Diabetic low calorie options need to be thought through in the festive season when you are trying to stay on top of your diabetes and keep your weight down.  But how do you do this when temptation is everywhere and at Christmas why shouldn’t you be able to indulge just a little?  Well if you play your cards right you can have your cake and eat it too.

How is this done I can hear you say?  The trick is to balance your dietary books exactly how you manage your money – with a budget.  It’s all about allowing for the occasional splurge without having a blow out.

Christmas lead up can be drawn out it seems from October through to December so in order to keep your Christmas specific mark out in red what dates you are going to start and end your Christmas celebrations and stay with it.

Workout a dietary budget:

“Think of your daily food and drink intake as an account you need to keep in balance.  Keeping your weight and BGLs in check is easier if you understand how to count your carbs and kilojoules.  Setting a daily limit on both enables you to pick and choose what you eat and drink, making cutbacks, where necessary to allow for the odd splurge.  Just make sure you keep a track of everything that goes into your mouth.

Tip:

Keeping a daily record of your intake will help you stay within budget, especially if you tie this in with your blood glucose results.  Linking a high reading to a mince pie or trifle serve means you’ll know how to compensate with extra exercise or economise with a smaller portion next time.  Seeing a dietitian will help you work out your daily budget and how to balance it.

Protect your weight:

You only have a certain amount of spending power so don’t blow it!  It’s easy to fritter away capital – your daily food and drink allowance – with careless splurging.” Full story: Diabetic Living

Bump up the activity a notch:

By increasing your daily activity by a little extra walking, or going further on your treadmill or hit the dance floor when you are at a party are a few ways to buy extra kilojoules and carbs.  Increasing your metabolic rate will help your BGL’s and help manage your weight.

Ask your family and friends for support over this time by not having all your favorite tempting goodies out when you come around.

Simple swaps will mean you save a lot on kj’s:

• 50g corn chips Vs 6 water biscuits
• 100g creamy pasta Vs 100g bean salad
• 1 tablespoon basil, cashew dip Vs 1 tablespoon hummus
• 1 shortbread Vs 1 cup air-popped popcorn
• 6 savoury crackers Vs 10 carrot crudites
• 3 chocolate rum ball truffles Vs 1 cup Strawberries
• 120g slice pavlova with fruit cream Vs 1 cup fruit salad with 175g no-fat vanilla yoghurt

These hints and tips will really work if you take the time to do a little pre planning it will really be worth it in the long run to have good BGLs.  Christmas and festivities surrounding the day come around but once a year with your plan in hand along with support from dietician, friends and family you will sail through the day without a worry.