The holiday season is meant to be a time of joy and celebration, and that's what we all look forward to. But it is also a time of stress, and an occasion for healthy habits to be derailed. Heart diseases are the number one cause of death and disability in the United States, and data from the American Heart Association indicate that the risk of severe heart problems increases by over 30 percent during the holiday season. We all should think about how the holidays affect our heart health, and what we can do to enter the new year well-prepared to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Health care professionals are all too familiar with the effects that festive behaviors have on the body. For example, too much alcohol can induce a rapid, irregular heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation. Physicians call this syndrome "holiday heart", and this is a frequent reason for emergency room visits during the holidays. This is one more reason to say no to another round of beer, wine, or eggnog.

Overeating is another indulgence of the holidays that has the potential to affect almost everyone. For most of us, the holidays are about sitting around a table with our friends and family, sharing rich foods that evoke memories and tradition.

The risk is that holiday intemperance will turn into extra pounds around our hips. I've often heard that the average person gains from 5 to 10 pounds during the winter holiday season. It turns out that this isn't true -- the average weight gain is about one pound. (People who are already overweight do tend to gain more weight during the holidays, though.)

The bad news is that, in spite of best intentions, these extra pounds don't tend to come off after the holidays are over. The average person gains 1-2 pounds a year, and most of this is accounted for by holiday weight gain.

Gaining weight during the holidays isn't inevitable though, and there are a few simple things you can do to ward off those extra pounds, especially if you plan ahead and become conscious of what will lead you astray. Many of us are confronted by high calorie foods around the office and in other unusual places during the holidays. Be prepared for this and if temptation is too great, make sure that you have your own healthy alternatives available. When you encounter a holiday spread, make sure you reach for vegetables and other healthy options first, so that there is less room for the tempting but unhealthy options.

Perhaps most important, be sure that holidays are just that, single days of good cheer. Avoid the tendency to stretch the festivities at the dinner table out for several days, and don't let the opportunities to indulge in good times interfere with a healthy exercise routine.

We think of the holidays as a time of happiness, but many of us experience blue moments as the holidays pass. For some people, this can exacerbate or trigger serious depression. I bring this up because there is more and more evidence linking depression and increased risk of heart disease. Part of this may be due to the difficulty in motivating oneself to maintain heart-healthy behaviors such as exercise and proper diet. There are all kinds of reasons to recognize the signs of post-holiday depression. Fortunately, some of the very things you can do to ward off depression, like keeping busy, watching your diet, and regular exercise, will help your overall health during the holiday season also.

As the holidays pass by, make sure that some of your New Year's resolutions focus on your health and well being. Resolve to exercise at least 3 times per week, watch your diet and your weight, give up smoking if that's your habit, and discuss your cholesterol levels and blood pressure with your health care provider. These simple steps can go a long way toward making sure you can enjoy future holidays to come in good health and spirits.

Cam Patterson is chief of cardiology for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, UNC Hospitals, and the UNC Health Care System.