Making Healthy Choices - Enjoying the 2022 Holiday Season with Diabetes

 

The holidays are often a time of friends, family, and festivities. Maintaining our social connections, whether it be with friends or family, can help us get through difficult times. We hope that you can enjoy some physical activity, and your traditional holiday foods & celebrations. Here are some tips to help you manage your diabetes during the season.

 

 

Tips for Enjoying the Holidays                                                        

  • Get adequate sleep, exercise, and nutrition.
  • When you feel like eating, consider if this is true hunger or perhaps an emotional trigger to eat.  Take a few minutes to decide what you need, and how much you would like to eat before choosing food. 
  • Decide how you want to feel when you're finished eating; serve yourself accordingly and make a mindful decision to enjoy your food and eat slowly until you feel satisfied. Avoid feeling "stuffed".  
  • When you crave foods that raise your blood sugar, try not to feel guilty. Remind yourself that all foods fit when you practice balance, variety, and moderation. 
  • Choose smaller portions of your “must have” holiday foods. Experiment with reducing sugar in recipes, or exploring some lower carbohydrate options for ‘treats’
  • Choose mineral water, club soda or diet pop to satisfy your thirst. 
  • Wear fitted clothing so you are less likely to overeat. 
  • Sit down to eat and minimize distractions. 
  • Get outside for a walk with friends or family or pets.
 

Check out these websites for more information on tackling the holiday season in a healthy way:

  • Click here to read about Diabetes and Avoiding the Holiday Blues
  • Click here for tips on how to plan ahead for the holidays
  • Click here to obtain an Action Plan template for you to complete to help plan for the holidays
  • Click here to read a fun recipe for Healthy Holiday Eating