Navigating Diabetes During the Holidays
The holidays can be challenging for individuals living with diabetes because many celebrations are centred around special meals that may not fit into a regular diabetes management plan. It can also feel overwhelming for both children living with diabetes and their parents as they navigate the spread of sugary treats and changes in daily routines.
However, getting together with friends and loved ones to share some delicious meals at this time of year is an important part of looking after your overall mental health and sense of well-being. With preparation, adults and kids alike can absolutely participate in holiday festivities while making healthy choices. Knowing what to expect during the holidays empowers you to plan ahead so you can focus on having fun and making the most of the season.
Prioritizing Diabetes Management During the Holidays
Adapting your diabetes self-management routine to support you during the holiday season can empower you to feel your best and give you the mental space to focus on enjoying meaningful moments with your loved ones. Here are just a few tips to keep in mind as you get ready to manage diabetes during the holidays.
1. Plan for Changes in Your Routines
Your daily schedule will likely change during the holiday season, impacting your sleep, meal times, workloads, and even activity levels. You may have some time off work around the holidays you celebrate while kids are out of school for the Thanksgiving long weekend and over winter break. You or your children might be sleeping in during the week or losing track of regular snack and lunch times without your usual daily structure in place. On the other hand, you may pick up more shifts at work to accommodate the holiday rush or find yourself much busier with family activities.
Enjoying celebratory holiday meals with loved ones could mean eating earlier or later in the day than you usually do. Kids may also feel extra excited about holiday activities, leading to changes in their sleep and energy levels that can have an impact on their blood sugar, also known as glucose.1 For adults, the season can come with additional stress, which can cause glucose levels to be higher than normal.2,3
It’s not always realistic to assume you’ll be able to keep up your regular diabetes management routine over the holiday season. It’s smart to plan for changes in your schedule. With a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system like a Dexcom CGM System, you can keep an eye on your glucose in the moment and know where it’s headed without the need for routine fingersticks*, empowering you to take proactive action to adapt your glucose management habits when changes in your schedule happen. Be sure to talk to your doctor about making adjustments to your insulin doses, medication, or diabetes management routines to help you navigate the holidays.
2. Create a Balanced Plate
With the right strategy, adults and kids living with diabetes can still enjoy their favourite holiday foods and work to keep their glucose levels on track.4 It’s a good idea to stick to the diabetes plate method when you’re eating buffet- or family-style at holiday events.4,5 Be sure to fill half of your own or your child’s plate with vegetables or fruits, a quarter with lean protein, and the last quarter with starches or whole grains.5
It might also be a good idea to eat fewer carbs during dinner if you want to have a sweet dessert later.4 When it comes to managing holiday meals, balancing your plate is just as important as balancing your overall eating schedule. Avoid skipping meals in preparation for eating more at dinner, as this can potentially lead to low glucose and make you more likely to overeat later.4
If you’re heading out to a holiday potluck or playing host yourself, try making a diabetes-friendly dish that will help you build a balanced plate and give other guests a healthy option, too. Diabetes Canada has a library of recipes, including plenty of dishes that feature delicious seasonal flavours. Here are just a few sides, snacks, and desserts to inspire you:
3. Be Mindful About Your Beverages
Sugary drinks and alcohol also have an impact on your glucose.6 Soft drinks and fruit juice can contain much more sugar than you think, so be sure to check the ingredients and nutrition information before you or your child grabs a glass.5 Festive cocktails can also contain a lot of sugar, so they are not the best choice for individuals living with diabetes.4 Some ideas for refreshing and diabetes-friendly drink options include flavoured sparkling water, aguas frescas with seasonal fruits like cranberry, and sugar-free mocktails. If you’re craving something cozy, try brewing spiced chai tea or whip up your own sugar-free hot cocoa.
