It sucks to be diabetic during the holidays. All of the really great foods are made during the holidays, and it can really aggravate anyone who likes food. Not only do people cook and prepare all of the rich, fat foods, but they also do a lot of baking ensuring that there is are a lot of carbs lying around. This ensures that there are a lot of pitfalls for dieters in general, and diabetics specifically. It really helps to think like a lactose-intolerant Adkins sufferer during the holidays.
One of the problems is that a lot of foods have a lot of hidden carbs, especially from the perspective of a diabetic. Sausage filled with cheese, for example, has a bigger effect on blood sugar than regular sausage. Some people will take out healthier ingredients and replace them with less healthy ingredients, such as reducing the amount of vegetables so as to have more cheese or sour cream. There is also more cooking with fat and lard, which also increases the carbs in food.
There are also more eating contests. While this makes sense from an evolutionary perspective (the winter months were lean and food still spoiled so it made sense to eat a lot at the beginning of winter), it can hurt diets. This is when people cook ridiculous amounts for family (pyramids of tamales are familiar sights in some families), so there is some pressure to eat as much as possible. This is especially intense when there are different generations involved, especially as teenagers eat to take advantage of the available food and older people just eat to show that they are as young and virile as ever. In cultures where masculinity and virility are king, this can lead to some truly prodigious amounts of food eaten.
It doesn't help that sugar and cream cheese seem to be in everything. It will obviously be hard to avoid them, especially as they seep their way into dinner, but a little judicious judgement should go a long way. The big thing is to avoid sugary desserts as much as possible, and to limit bread and stuffing as much as possible. It can help to let whoever is cooking know about any diet limitations before they start cooking. It can also help acting as if you have no insulin; that mentality can really help save your neck in the long run. You also need to resist a lot of the temptation to compete against others, especially teenagers; it can only end badly for you.
The bottom line is that you need to keep an eye on what you eat and know how to prepare it. It is just a matter of knowing what you eat and doing your level best to eat healthy, even when the universe conspires against you....
One of the problems is that a lot of foods have a lot of hidden carbs, especially from the perspective of a diabetic. Sausage filled with cheese, for example, has a bigger effect on blood sugar than regular sausage. Some people will take out healthier ingredients and replace them with less healthy ingredients, such as reducing the amount of vegetables so as to have more cheese or sour cream. There is also more cooking with fat and lard, which also increases the carbs in food.
There are also more eating contests. While this makes sense from an evolutionary perspective (the winter months were lean and food still spoiled so it made sense to eat a lot at the beginning of winter), it can hurt diets. This is when people cook ridiculous amounts for family (pyramids of tamales are familiar sights in some families), so there is some pressure to eat as much as possible. This is especially intense when there are different generations involved, especially as teenagers eat to take advantage of the available food and older people just eat to show that they are as young and virile as ever. In cultures where masculinity and virility are king, this can lead to some truly prodigious amounts of food eaten.
It doesn't help that sugar and cream cheese seem to be in everything. It will obviously be hard to avoid them, especially as they seep their way into dinner, but a little judicious judgement should go a long way. The big thing is to avoid sugary desserts as much as possible, and to limit bread and stuffing as much as possible. It can help to let whoever is cooking know about any diet limitations before they start cooking. It can also help acting as if you have no insulin; that mentality can really help save your neck in the long run. You also need to resist a lot of the temptation to compete against others, especially teenagers; it can only end badly for you.
The bottom line is that you need to keep an eye on what you eat and know how to prepare it. It is just a matter of knowing what you eat and doing your level best to eat healthy, even when the universe conspires against you....
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