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- 1) Christmas dinner advice for diabetics
- 2) Alcohol advice for Type 1 & 2 diabetes during Christmas
- 3) Exercise benefits for type 1 & 2 diabetes during Christmas
- 4) Letting people know how they can support you in managing your diabetes
- 5) Plan how you are going to manage your diabetes ahead of Christmas
Approved by Dr Katie Stephens, GP
Dr Katie graduated from the University of Manchester in 2007 (MBChB) and completed her GP training in the West Midlands in 2012 (MRCGP).
Christmas is a wonderful time of year, offering opportunities to cherish moments with loved ones, exchange gifts and indulge in enticing treats. While this tempting setting may pose challenges for managing diabetes, having to be mindful of your food and drink intake doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the holiday season.
1) Christmas dinner advice for diabetics
Many of the Christmas dinner classics tend to sadly be high in fat, salt and sugar. Fortunately, there are ways to make them more diabetes-friendly.
- Minimise foods high in salt and trans-fats. You can find low-fat/salt alternatives (just check the label as some low fat foods add extra sugar) and choose healthier cooking options such as steaming.
- Avoid foods that are high in sugar, you might find cutting down the sugar in homemade recipes still makes for tasty treats
- Avoid processed food marketed specifically for people with diabetes.
- Small actions can add up and make a difference. For example, removing the skin/excess fat from your turkey, having a slightly smaller portion or limiting the amount of oil you use while cook.
- Hosting Christmas dinner yourself (or having it round a loved one’s) could give you more control over the nutritional contents and portion sizes compared to going to a restaurant.
- Serve yourself vegetables first, this prioritises them, ensuring there’s plenty of space on the plate for them.
- Fruit, you could have a fruit salad for dessert.
- Choose complex carbohydrates over simple ones like:
- Wholegrain bread
- Vegetables like brussels sprouts
- Low-fat dairy products
- Oily fish, many people around the world eat fish during Christmas, you can find out more here
These low Glycaemic Index (GI) foods tend to release sugar slowly into the bloodstream rather than the sudden spikes you can get with simple, high GI carbs.
You can use Diabetes UK recipe finder to find diabetes-friendly recipes such as Christmas pudding, roast turkey and nut roast. These recipes are a healthier take on the Christmas traditional meal.
2) Alcohol advice for Type 1 & 2 diabetes during Christmas
Alcohol can increase your risk of getting a ‘hypo’ (‘hypoglycaemic attack’, i.e. low blood sugar level) as it affects your body’s ability to manage blood sugar levels. This is particularly accurate if you take insulin or certain oral anti-diabetic tablets that lower your blood sugar levels. So, it’s important to be mindful of your alcohol consumption especially during the holiday season.
- Use sugar-free mixers.
- Choose drinks that are less calorific like spirits or dry wines.
- Do not drink on an empty stomach; plan to have a snack afterwards.
- Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated.
- Have alcohol-free options available. You could make mocktails or a festive classic like mock mulled wine.
3) Exercise benefits for type 1 & 2 diabetes during Christmas
Chances are that your blood sugar levels might rise over the holiday season. Engaging in exercise is one way to help lower it. There is even evidence that exercise (along with a healthy diet) can prevent and reverse type 2 diabetes. It can also help improve blood sugar control, wellbeing and lifespan in people with type 1 diabetes.
If you’re taking medication that lowers your blood sugar levels, make sure you know what adjustments need to be made (whether that’s to your medication or diet) before exercising. This is to reduce the chance of having a hypoglycaemic attack.
Here are some ways to stay active during the holiday season:
- Dance to Christmas classics.
- Go for a walk to see the Christmas lights and decorations.
- Go outside and visit a Christmas market.
- Ice skating.
- Sledging.
- Do a holiday scavenger hunt. You can split into two teams and make it a competition.
4) Letting people know how they can support you in managing your diabetes
Some of your loved ones might not know how to support you or could even be unaware that their actions make it harder for you to manage your diabetes.
It could be beneficial to send them some links to blogs or videos so that they can educate themselves or explain how they can support you as an individual with diabetes.
Some of these talking points could include:
- Letting them know what gifts might be more appropriate e.g., avoid the usual chocolate tins.
- Not peer pressuring you into excess drinking or eating. You could even request that you serve yourself at the dinner table, allowing you to have more control over what you’re eating.
- Making them aware of symptoms of having a hypo and what to do if this happens (including how to administer a glucagon injection if this is in your treatment plan).
5) Plan how you are going to manage your diabetes ahead of Christmas
The holiday season can lead to blood glucose levels being higher or lower than usual. So, it’s important to be prepared ahead of time so that you can act before these levels become too abnormal.
- It may be harder to see your GP over the Christmas period, so make sure you’re prepared! Ensure you have enough medication to get you through the festive season.
- Decide ahead of time how much you plan to eat and drink, this will help ensure that you’re not over drinking or eating.
- Having a schedule can be beneficial during this potentially busy time. Knowing when a big meal will be served means you can administer insulin at an appropriate time. Also having a backup plan in case the schedule isn’t on time can help prevent hypos For example, having a snack easily available if you’ve already administered insulin and Christmas dinner will be late.
- Due to the different routine and eating habits, it would be a sensible idea to check your blood glucose levels more frequently during this holiday season.
