5 Tips for Managing Your Diabetes Around the Holidays

Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year, or whatever you celebrate, there is apt to be a hyper-abundance of rich foods & beverages that pose considerable challenges, especially to those with diabetes or pre-diabetes. The holidays are not the best time to try a serious weight loss program; however, it is realistic to have a goal of maintaining weight and blood glucose control during the holidays. Here are a few tips to help you keep control during the holiday season.

1. Healthy eating is good for everyone, not just those with diabetes. With a little bit of planning, the holidays can be enjoyed by everyone.

• Having a low calorie, low carbohydrate snack before attending a party can help curb your appetite and make it less likely for you to overeat. Don’t skip meals or snacks earlier in the day to “save” carbohydrates for later. This will possibly lead to eating excessive calories as well as excessive carbohydrates that can affect blood sugar control.

• Try keeping carbohydrate intake consistent. If you are going to have a treat, substitute it for or take smaller portions of other carbohydrates.

• Let your palate be your guide by making it balanced and colorful. Fill it ½ with non-starchy vegetables, ¼ with lean protein, and ¼ with whole grains or starchy vegetables. Try to keep your portions reasonable and resist the temptation of going back for seconds.

• Bring a healthy dish to holiday gatherings so there will be something nutritious and delicious for you to enjoy. Many of the other guests will be happy you brought a healthy selection as well.

• Once you have finished eating, focus on other activities. Avoid socializing around the buffet table where the smell & sight may tempt you to eat more. The holidays are not just about food, they are about family & friends. Spend time catching up with loved ones and enjoying things like community events. Bring the focus away from food and celebrate the people in your life at this time of year.

• Saying “no thank you” or requesting “a small piece" does not always work. Family and friends, without meaning to, can add a phenomenon all its own…guilt. Diversion can be a good strategy. Offer to serve dessert but not serve yourself, then exit to another room for a few minutes. When you return, there is a good chance that dessert will be finished. Postponement is also helpful. State how full you are and might have some later. As time goes by, no one will notice if you do not have dessert by the end of the evening. Truth be told, nothing goes into our mouth unless we put it there. We really do have control if we chose to accept it.

• Limit alcoholic beverages. They contain calories and sometimes carbohydrates. Remember that if you take insulin or some pills for diabetes, it increases your risk for low blood sugar, so it is best not to drink on an empty stomach and limit to 1 drink for women and 2 drinks for men.

• If you are planning on baking, cut back on sugar and fat in recipes by 1/3. Use flavorful spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and almond extract.

2. Physical activity can relieve stress, improve blood glucose levels, and help with weight control. It can also improve your mood and give you increased energy to survive the holiday season.

• If you have a usual physical activity plan, try to keep it up as much as possible. Break it into smaller segments, like 10 minutes, if you do not have time to do it all at once.

• Make holiday shopping more active – park at the far end of the parking lot, take stairs instead of the store elevators, arrive at the mall before the stores open and walk a few laps before you begin shopping.

• Try something different like cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice-skating, or dancing.

• Ask a friend, family member, and/or dog to go for a walk around the neighborhood to look at the holiday lights.

3. Managing stress is important in maintaining diabetes control. The stress of overdoing and overscheduling may lead you to neglect your diabetes self-care plan. The body also reacts to stress by producing hormones that cause the liver to release glucose. Take time out for yourself and do things that you enjoy.

4. Check your blood glucose regularly, perhaps more often, record results, and look for trends. Keep blood glucose targets in mind. Less than 125 mg/dl before eating & less than 160 mg/dl 2 hours after eating are good goals for most people with diabetes. Are you running high or low at certain times of the day? Going into the holiday season with good blood glucose control can help you keep in control. Contact your healthcare provider or certified diabetes educator if you are unsure of what to do.

5. Give yourself some slack. If you do happen to overindulge or not follow your plan closely, don’t think that you have failed. Realize that no one is perfect and everyone struggles at times. Tomorrow is another day of opportunities to get back on track.

For more information on Saint Alphonsus Diabetes Care & Education call (208) 302-0600 or visit www.saintalphonsus.org.