Looking after your wellness when you have type 2 diabetes is difficult enough throughout the year, but the temptation of treats can particularly threaten your wellbeing around the holidays. With office parties, dinner invites and mince pies everywhere you look, there’s a reason that over 50% of diabetes patients who responded to a recent online poll on the website Patients Like Me said that the holiday season is the most difficult time when it comes to controlling their blood sugar. However, help is at hand from Amy Campbell, MS, RD, CDE, a certified diabetes educator and manager of clinical services at the Joslin Diabetes Centre in Boston.
According to Campbell, there are some smart strategies to get you through this tempting time: ‘The most important thing is to have a game plan’, because ‘You need to have a strategy and plan ahead, and that way you can make savvy choices.’ Firstly, never go anywhere hungry, whether that’s at the supermarket or a party. Eat a diabetes-friendly snack before leaving the house, like two peanut butter-filled celery sticks, a 6-ounce container of Greek-style yogurt, or a handful of almonds.
Next, watch your alcohol intake because a little drink isn’t bad on its own, but if you’re on insulin alcohol can may your blood sugar dip. It’s best to choose water, but if you do drink make sure you eat something first and alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Also, substitute small amounts of tempting high-sugar foods like cake, sweets, and cookies for other carbohydrates on your meal plan. For example, if you know you’ll want pudding later, don’t have extra garlic bread at dinner. Also, follow Campbell’s advice: ‘We all tend to mirror the behaviour of others, so when you’re at a party, sit with someone who eats slowly, and you’re likely to do the same’
There are also situation-specific strategies you can follow to ensure your wellness over the holidays. At a buffet, take a plate and mentally divide it in two. Fill one half with tempting choices, and the other half equally with healthy choices like salad, steamed vegetables, and whole grains. When it comes to parties that an array of hors d’oeuvres passed around on platters or placed on a table, treat the stationary goodies like you would a buffet. However, when it comes to servers offering you things on a platter, you can either pass up everything, or put the first few treats on a plate and eat them at your leisure, so you know exactly what you’ve had. For dinners, ask in advance what they’ll be serving and, if it’s not diabetic-friendly, offer to bring along a dish you know will be ok.
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