TUESDAY, Dec. 24, 2002 (HealthDayNews) -- All those holiday goodies on the table can make it difficult to stick to healthy eating habits, and that can be a serious problem for the 16 million Americans with diabetes.
However, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center offers some tips to help people with diabetes have a healthful holiday season:
- Maintain a regular exercise routine to help regulate your metabolism. It's a busy time of the year, but try to take short, brisk walks at numerous intervals throughout the day. Remember that you need to wait 60 to 90 minutes after a holiday meal before you go out for a walk.
- Keep your blood sugar as close to normal as possible. Take your diabetes medicine regularly and watch for symptoms of low and high blood sugar.
- Know when to put down your fork. Practice portion control. If you keep portion sizes under control, you can eat a wider variety of foods. A small portion is less likely to upset blood sugar levels.
- Choose nonfat or low fat foods. At parties and other social gatherings, go for the veggies and fresh fruit.
- Take extra care to ensure your meals are nutritious, varied and balanced. If you have a treat, make sure your substitute it for an equivalent item in your regular menu.
- Stay positive and remember that you control diabetes, it doesn't control you.
More information
Temple University Hospital has more advice about healthy holiday eating for people with diabetes.
