You Are What You Eat!

Thoughts of turkey, candied yams, ambrosia and pumpkin pie immediately come to mind with Thanksgiving just around the corner. The holiday season traditionally presents us with opportunities for taking time off to spend with family and friends. We often shift into relaxation mode, making it more difficult to mind which foods we choose to eat. A good nutrition plan combined with regular exercise is essential for achieving and maintaining good health. For both type 1 and type 2 diabetics, it is especially important to not only be weary of how much you eat, but when you eat as well if taking insulin or blood glucose lowering medications. The following are some tips for surviving the holiday season:

~ Think about the timing of your meal. If Thanksgiving dinner does not fall in line with your routine meal schedule, have a snack at your regularly scheduled meal to prevent blood sugar levels from plummeting.
~ Be physically active! Take a walk with family members or sign up to walk the local Turkey Trot 5K in the area. Exercise is the best way to compensate for the additional calories consumed over the holidays.
~ Have raw vegetables to nibble on while cooking or waiting. This will prevent blood glucose levels from plummeting if dinner preparation is taking longer than anticipated.
~ Make selective food choices. Avoid the tendency to sample every dish served. Stick to eating your favorite foods, and everything in moderation.
~ Portion Control. Eat smaller portion sizes to ensure your carbohydrate intake does not exceed the daily-recommended amount of 45-65% of total calories (http://www.mypyramid.gov/guidelines/index.html).

Having trouble deciding how much to eat of something on the Thanksgiving dinner menu since you don’t know its nutritional value? Check out the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s interactive tool, My-Food-A-Pedia (http://www.myfoodapedia.gov/). It will list the total calories, portion size, and even allow you to compare two foods at once. Despite planning ahead, throughout this holiday season you may still find yourself on the brink of overindulgence in food. When faced with that temptation, just remember the old adage – "You are what you eat!"

Tips Provided by American Diabetes Association