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Making healthy choices during the winter holidays can be difficult for everyone. For diabetics, it can be even more difficult.
The disruption caused by travel, stress, and food-filled celebrations “can be very disruptive to people’s diabetes self-management,” said Dr. Cecilia Lo Wang, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine. Stated. Aurora.
“Getting through the season starts with being realistic,” said Melissa McGwire, program director at the Cardiometabolic Center Alliance in Kansas City, Missouri. Although your choices are important, “While everything is within your control, your body’s response to the food you eat and the stress you’re under can still vary from day to day,” says Diabetes Educator. said McGwire, who is certified. She is and she is a nursing care specialist.
That’s why when asked for advice on how to manage diabetes during the holidays, she and Lo Wang both emphasized that it’s not about being perfect. “I think the only way to lose control when you’re living with diabetes is to think you have everything under control,” McGwire says.
This is what they recommended.
make a plan
McGwire said diabetes is personal. If she were to advise her four patients, she would say, “Even if all four of you eat the exact same meal, you will react to it differently.”
If you know you’re going to encounter a particular holiday food and know how it affects you, plan for it, she said. Ask yourself, “Is there a way to adjust my diet for the day so I can eat my favorite foods and still maintain safe and healthy blood sugar levels?” she asks.
If you expect to be served a carb-filled dinner, plan to eat lean protein for lunch, McGwire says. You can also ask your care team how to adjust your insulin before meals.
You also need to plan your trip, she said. Pack your own snacks to ensure healthy options.
Dr. Lo Wang, who specializes in endocrinology and diabetes management, also advised making sure you have enough medication to get you through a long stay if your flight is cancelled.
don’t starve to death
Skipping meals to save up for a big meal shouldn’t be part of your plan, McGwire says.
“First of all, if you haven’t eaten anything all day, you’re more likely to overeat that meal,” she says. Second, not eating can interfere with medication, which may be calculated to meet the average amount of food requirements.
Going from starving to full can cause your blood sugar levels to fluctuate wildly, “and you’re paying the price,” McGwire says.
be careful with alcohol
“We have to be really careful,” Lou Wang said. Depending on the drink, alcohol can raise or lower blood sugar levels. Beer and sugary mixed drinks are rich in carbohydrates that raise blood sugar levels, but alcohol stops the liver from producing blood sugar, or glucose. Effects can be seen after a few hours.
McGwire said symptoms of hypoglycemia, or hypoglycemia, can be mistaken for the effects of alcohol. “In layman’s terms, being tipsy is a lot like feeling depressed.”
McGwire recommends testing your blood sugar levels before, during, and several hours after drinking, and letting those around you know you have diabetes. If you’re acting strange, she says, “it’s not because you’re drunk or tipsy, it could be because you have hypoglycemia.”
Try a holiday buffet strategy
If you use smaller plates, you won’t want to overload. “I know it sounds simple,” McGwire said. But patients tell her it really works.
Or, try to take an amount no larger than your fist. Emphasize protein and green vegetables, and add starches and sweets towards the end of your plate. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t eat them, but make sure you’re more nutritionally filling before adding on extra sweets,” McGwire said.
Also, remember that just because something is on your plate doesn’t mean you have to finish it. “When you’re full, you’re full,” she said. “Listen to your body.”
don’t skimp on sleep
Diabetic health is about more than just diet, Lo Wang said, and “there are so many situations where sleep can be disrupted during the holidays.”
Make a plan to deal with it, she said. Make sure the room you sleep in is cool, dark, and quiet. Stick to a sleep schedule and make sure she gets the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep for adults. Research shows that even one night of interrupted sleep can increase insulin resistance.
find ways to deal with stress
Stress can directly and indirectly affect diabetes management, Lo Wang said.
Directly, stress increases levels of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which counteract the effects of insulin and increase blood sugar levels, she said.
Indirectly, stress can also disrupt your sleep and cause you to overeat.
McGwire said it helps to set realistic expectations for the season. “I think we trip up our lives by expecting perfection during the holidays.”
get up and move
If you’re going to spend eight hours in your car crossing a river and through the woods to grandma’s house and then immediately jump into a heavy meal, “maybe you should probably go for a walk or do some other form of physical activity afterwards.” We’d better find out,” McGwire said.
For her family, that meant everything from walks to video game bowling tournaments. “I don’t care if you stand in the middle of the room flapping your arms,” she said. “That counts as some kind of activity.”
Unlinking “Holidays” and “Meals”
Food is often a focus of celebrations. That’s not necessary, says Lou Wang.
She says that making the season more about meeting other people than food and drink can help manage diabetes. “Focus more on the first part and less on the second part.”
Understand that things can go wrong
Lo Wang tells her patients that healthy choices are important and the benefits include feeling better.
But when something goes wrong, she says, “it’s important not to blame yourself for it.” And, “It’s okay to enjoy everything else on vacation, even though the long-term effects of getting your blood sugar levels out of control are important, worrying too much can affect your mood without improving your diabetes condition.” It could have an impact.”
McGwire says people living with diabetes “tend to be pretty hard on themselves and view diabetes as ‘something I did wrong.'” He said that it should not be done.
So, while it’s wise to prepare, it’s not wise to obsess over the task, she says. “Just enjoy your time and enjoy the moment.”
