Sabrina Cuddy • November 5, 2024
Holiday Weight Management

At the HCMA, November is when we’re thinking about weight management. We all know that winter months and holiday foods can lead to potential weight gain, and it happens to the best of us. It’s easy to gain weight with all the less healthy options in front of us – face it, we all love yummy treats! Those of us with HCM do better if we stay as close to our ideal weight as possible, so having an eating strategy over the holidays can help. 

Here are some tips to think about:

  • Drink plenty of water (you can add a splash of juice or a squeeze of lemon).
  • Pay attention to how much you’re eating and drinking.
  • Slow down and really taste the treat – you’ll feel satisfied with less.
  • Limit alcoholic drinks, juices, eggnog, and cocoa (yes, you’ll still have fun!).
  • Identify the healthiest option on the table: the veggie plate over the bowl of chips.
  • At festive meals, load half your plate with vegetables, a quarter with proteins, and minimize the carbs – using a smaller plate may help, too.
  • Consider having fruit or limiting sweet treats to a small portion for dessert.
  • Everything in moderation, and enjoy yourself!

Some people with HCM report that they don’t feel well or have worse symptoms after eating meals, particularly large ones or those with their “trigger foods” – researchers haven’t formally studied this, so pay attention to signs that your body reacts badly to carbs, large meals, or alcohol. Those with atrial fibrillation may find that alcohol, chocolate, cheese, and other foods may trigger them into an episode of afib.

Your symptoms are a good guide! You may feel better eating smaller amounts of food at each meal. 

If you’re like most people, telling yourself you can’t have a particular food can frustrate you. That’s why having a plan is essential. It may stop you from making poor choices that will hinder your enjoyment of the holiday season. Your plan can include a favorite treat or two. Creating a plan isn’t always a guarantee for success, but not having a plan may lead to feeling poorly and having to bow out of social activities – and that’s no fun.  

Another way to avoid gaining holiday pounds is to get some exercise. Make it a family tradition to go for a walk between dinner and dessert! Remember that those with HCM can generally exercise at a level based on THEIR heart. If you still need to discuss an exercise plan with your medical team, please do so! Leading a sedentary lifestyle can add other health problems, which can add to complications of your HCM; you don’t need that. Finally, make sure you stay hydrated, set a plan, and have a wonderful holiday season!

HCMA Blog

Lisa's Letter - July Newsletter

By Lisa Salberg • July 3, 2025
Summer, greetings to all our big-hearted friends As July approaches, our focus is already on the fall and preparing for some major events, including our annual meeting coming up in October. July will also find us on the west coast in Seattle conducting a regional patient education meeting as part of our big-hearted warrior tour. We have been following the generic drug quality issue in the United States very closely and encourage you to watch the series starting with our Hill briefing in April and following with the additional webinars with our partners at Medshadow and the People's Pharmacy, and of course the ProPublica series of articles. See them all here . We are happy to have a new team member on board - we welcome Pam as our coordinator of both our All Hearts Collaborative and Hearts and Minds project. Over the next few months, you're going to be learning more about these two amazing initiatives and how we are working to provide better services for big hearts regardless of where you live, so we are meeting all of our big-hearted friends where they are. Please stay tuned for updates from these projects coming soon. We are also creating new volunteer opportunities and engagements that we hope will make it easier for you to participate in spreading the message of the importance of diagnosis, the importance of community readiness related to CPR and AED use and, of course, helping patients get to their ultimate diagnosis and getting them on the proper treatment pathways. This July I would like to recognize all of the special birthdays in my family, including HCMA Center of Excellence coordinator, Stacey Titus-brown and my daughter Rebecca Salberg. It's a milestone birthday for Becca - it’s hard to believe I have a 30-year-old child. Wishing you all a happy and healthy summer. Go build some memories!
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July's Topic is COE Care at the HCMA

By Sabrina Cuddy • July 3, 2025
Getting HCM care at a HCMA Recognized Center of Excellence has a positive impact on patient's outcomes. Find out why in the post by Health Educator Sabrina Cuddy

Pro Publica Releases Results of FDA Investigation

By Erica Friedman • June 26, 2025
Investigative journalists Debbie Cenziper, Megan Rose, Brandon Roberts and Irena Hwang from Pro Publica and NPR have concluded a 14-month long investigation into the quality of generic drugs coming into the United States from overseas. Among the many voices that spoke up for American patients was HCMA Founder and CEO, Lisa Salberg who has felt the effects of low-quality drugs personally. Salberg believes that fixing this problem is something we can do, even in this time, when even health care is highly politicized. Read the key takeaways from ProPublica’s 14-month investigation into the FDA’s oversight of foreign drugmakers in Threat in Your Medicine Cabinet: The FDA’s Gamble on America’s Drugs .
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