12 Days of a Diabetic Christmas
1. On the first day of a diabetic Christmas my doctor gave to me … the Holiday Recipe Book from Diabetic Connect.
- All of the delicious holiday food can present a struggle for those with diabetes. This recipe book has 70 delectable holiday recipes with fewer than 25 grams of carbohydrates that can satisfy the taste buds no matter the size or the occasion for your gathering.
2. On the second day of a diabetic Christmas my doctor gave to me… a blood glucose monitor.
- During the holidays we generally eat foods that aren’t a part of our normal diet. Therefore it is harder to determine the effects that it will have on your blood sugar. Make sure that you are testing your blood sugar levels regularly if not more than usual to make sure that they stay stable. The better you are at tracking your blood sugar levels this holiday season, the easier it will make holidays in the future.
3. On the third day of a diabetic Christmas my doctor gave to me… an appointment with my diabetes educator.
- It can be hard to navigate through what seems like endless meals during the holiday season. Many of the meals that we eat during the holidays do not contain foods that are normally included in a diabetic diet. Meet with your diabetes educator if you need help coming up with a plan on how to make the right food choices.
4. On the fourth day of a diabetic Christmas my doctor gave to me… a meal plan.
- Plan your holiday meals in advance. Make a shopping list that will help you balance your meals to include food items in your specific diet. It is the holidays so be realistic in knowing that you may not stick strictly to your every day diet, but make the effort to include some of the foods that are familiar with.
5. On the fifth day of a diabetic Christmas my doctor gave to me… an order of all of my daily diabetic supplies.
- Make sure you have plenty of the supplies that you use on a daily basis. The end of the year is a great time to take inventory of what you have and what you need. Keep in mind that if you order your supplies through the mail they may get delayed due to Christmas being the busiest season for the postal system. Order early so that you don’t run out of any of the supplies that you may need.
6. On the sixth day of a diabetic Christmas my doctor gave to me… a circle of support.
- Living with diabetes can be easier when your family and friends are informed and supportive. Communication is the key. If you are new to diabetes, the holidays are a great time to educate your family and friends about the disease and what they can do to help you control it. If you have had diabetes for years, don’t be afraid to remind those around you of your plan to stay on top of your diabetes through the holidays.
7. On the seventh day of a diabetic Christmas my doctor gave to me… an exercise regimen.
- Exercise is an important part of diabetes care. It can be hard to stick to your daily routine through the holidays but make sure that you continue to participate in some form of exercise so that you can keep optimal control.
8. On the eighth day of a diabetic Christmas my doctor gave to me… healthy snacks.
- The holidays are filled with many sweet snacks that can send your blood glucose levels sky high. In the commotion of preparation for a holiday meal it is easy to forget about all of the food that is eaten in between the meals. Keep some healthy snacks on hand so that you don’t give in to all of the magnificent munchies.
9. On the ninth day of a diabetic Christmas my doctor gave to me… non-food focused activities.
- There is no ne ed to give up the spirit of Christmas in frustration over food. Take the initiative and plan activities that aren’t centered around a meal or eating. There are so many wonderful aspects of Christmas to celebrate other than the food.
10. On the tenth day of a diabetic Christmas my doctor gave to me… emergency glucose pick-me-ups.
- Keep something with you at all times that you can eat if you unexpectedly have low blood sugar. There is a lot of running around during the holidays. Whether it is to family party or last minute shopping, there just isn’t enough time to worry about how to treat a low blood sugar.
11. On the eleventh day of a diabetic Christmas my doctor gave to me… a good attitude.
- Because successful diabetes care is centered on what you eat, it can get discouraging to try and tackle, especially during the holidays. But remember that diabetes doesn’t have to control your life. It may be a part of it, but it doesn’t have to be the biggest part. Focus on the aspects of the holidays that you enjoy the most. Spend time with family and friends doing the things that you love. Don’t let a little food ruin your good cheer.
12. On the twelfth day of a diabetic Christmas my doctor gave to me… rest and relaxation.
- Everyone deals with holiday stress and as a diabetic it can affect your blood glucose control. Make sure you get enough rest this holiday season and take some time to just relax and rejuvenate. You deserve it!
