Holidays are a time for tradition, and food is a loving part of that
tradition. For many of us, the holidays are just not the holidays
without our favorite pie. When factoring diabetes into the equation, holiday favorites can become a bit trickier, but are still manageable!
The key to managing your diabetes is planning. Rather than worrying
about eating too much or too little, focus on managing your
carbohydrates. Carbohydrate-heavy foods affect your glucose level (blood
sugar). For example, one piece of pumpkin pie translates to two or
three servings of carbohydrates (roughly half of your carbohydrate needs
in a meal).
These helpful tips will work to minimize the effect of this holiday favorite:
• Cut the pie into ten pieces instead of six or eight. This portion control trick means fewer carbohydrates per piece.
• Enjoy a small piece of pie at least two hours after the meal; it will
be less likely to affect glucose levels when not accompanied by other
carbohydrates.
• If you would like to plan the pie as part of
your meal, avoid loading up on other carbohydrates, such as potatoes,
stuffing, cranberry sauce, or corn.
• To lower the fat and carbohydrate content of your slice of pie, eat the filling instead of the crust.
• Sugar-free is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. Using a sugar
substitute in pie, such as Stevia or Splenda, will not eliminate
carbohydrates. Some commercial sugar-free pies have even more
carbohydrates than regular pie because of what is substituted.
•
Enter your meal just a little hungry (versus feeling starved) and take
your time. Conversing with friends and family helps everyone pace
themselves.
For more tips and information on diabetes management, contact your primary care provider or your local Laurel Health Center.