sleds). Artem Khisamov, Deputy Chief Freelance Specialist for Ambulance, talks about this. “If frostbite has occurred, you can’t rub a person with snow, oil, hot water,” the doctor said. “You can’t warm a person quickly, for example, in a steam room or a warm bath: this can lead to cardiovascular insufficiency.”

And even a bath, despite the glory of the “Irony of Fate”, is not recommended for everyone, especially in combination with overeating and alcohol. In general, let’s write it down: in the New Year 2023, sobriety in every sense will become a fashion trend. Lie on the couch with your loved ones, get ready for workdays. Moreover, they clearly do not promise an easy life in the new year.