Surviving the holidays with diabetes

The holidays are a time filled with lots of good cheer, laughter, family fun, and many of our favorite Christmas treats.

It can be hard to resist the temptation to gorge ourselves with our favorite holiday treats, and being a diabetic can be particularly challenging during the holiday season. With a little bit of planning though, the holiday season can be a manageable, fun time, even for an individual with diabetes.

Listed below are some helpful tips to help you through the holiday season:

1. Ask around for nutritious, yummy diabetic-friendly recipes. Remember to count those carbohydrates.

2. Focus on including healthy, well-balanced meals during the holidays. Make sure you are including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, as well as lean meats in your holiday planning. Focus on vegetable appetizers, instead of dips and fried foods that contain high amounts of saturated fats.

3. Select lean cuts of meat. White meat, turkey and chicken are great choices. Also, remember to limit the amount of gravy and sauce that you are adding to your meat.

4. If you are attending a holiday party that includes a buffet, choose a smaller plate, instead of the full-size plate. Select only the foods that you will want to eat, and do not go back through the lines for second or third helpings.

5. Drink plenty of water. Water not only helps to keep you well-hydrated, but it makes you feel fuller, thus making it easier to not want to add those extra servings to your dinner plate.

6. Plan ahead what you are going to eat and stick to that prescribed plan. If you are going to a party at night, make sure you structure your day?s meal choices around that event. Eat a light breakfast and lunch, so that you can indulge a little more at the party.

7. Eat a small snack before you go to a party. This will help you to feel fuller, so you are less likely to overeat at the party.

8. Limit your alcohol consumption, as alcohol contains ?empty? calories, with no nutritional value.

9. Eat your meals slowly. Once you start to feel full, it?s time to stop eating.

10. Coffee and unsweetened tea beverages are ?free? foods. Add artificial sweetener and skin milk, if needed.

11. Keep a close watch on your blood glucose levels, especially before and after parties.

12. Make sure to exercise, even when you are busy. Follow a regular exercise schedule always, even during the holidays. If it?s too cold outside to exercise, workout indoors or go the local gym.

13. Make sure you get plenty of rest and sleep every night.

With proper planning, it is possible to make it through the holidays with your diabetes in good control. Encourage others to eat a well-balanced diet and lead a healthy lifestyle, too.

Remember to control your diabetes; don?t let your diabetes control you.

Laura?s Recipe Corner

Chewy Mocha Brownie Cookies

Ingredients:

-1 cup all-purpose flour

-1/4 tsp. baking soda

-1/4 cup margarine

-2/3 cup sugar

-1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

-1/4 cup brown sugar

-1-1/2 tsp. instant coffee granules

-1/4 cup reduced fat buttermilk

-1 tsp. vanilla

-2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

Instructions:

1. Combine flour and baking soda in small bowl.

Melt margarine in medium saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in granulated sugar, cocoa, brown sugar and coffee granules. Add buttermilk and vanilla; mix well. Stir in flour mixture until combined.

Transfer dough to medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for one hour. (The dough will be stiff).

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray. Drop dough by rounded teaspoon onto cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, or until edges are firm. Cool cookies on cookie sheets two minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

4. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Nutritional analysis: Makes two dozen cookies; two cookies per serving

Calories: 142; Total Fat: 4g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Protein: 2g; Carbohydrate: 26g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 69mg.