How to have a healthy Christmas
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Christmas is the season of temptation, with many sweet treats around it can be hard to keep your blood sugars under control. But for those with diabetes or raised blood sugar levels, focusing on your sugar intake can’t stop just because it’s Christmas. Here are five ways to keep your blood sugar levels healthy over the festive period.
Avoid grazing stick to regular meals
It can be all too tempting to snack on Christmas leftovers, but those struggling to keep their blood sugars under control should stick to regular meals.
Nutritionist Jenna Hope explained to Express.co.uk: “If you’re grazing constantly throughout the day you’re hardly allowing time for your blood sugar to return to its normal range.”
Having regular meals will help you to resist the urge to snack on the sweet treats lying about.
It’s best to stick to three regular portion-controlled meals rather than skipping meals and opting for one or two huge meals.
This can act as a huge sugar dump, causing blood sugar levels to spike dangerously.
Ms Hope recommends eating your veggies first, as this will mean you’re more likely to fill up on these low-sugar foods than items such as carby roast potatoes that are packed with hidden sugars.
Walking
Taking a short 15 to 30 minute stroll after lunch can seriously help lower your blood sugar levels Kerry Beeson, Nutritional Therapist at Optibac Probiotics told Express.co.uk.
Ms Beeson said: “A simple, free and mindful way to lower your blood sugar levels is to go for a walk.
“Gentle exercise such as walking increases your heart rate and breathing a little, which sends more blood around the body to support your muscles.
“Moving your muscles stimulates the uptake of glucose (sugar) from your bloodstream, which in turn lowers blood glucose levels.”
Watch hidden sugary foods
Many foods can be secretly ladened with sugar which could send your blood sugar levels soaring.
Condiments are notoriously high in sugar but as they are usually associated with savoury foods this often goes unnoticed.
Try to limit or avoid festive favourites such as cranberry sauce and chutneys, as well as barbecue sauce, ketchup and certain salad dressings.
Alcohol can be a large part of many Briton’s festivities but these have huge amounts of sugar in.
Try to limit these where possible and be sure to alternate alcoholic drinks with water, as hydration is essential to stop blood sugar levels from soaring.
How to avoid sugary foods
It can be harder than usual at this time of year to avoid sugary foods, especially when people give them to you as presents.
Penny Weston, fitness, wellness guru and nutritionist recommends: “If you do receive lots of chocolate as a gift, put it away or hide it and then every so often have a little bit as a pudding one night or a treat.
“That way you’re limiting the amount you eat in one go so that you have one or two chocolates at a time rather than a whole box.
Another great way to avoid a chocolate binge is to bring gifted treats into work to share with colleagues so you don’t end up eating them all at once.
Eat protein at each meal
Good news for turkey lovers, as eating protein at every meal is an essential way to help keep high sugar levels at bay.
Protein sources tend to be low in sugar and will make you feel fuller for longer – helping you to resist those sugar-filled pesky mince pies.
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