November is American Diabetes Month... And the start of the holiday season for many of us!
According to the American Diabetes Association:
- Nearly 30 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes.
- Another 86 million Americans have pre-diabetes and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
- The total national cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States is $245 billion.
Don't forget we at VMG are here for diabetes education, nutrition, and medical services through the holiday season! Please let us know how we can help.
In the meantime, holiday meals and treats don't have to get you off track if you plan ahead. If it's important to you to savor a special holiday dessert this season, try these strategies for fitting it into your plan:
Here are some "Sweet Tips" for the holidays:
- Choose what special treat to eat ahead of time, and stick to your plan
- Choose a small serving size
- Decrease the other carbohydrates in your meal to keep your total within goal
- Try replacing up to half the sugar with a sugar substitute when baking
- Or, try cutting down on sugar and increasing cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla instead
- For sweet cravings at home, try frozen grapes or baked apples
- Savor your serving slowly, and then send the leftovers home with someone else!
