Managing diabetes during Christmas holidays

by S. C.

If you have some form of diabetes or have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, it is difficult to stick with a controlled eating plan when there are so many delicious choices during the holidays. This is the time of year when extra food is available at work, at holiday parties and at home, as we enjoy special meals together and receive gifts of food from family and friends. And as we see people all around us enjoying these extra treats and goodies, we know that our diabetes does not take a holiday vacation.

So how does the person with diabetes or pre-diabetes enjoy these weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years?

“First of all, know that you can participate in the holidays and stay on your diabetes program at the same time,” says Dr. Timothy Bailey, MD, director of the AMCR Institute in Escondido, Calif. “By following your established routine as much as possible, and adding some of the pleasures of the season in moderate amounts, you can easily experience the joys of the season and keep your diabetes under control.”

Joyce Berenson, RD, CDE, and AMCR’s dietician, offers some practical tips for thriving during this most enjoyable time of the year:

Continue with your exercise. If you are walking 20 or 30 minutes a day five days a week, keep up your routine to burn calories from any extra food you are eating and maximize your body’s ability to lower your blood sugar. If you are busy during this time and cannot exercise your normal amount, add additional walking to your day by parking further away from the mall, walking around inside the mall or taking stairs whenever you can.

Carry snacks. If you are running holiday errands, your normal eating schedule might be disrupted. You need to carry a snack with you when you are away from home to avoid getting low blood sugar. If you are a person who does have low blood sugar and you start to experience symptoms, taking your glucose tablets is a quick way to reverse the effects and normalize your blood sugar.

Beware the buffet. If you attend parties where food is served buffet-style, the smart approach is to walk around the table first and see what is available and then be selective in what you take rather than loading up on one of everything. Try to limit yourself to one plate of food and if you need more have extra vegetables or salad.

Enjoy that pie, but in moderation. We now know that it is all right for people with diabetes to eat sugar, which is just a form of carbohydrate, as long as you eat small portions. A small piece of pie can be just as satisfying for taste and enjoyment as a large slice. And you can offset the effects of eating a dessert by eating less bread or other carbohydrates with the meal.

“People with all stages of diabetes can partake of whatever the season offers as long as they remember that good diet and exercise are more important to them on a day-to-day basis than it is for the average person and act accordingly,” says Dr. Bailey.