It’s the most wonderful time of the year — unless you have diabetes. Whether you’ve just started your health journey or you’ve been successfully managing your blood sugar all year, you don’t want your progress to come to a grinding halt because of a few holiday parties.
Don’t worry: There are ways you can enjoy the season and not derail your diabetes management plan.
Dr. Michael Skardasis, our diabetes specialist at Optimal Performance Medicine in Woodstock, Georgia, offers practical strategies for navigating the holidays. Here are some of our best tips to manage diabetes this time of year.
You can generally anticipate when you’ll be confronted with a food temptation — except for when a co-worker surprises the office with a tray of cinnamon rolls. That means you can make a game plan before you head to a holiday party.
Some of the best ways to avoid overindulging include:
You can also share your plan and goals with a trusted friend or family member to have them help keep you accountable.
So many holiday festivities are food-based, but they all don’t have to be. When your friends are diving into another helping of sweets, suggest a game of pick-up football in the backyard; meet at a corn maze or pumpkin patch instead of hosting yet another potluck; start a new tradition of making a craft instead of baking cookies.
There are many ways to spend time with your loved ones during the holidays and successfully manage your diabetes.
This time of year is jam-packed with obligations and events, but you should keep exercise at the top of your to-do list. If you can’t fit in a full gym session, have a friend or family member go with you for a walk after dinner, or wake up early and take a lap around the neighborhood. Any movement counts!
You may consider testing your blood sugar more often than usual during the holidays to ensure your levels don’t go off the rails. Having as much data as possible can help you make adjustments quickly.
During the holidays, you may be going out more and staying up later, but be careful not to neglect your sleep. Fatigue makes it much harder to manage blood sugar and makes you more likely to mindlessly indulge in high-fat, high-sugar foods.
Moderation is your most powerful tool this time of year. We don’t suggest that you isolate yourself in the name of blood sugar management, but we encourage you to make small sacrifices here and there that ensure you stay on track. Enjoy a Christmas cookie your grandma made — just don’t enjoy 10 of them in one sitting.
If you need help with diabetes management, we’d love to talk with you. Call the team at Optimal Performance Medicine today to schedule an appointment, or use our convenient online booking.
