Coping with Diabetes During The Holidays

Managing your diabetes can be especially more challenging during the holidays with all the temptations and sweets that keep bombarding our senses throughout the season.

Body awareness is very important in managing diabetes. See your doctor regularly. Signs and symptoms can arise that may seem completely unrelated, when in fact they could be. Do not allow your pride or ego to get in the way of your physical health.

1. Proper eye care should be maintained. If any changes in vision, sudden loss, dizziness, blurring or pain in or around the eyes occur, see your doctor right away. Retinopathy, eye infections and blindness are more common in diabetics. Get a dilated eye exam yearly.

2. Thyroid problems are more common with diabetes. Tell you doctor if swelling or pain around the neck or throat occur.

3. Lung infections, pneumonia and influenza are more common in diabetics. If you are a smoker, quit now!

4. Heart disease is a major cause of death in diabetics. Tell your doctor if you are experiencing weakness, shortness of breath, swelling, dizziness, palpitations, or other sensations in the chest. Check blood pressure at each regular diabetes visit.

5. Bladder infections and other bladder issues can be due to complications from diabetes. Test your urine: Microalbumin measurement - yearly (based on the HEDIS Diabetes Criteria).

6. Kidney failure is the leading cause of death among diabetics. Nephropathy is caused by blood vessel damage, which disrupts the kidney's filtering system. Ask your doctor what you can do to reduce the risk.

7. Foot care is most important. Examine your feet daily. Notify your doctor if you have ANY signs of tingling, sticking, sharp, stabbing or dull pain. Also if you have unexplained pain, spots or loss of normal sensation. Neuropathy or nerve damage is a particular trait of diabetes. Problems can often occur at the big toe. Foot ulcers, if left untreated, can infect the bone and lead to amputation. Foot Exam: Check feet at each regular diabetes visit Comprehensive foot exam - at least yearly (more often in patients with high risk foot conditions).

8. Loss of sexual function. High blood pressure, heart disease and issues of circulation can affect nerves. Damage can occur, which can inhibit orgasm. Infection, vaginal dryness in women or erectile dysfunction in men can all be complications from diabetes.

9. Peripheral nerve damage can occur anywhere, but particularly at the joints and extremities.

10. Take your readings as much as possible! Keep a watch on hemoglobin A1c and blood fats to see if eating more sweets leads these number on an unhealthy upswing. There are three distinctly different times of day to consider testing blood sugars. First thing in the morning, before meals, and after meal blood sugar numbers can each reveal a wealth of information to help solve the mystery of blood sugar numbers. Blood Test: A1c (glycosylated hemoglobin) At least 2 times a year if stable, quarterly, if treatment changes or you are not meeting your goals.

11.Keep your blood fats in target range such as total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides.

12. Pay attention to good hygiene and skin care. Eat a proper balance of nutritionally low GI foods. 

Most people who have diabetes know they should be testing their blood sugar on a regular basis. However, many of them do not realize what the numbers mean and simply go through the motions of testing without realizing when to test and how important these numbers actually are.

First thing in the morning is known as a FASTING blood sugar. It should be taken soon after rising; before food, drink, exercise, or medications of any kind.

Normal is less than 100. Goal is 70 - 115

A before meal blood sugar is known as PREPRANDIAL. This means before lunch or before supper. At this point in your day, you've usually had something to eat and drink, you've usually had some activity or exercise, and you've probably taken some type of medications. All these things can affect your blood sugar numbers. This is different than a FASTING blood sugar test taken before breakfast, medications, or exercise.

Normal is less than 100. Goal is 100 - 120

An after meal blood sugar is known as POSTPRANDIAL and means after a meal. Timing is important on this reading because it should be taken 1 ½ hours to 2 hours after a meal.

Normal less than 140. Goal less than 160

Nutritional Advice

Experiment actively with diet, with the frequency and size of meals, and with all aspects of lifestyle to lower the amount of insulin required. This means taking on a lot of responsibility for your own health. A task you can absolutely achieve.

Full Spectrum Diet Suggestions: Avoid the white color group
-Use breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran
-Use breads with whole grains, stone-ground flour, sour dough
-Reduce the amount of potatoes you eat
-Enjoy all other types of fruit and vegetables
-Use Basmati, Doongara or Japanese koshihikari rice
-Enjoy whole grain pasta, whole grain noodles, quinoa
-Eat plenty of salad vegetables with a vinaigrette dressing
-Incorporate good fats like nuts and olive oil
-It is ok to use low-fat dairy foods, in the morning
- Note: these red-orange foods (Watermelon, Carrots, Cantaloupe) are in the med-high GI range.

Incorporate these wonderful herbs to enhance the flavor of all your foods: billberry, basil, chives, cinnamon, dill, fenugreek, garlic, ginseng (Panax, Korean, American) oregano, parsley, rosemary, stevia, thyme.

Blood sugar regulators include: alanine, banaba, beta-glucan, bitter melon, chromium piccolate, guggul, gymnema, rehmannia.

Water is essential in any healing process. Distilled water is the best. 6-8 eight ounces glasses per day. Try not to drink liquids that contain caffeine or alcohol.

A diet combined with both insoluble fiber (fiber that doesn't dissolve in water) will keep most people regular. You get fiber from eating lots of vegetables, wheat bran, whole-grain breads and cereals and fruit.

An apple can regulate blood sugar levels. Apples contain naturally-occurring chemical compounds known as phytochemicals, polyphenols, or flavonoids, some of which have been proven to have antioxidant activity that inhibits, or scavenges, the activity of free radicals in the body. Cell damage from free radicals can be a factor in certain cancers, heart disease, strokes, and other conditions. The major antioxidant components in apples are polyphenols contained mainly in the skin known as quercetin glycoside, phloretin glycoside, chlorogenic acid, and epicatechin.

Extend your nutrient throughout the day with three main meals and three snacks. Small portions or servings as opposed to one or two "gorged meals" not only reduces blood glucose and insulin concentrations, but also guards against the development of hyperglycemia. Consumption of fiber rich foods—barley, carrots, oats, legumes, beans, onions, peas, and lentils—have been associated with improved blood glucose control, and are better for long term use than soluble fiber supplements such as guar, pectin, and locust bean gum.

Research has discovered a whole range of plants with hypoglycemic action. Among them are artichoke, banana, barley, cabbage, carrot, lettuce, nettles, oats, peas, spinach, sweet potato, and turnip.

What You Should Avoid:

Limit foods that have little or no fiber such as ice cream, cheese, meat, snacks like chips and pizza, and processed foods such as instant mashed potatoes or already-prepared frozen dinners. Too much white flour and refined sugar.

What you don't eat may be even more important than what you do eat. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and sugar, because they tend to worsen index levels. If you can't avoid them, then at least cut down.

Reduce Processed and Refined Foods:

Avoid fried foods, white pasta, white rice, full fat dairy, white potatoes, white bread (baguettes, bagels, pita).

Processed food can rob your food of nutrients and vitamins that your body needs to fight off stress and promote good health. Try to buy whole foods, unprocessed foods and try and stay away from "instant" foods, preservatives, artificial flavors, saturated fats, refined foods, hydrogenated food and MSG.

Reduce Sugar Intake:

Too much sugar can rob our body of essential nutrients. Simple carbohydrates from baked goods, pastries, most crackers and cookies must be limited to a very small portion or completely removed from the diet.

By paying attention and taking care of your body during the temptations of the holiday season you can have confidence that you will be able to enjoy many holiday seasons to come.