It seems like food is everywhere, but especially so over the holidays. Keeping your blood sugar within goal range can be a challenge, but not impossible, with a little bit of planning.
Going to a holiday dinner? Plan ahead – decide where you want to spend your carbohydrates and stick to your plan. Love Uncle Lou’s cornbread? Then forgo the everyday mashed potatoes and choose what is really special about the food you are about to eat. Looking forward to the nut roll that Grandma makes? Have a lower-carb meal – choosing the protein dish (meat/poultry/fish) and vegetables and salads for the main meal and enjoying the nut roll for dessert (made with walnuts, of course). Choose no carb beverages (water, tea, coffee). Limit the alcohol you drink – this not only contains calories, but can lower your resistance to overeating.
Don’t skip meals and go starving into a big meal – you will set yourself up for overeating. Crunch on 4-8 walnut halves for a ready-to-eat snack with little impact on your blood sugar.
You may find that monitoring your blood sugar more frequently, especially if you are taking any blood sugar-lowering medications, as well as sticking to your regular exercise routine, can help keep you on track and prevent any blood sugar spikes.