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20 replies
Is this "Holiday Recipe Book" still available from Diabetic Connect? I can't find it.
Thanks…Tony5657 in New Braunfels, TX
Awesome! Quick question where do I find that book? Thank you
Very well said!!
My doctor gave me none of these things.
I love these. They are so on target.
@ Caroln that's the way it has been for the years I've been here.
Jeannette: great suggestions and very practical ones. If we plan ahead and decide not to "pig out" on our favorites, we can have a delightful holiday time with family and friends. Diabetes doesn't have to keep us from enjoying … we just need to think first.
P.S.: did you notice this discussion format doesn't have any room for "replys"? Odd…perhaps just how it came up for me this time.
MeytalCohen: Will sure keep her uplifted. Hope she recovers quickly. Do you or any of the other 11 live near her so you can help keep her spirits up? Carol
My Mom is in the hospital with Pneumonia, she is diabetic & in a nursing home, but in hospital as I speak getting chest exrays. Saya prayer, she raised 12 children successfully !
Chihuahuas: Glad to hear you are doing so very well. Congratulations. A year is a short time to take such good control of your diabetes.
It is hard for your frist time as a diabetic holiday season, and Thanksgiving was hard for me with the frist time, but I DID IT, from all of you's on here with help. My sugar was 650 and how it is 95 and it will be a year on Jan. 18, 2012. I eat where I love and like, and do what the to understand the science of sugars, grains, carbs and diabetes, that's all. carbs are readily broken down into sugars (fructose, sucrose, maltose, etc.) and I have control my diabetes. Different things work for different people.
I see my dr. on Dec. 12,2011 if I keep up with what I am doing he say in 6 mos. I will be off my pills, NO PILL MED FOR MY SUGAR. I will beet this sugar-diabetic and have my live back and so can you if you do what is good for you.
A Very Merry Chirstmas and A New Year's to You All;~))
Connie Tissue- pctissue-chihuahuas.com
oww my diabeties hurts
so true, this is my first diabetic holiday season, it is really going to be hard for me, but I have got to learn or starve!!
like that one
Everyone is different in the way that they control their diabetes. Different things work for different people. We all find our happy place and roll with it. Especially during the holidays!
dear mythic man;
you need to get a copy of the books by adkins and mercola to understand the science of sugars, grains, carbs and diabetes, that's all. carbs are readily broken down into sugars (fructose, sucrose, maltose, etc.) all require a lepitin signal which dumps insulin in order to break these down into glucose—which is the only sugar humans can use. all sugars other than glucose are toxins to the human body. carbs to sugars is considered an easy quick process. triggering lepitin and insulin constantly creates the "diabetes" because there is a dump, a reduction in blood sugar, your blood sugar goes low, you eat more carbs/sugars, dump more sugar/lepitin and you are are a carb/sugar roller coaster. you become overweight and get high blood sugar as you get more and more 'insulin resistant."
this is NOT the website for this.
the drug companies want you to eat some sugars and carbs so they can sell their drugs, their glucose monitors and strips which are big business.
the reality is, you are on a dangerous roller coaster,
many people have "cured" their obesity and "diabetes" by dumping sugars and carbs from their diet and increasing protein, stopping the roller coaster of self destruction.
recent studies show low carb reduces high blood sugar—duh!
so no, diabetics do not eat applies or any fruits or any carbs at all. they need to stop their roller coaster and get their blood sugars under control
good question tho, keep on asking questions
Where is the holiday cookbook? OK, I found it.
Hi Joanne,
Just a couple comments on your post about the recipe book. Why can't a diabetic have apples? I have been a type 1 for 42 years and have been eating fruit daily! No problems. I eat sweet potatoes and carrots on a regular basis, with no problems. Like everything else on a diabetic diet, you just have to watch how much you eat. This is a good recipe book. There really is no reason to change it. Maybe offer some substitution advice for those that need it. This is a diabetic friendly recipe book.
This is really a good article. Thank you for putting it up for all of us. Although some doctors in Pennsylvania never listen to their clients and cause them more health problems like illnesses from giving them the wrong medications—ones they told them they could not take. Always be careful in PA when it comes to medical pros as most are not pros but bad.
Thanks for sharing i like your post.