Having diabetes doesn’t have to mean missing out on the festive fun over Christmas. By making some careful choices and thinking ahead, the festive period will be full of fantastic food, merry cheer and holiday joy.
We’ve collected some helpful hints and tips to make sure you have a healthy and enjoyable Christmas:
Get off your butt!
Don’t let the holidays become an excuse for slothing on the couch. A regular physical exercise routine isn’t something that can be forgotten – especially when you might not be making the most sensible food choices over Christmas!
Make time each day to do something that gets your heart rate up. It doesn’t have to be the same thing every day, why not try out something new or include your children. Use your imagination and get a move on.
Fun Christmas exercise ideas to get you off the couch:
- A brisk walk around the neighbourhood with the kids or your dog (or maybe you’re walking at the shopping centre snapping up Boxing Day sales?).
- A swim at the beach with the whole family, followed by some frisbee played on the sand.
- A game of backyard cricket with the neighbours.
- A dance off with friends at a New Year’s Eve party.
Cut calories where you can
Christmas is typically an overindulgent time, but it doesn’t have to be. You can try some simple #foodhacks to cut down on kilojoules and keep your diet in check:
Turkey and chicken
Remove the skin and eat the light coloured meat.
Roast potatoes and other veggies
Don’t douse them with oil or butter to cook – instead, use a nonstick baking tray or greaseproof paper.
Stuffing
Avoid high-fat meat stuffing and go for a vegetarian version – you’ll get all the taste for fewer calories.
Heap on the vegetables
Add lots of steamed or lightly cooked vegetables to your plate to fill you up and nourish your body with heaps of nutrients.
Dessert
Try something that’s lower in sugar or sugar-free!
Some ideas:
Plan your drinks
Alcohol, soft drink and eggnog can send your blood sugar spiralling so careful consideration is required.
Try sugar-free soft drinks and eggnog (see the recipe above) and look out for lower in alcohol (and calories!) wine and beer.
Carefully plan out what you’re drinking and how many drinks you can safely consume well in advance. Stick to your plan!
Don’t stay hungry
While you want to avoid mindless snacking, you also don’t want to stay hungry for too long while the Christmas feast is prepared.
Include some well thought out and healthy snacks into your plan for the day. This will also help you to avoid overeating when the big meal of the day is served as you won’t be feeling famished.
It’s okay to say no
Us Aussies can sometimes be a little too polite for our own good! It’s entirely acceptable to decline party and dinner invitations if you feel your diet might be spinning out of control.
It’s also okay to say no when food is offered around. Just because someone is serving chocolate, doesn’t mean you have to eat it! A polite “no, thanks” can go a long way.
Feeling pressured into eating a second helping? Just say no and ask for it to go instead.
Plan ahead
After an overindulgent Christmas Day, it feels incredible knowing you’ve got healthy meals planned for the days and weeks after. What, you don’t have meals planned?
We’ve got you covered – let Chef Good feed you! We’re only closed for public holidays over the festive season, so bring in a healthy 2018 with Chef Good.
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