Staying Healthy Through the Holidays

Practical Strategies for Blood Sugar Control

Staying committed to wellness goals during the holidays can be challenging, but with a few tweaks, you can stay on track and true to your goals. This blog post shares tips and strategies for navigating holiday treats, incorporating activity into celebrations, and managing stress. 

Choosing Holiday Treats

In terms of holiday sweets, it can be tempting to indulge in everything. However, it's good practice to prioritize special goodies for the season, meaning indulge only in your favorite ones. You get more pleasure and satisfaction when you savor the flavor and slowly eat something that satisfies your tastebuds and soul. Also, choosing homemade over storebought is always the better option because they contain more whole ingredients, making them more satisfying. Portion sizes are also important when indulging because blood sugar stability doesn't take a day off.

Incorporate Activity Into Your Celebrations

Movement is so important to keep your blood sugar in check, so why not create new family traditions that include movement?  Instead of sitting around, why not make a new tradition that gets everyone moving after the meal? Take a page from my family's playbook. My family gets together for Thanksgiving weekend, and on Wednesday, after dinner, we go bowling, and after the big meal, we have a family dance party.  Everyone gets involved and has a blast.  

Stress and the Holidays

It’s no secret that the most wonderful time of the year can also be stressful.  As a result, you may not get enough sleep, which may lead to eating emotionally, all of which are not good for blood sugar.  Practice mindfulness in a way that resonates with you.  This can be deep breathing, meditation, yoga, time out in nature, sitting, and reading a book.  The goal is not to soothe yourself with food.  And when you reduce stress, you make better choices and just feel better overall. 

Set Realistic Goals

It's almost New Year's, which means resolutions.  It's a great time to set a foundation, but make the goals realistic, like maintaining weight instead of losing a few.  Don't be afraid to seek support from your friends and family when you feel tempted to fall off the wagon.  The power of cravings and stress can be lessened by talking it out.  Keep in mind that the holiday season is just a brief period of time.

This time of year is meant for gratitude, reflection, and making memories.  Allow yourself to indulge with a plan to keep your blood sugar balanced. You can use the strategies outlined in this blog and read this one for additional tips.  

Wishing you a happy, healthy, and balanced holiday season becasue life is all about eating well, being well, and living well!