The holiday season is a great opportunity to spend time with loved ones and good friends, but let’s face it: it’s very often also a time for overindulgence in less-than-healthy meals. With a wide variety of rich, fatty, and sugary dishes to choose from at every turn, it’s difficult to follow a healthy diet, which can bring about serious health problems for people with diabetes.
These diabetes care tips, however, can help individuals remain safe through the holiday season without feeling deprived of special goodies. Be sure to first speak with the physician for his or her approval on any dietary choices that stray from an approved meal plan.
- Make a decision on your preferences. Review options during a holiday meal, and select your top two carbs to enjoy. For example, determine if you’d rather have dressing or bread, or select between sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes, as opposed to indulging in all of the options.
- Bring your own. When attending a holiday event at someone’s residence, check with the host about your nutritional restrictions, and offer to bring a healthy dish to share, such as a tray of vegetables or a sugarless dessert.
- Eat a snack first. Having a healthy snack in advance of the holiday meal will help keep blood sugar levels consistent and aid in preventing of the urge to go overboard. Healthy snack choices for people with diabetes include nuts, veggies with hummus, celery and peanut butter, cottage or string cheese, or an egg.
- Stay hydrated. Drinking a glass of water prior to sitting down to the meal will provide you with a feeling of fullness, lowering the chance that you’ll be tempted to overindulge.
- Stay physically active. Following a heavy meal, defy the urge to sink into the recliner and watch television or snooze; instead, offer to help with cleaning up the kitchen, play a lively game with the children, or take a walk in the brisk fall air.
If despite these techniques you end up overeating or making unhealthy selections, be kind and forgiving to yourself. Keep in mind that tomorrow is a new day to resume healthy behaviors again. Pay attention to your blood sugar to make sure levels stay in the right range and to prevent the chance for a serious problem, such as diabetic ketoacidosis, which could bring on a hospital stay and most definitely put a damper on the holiday festivities.
Call the aging care team at Carolina Hearts Home Care to discover more diabetic diet friendly strategies, for assistance with preparing healthy meals, providing medication reminders and motivation to engage in exercise programs, and much more! Our in home care in Aberdeen and the surrounding area is available throughout the holiday season and beyond to empower seniors to live their best possible lives. You can reach us at 1-855-277-2005 to schedule a free in-home consultation to learn more about our services today!
