Conscious eating during Christmas: 10 tips for diabetics

It’s Christmas friends! A season of joy, celebrations and reunions. A time to enjoy the festivities, say goodbye to the passing year and welcome the new year. And no festival is complete without festive treats. Christmas is known for its plum pies, bebinca, roast duck, puddings and cookies. As these sweets are rich in sugar and fat, we must be careful when tasting them. With the growing diabetes epidemic in India, maintaining healthy eating habits this Christmas becomes even more crucial.

Dr. Meghana Pasi, Nutrition Consultant at MyThali, Arogya World, shares some tips for diabetics to face the festive season mindfully:

1. Plan for the festive party.Ask about the menu in advance and make informed decisions. If you are going to bring a dish to the party, cook a healthy one.
2. Balance your plateTry to eat a well-balanced meal that includes a mix of lean proteins, colorful vegetables, and whole grains. This balance helps stabilize blood sugar levels, provides essential nutrients for overall health, keeps you full, and reduces indulgence toward sugary foods.
3. Include complex carbohydratesPrefer millets, whole grains, pulses and beans that have complex carbohydrates and avoid refined carbohydrates from sugar and maida to avoid a spike in blood sugar levels.
4. Know the GI of foodsEat foods that have a low glycemic index (GI). The glycemic index of a food is its ability to raise blood sugar levels. Cereals (refined wheat flour, rice), bananas and tubers, colas, sweets, cookies and noodles have a high GI (65-75%); fruits have an intermediate GI (45-55%) and milk and dairy products, soya, pulses, legumes and dal have a low GI (30-40%) and are beneficial for diabetics.
5. read the labelsLearn how to decode the labels of all processed foods for ingredient lists and nutritional content. Opt for more natural foods. Avoid foods high in sugar, salt, fats/oils.
6. Cook with love and healthy ingredients.Maida is mainly used in all snacks and namkeens, and Vanaspati/hydrogenated oil in major sweets. Try making sweets and desserts with ghee and healthy oils. Fruit pulps, dried fruits and nuts can be used as a sugar substitute.
7. Beat the buffetWhen faced with a variety of delicious and over-portioned dishes, choose healthy options. Start with vegetables to calm your appetite. Avoid or limit alcohol. Opt for soups. Eat slowly and savor each bite. It takes at least 20 minutes for your brain to realize that it is full. Stop eating when you feel satisfied, not too full.
8. Keep hydratedWater is your ally in diabetes control. Stay hydrated throughout the day, as adequate water intake can help control appetite and prevent overeating. It also helps you stay away from sugary drinks.
9. Be physically activeBeing active is your secret weapon for the holidays; It can help compensate for overeating and reduce stress. Keep your friends and family active by going for a walk after a holiday meal. A short walk after meals can help regulate blood sugar levels.
10. Regularly check your sugar levelsRegular monitoring will help you make informed decisions about what and when to eat.

Eating mindfully during Christmas and New Year’s is a smart strategy for diabetics. It’s not about deprivation, but about making deliberate and balanced decisions to enjoy the Christmas spirit without compromising your health.