Healthy coping for people dealing with diabetes

Suggestions from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) can keep us focused on staying healthy with diabetes during the holidays.  Here are some common sense suggestions:

·       Don’t go to the party hungry.  Eat a healthy snack before you go. (That’s also a tip we learned in Weight Watcher meetings).

·       Talk with yout hostess before the party and ask about the menu.  You could offer to take a healthy snack dish to enjoy and share with others.

·       Choose small portions of rich foods with sauces and sugars.

·       Fresh veggie trays and fruit trays can help fill you up with fiber-rich and vitamin-healthy foods.  Choose lots from the veggie trays.  Remember the fruit trays have sugars from the fruits.  The fresh fruits are healthier choices than pies, cakes, cookies and other rich desserts.  However, recognize that the fruits have sugar content

·       After you fix your plate, move away from the food and start talking and visiting.  By doing this, you can resist “grazing”

·       Watch high-salt content foods because salty foods make us retain water.

·       What about alcohol?  The CDC recommends you talk with your doctor about whether alcohol is healthy for you.  The recommended maximum is one drink for women and two for men.  If you drink alcohol, drink it with your meal, not alone. 

These tips on managing your diabetes can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/features/diabetesmanagement/