It is possible to enjoy all of the goodies during the holidays while keeping diabetes in check.
SAN ANTONIO — Feasts and food: Those are two big staples of the holiday season.
For those with diabetes, savory sweets can still be sampled. But it has to be done in moderation.
During the holidays, many of us gorge on cakes and cookies, but for those with diabetes, focusing on connections with people while having small tastes of those treats is how experts say is a sweet way to spend the season.
“That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy some of those special treats that are around, but thinking about doing it more in moderation and really enjoying that company that you’re with during that time,” said Dr. Aimee Dyes, a health coach from Teladoc Health.
Skipping meals so you can eat more when the family gets together may work for some. But if you’re watching your blood sugar, holding off could actually be a holiday hazard.
“Oftentimes, people will save up for that big meal later in the day,” Dyes said. “That’s where that overeating and overconsumption can really occur as well.”
According to the American Diabetes Association, one out of every two people living with Type 2 diabetes say managing their condition during the holiday season is more difficult than other times of the year. And in a recent survey conducted by both the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association, 28% of people reporting that health goals were their top holiday-season concern.
There are all sorts of lesser-known risk factors that can affect your blood sugar, including sleep, exercise, stress, inconsistent meal times, smoking and dehydration. Anxiety is a big one, too, and around the holidays people find so much to stress about.
“Cortisol from stress actually raises your blood sugar,” Dyess said. “Learning to manage those hidden drivers can also be an important way to figure out what’s going on.”