If you have diabetes, you probably look at the holidays with dread. All of the cookies, pies, tarts, and cakes that are offered by your friends and family can really wear on your determination to ‘be good’. If you follow a few simple guidelines, you can enjoy the holidays and the food that comes with them, safely.

1. Eat a light meal before leaving home. A healthy snack can curb your appetite, making you less likely to over eat which can force your sugar levels to high numbers.

2. Check your sugar levels before leaving home. Carry your glucose monitor with you, along with lancets and test strips. If you feel the slightest bit off kilter, excuse yourself to a restroom and check your glucose.

3. Bring an insulin injection pen with you. You can discreetly inject yourself in a rest room. Have alcohol pads in your insulin kit. If you do not wish the host or other guests to know about your kit, pack it in a small soft cooler that can fit into a purse or coat pocket with a small ice packet.

4. You don’t have to deny yourself from the dessert section. Just take much smaller portions.

5. Do not eat any sugar laden or refined foods during the day or when you are not at a party or family gathering. Consider these outings as your treat and reward for carefully following a diet the rest of the weeks/month.

Being a diabetic doesn’t mean losing out on sweets entirely. Everything in moderation and only when your sugar is in an acceptable range. Be sure to make healthy choices when you are eating, paying particular attention to vegetable side dishes. If you are filled with healthy foods it will be easier to not over indulge at the dessert table.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 6th, 2007 at 1:56 pm and is filed under Diabetes, Holidays. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.