Holiday Indulgences: How to Celebrate Without Spiking Your Blood Sugar

Indulge in your favorite festive foods without compromising your health. Discover how to manage blood sugar during holidays with smarter food choices.

Highlights:

Overindulging during festivals can impact diabetes control and increase blood sugar levels
Foods rich in sugar and refined carbs, like sweet desserts and beverages, raise blood sugar levels
Planning, portion management, and informed food choices can help maintain stable blood sugar during the holiday season

Who would like to sacrifice modaks and puran polis on Ganesh Chaturthi? Or those scrumptious Diwali laddoos? Too much feasting during festivals affects blood sugar levels, which may pose challenges in diabetes control.

The best way will be to have smaller portions of food at regular intervals instead of having a large meal at once. Blood sugar levels can also rise during the festive season due to alcohol consumption, eating at odd hours, a lack of physical activity, mental stress, and social pressure.

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‘Celebrating the festive season? Discover how to enjoy those sweet treats without letting your blood sugar spike. From portion management to healthier alternatives, keep your health in check while indulging! #diabetescontrol #healthyholidays ’

What Foods Cause High Blood Sugar Levels?

These five food groups promote high blood sugar levels because they are high in sugar and refined carbs ():

Sugary desserts
Sweetened beverages
Starchy side dishes
Candied or dried fruits
Fried foods

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Healthier Alternatives to Sugary Food

During the holiday season, these foods can be replaced with healthier alternatives ():

Replace sweet desserts with fruit platters or salads.
As a healthy alternative to milk chocolate, choose dark chocolate with a greater cocoa content.
Instead of sweet spreads, try almond or peanut butter.
Replace sweetened yoghurts with plain Greek yoghurt and sweeten with honey.
Make your treats with less sugar or sugar substitutes such as stevia.
Select whole grain.
Instead of sugary beverages, provide herbal teas with a touch of honey.

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Methods for Controlling Blood Sugar Levels

Prepare ahead of time

Before attending holiday celebrations, plan your meals and snacks to ensure they meet your dietary requirements. Eat a balanced supper or snack before going out to avoid overeating on high-sugar meals later.

Portion management

When enjoying holiday foods, keep portion sizes in mind. Smaller servings can help keep blood sugar levels stable. Use smaller plates to help you keep your serving portions under control.

Make an informed decision

Choose foods with fewer processed carbs and added sugars. Lean proteins, veggies, and whole grains should be prioritized. If you want to pamper yourself, choose a little piece and enjoy it carefully.

References:

Sugars and blood glucose control - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7598079/)
Diabetes care during Diwali - (https://www.narayanahealth.org/blog/diabetes-care-during-diwali/)

Source-Medindia

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