When it comes to indulging in alcoholic beverages over the holidays, Diabetes Canada recommends that women consume a maximum of two standard drinks per day and men consume no more than three.6 A standard drink is considered to be 1.5 fl. oz (43 mL) of hard liquor, a 12 fl. oz (341 mL) can of beer, or a 5 fl. oz (142 mL) glass of wine. Be aware that consuming alcohol can increase the risk of experiencing low glucose up to 24 hours after you stop drinking.6 It is not recommended to include the carbs in alcohol in your insulin dose calculations. If you want to have a celebratory drink or two throughout the holiday season, here’s a guide from Diabetes Canada to help you plan accordingly.
4. Get in a Little Activity
It might be tempting to slide into a food coma on the couch after a delicious holiday meal, but getting in even a little bit of movement after you eat can have benefits for your glucose management. Glucose levels peak about 30 to 90 minutes after you finish a meal, and taking a walk half an hour after you’ve eaten has been shown to reduce glucose spikes and help stabilize insulin.7,8 Making movement a priority during holiday celebrations could turn into a fun tradition. You could plan a post-dinner walk to see the holiday decorations in your neighbourhood, take some time to play in the leaves or snow with the kids, or put a dancing video game on the TV for the whole family to join in.
It’s also a good idea to be mindful of how outdoor activities you or your child don’t usually engage in, like skating or sledding, impact glucose levels. When we exercise, our muscles can use glucose without needing insulin.9 This means that the body may use more glucose faster, which can lead to low glucose levels.9 If you’re using insulin therapy, it’s always a good idea to keep a hypo snack, like juice, candy, or cookies, on hand when you’re out enjoying winter fun.10 Be aware that other everyday physical activities that you wouldn’t think of as exercise, like scraping snow and ice off of your car or spending a few hours at the mall doing holiday shopping, may cause changes in your glucose as well.
Keep an Eye on Your Glucose During the Busy Holiday Season with Dexcom G7
When your schedule and eating habits shift over the holidays, it can be difficult to predict how your glucose levels will change. You might be eating foods that someone else prepared, making it hard to count carbs, or engaging in winter activities you don’t usually do, leading to unexpected changes in your glucose. With the Dexcom G7 Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) System, you can see your glucose readings in real time on a compatible smart device or receiver, eliminating the need to perform routine fingersticks in the middle of your holiday celebrations.*† Dexcom G7 also has a predictive alert that can let you know up to 20 minutes before you’re likely to go below 3.1 mmol/L.‡ With glucose insights in the palm of your hand, you can take action to manage your glucose and get back to enjoying holiday fun with your loved ones.
* If your glucose alerts and readings from the Dexcom G7 do not match symptoms or expectations, use a blood glucose meter to make diabetes treatment decisions.
† For a list of compatible smart devices, please visit dexcom.com/compatibility
‡ Provides a warning up to 20 minutes in advance of severe hypoglycemia (glucose levels at or below 3.1 mmol/L).
† For a list of compatible smart devices, please visit dexcom.com/compatibility
‡ Provides a warning up to 20 minutes in advance of severe hypoglycemia (glucose levels at or below 3.1 mmol/L).
1 Pacheco D, et al. Sleep and Blood Glucose Levels. Sleep Foundation. Updated October 26, 2023. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-health/sleep-and-blood-glucose-levels
2 Robinson D.J., et al. Diabetes Canada 2018 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada: Diabetes and Mental Health. Can J Diabetes. 2018:42 Suppl 1:S130-S141. doi:10.1016/j.jcjd.2017.10.031
3 Ingrosso D.M.F., et al. Stress and Diabetes Mellitus: Pathogenetic Mechanisms and Clinical Outcome. Horm Res Paediatr. 2023;96(1): 34–43. doi:10.1159/000522431
4 Healthy Eating and the Holidays. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 15, 2024. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/healthy-eating/5-healthy-eating-tips-holidays.html
5 Healthy eating. Diabetes Canada. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://www.diabetes.ca/nutrition---fitness/healthy-eating
6 Alcohol and diabetes. Diabetes Canada. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://www.diabetes.ca/diabetescanadawebsite/media/managing-my-diabetes/tools%20and%20resources/alcohol-and-diabetes.pdf?ext=.pdf
7 Glucose Control: Why Timing Your Exercise After Meals Matters. Cleveland Clinic. August 8, 2018. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/exercise-and-your-glucose-levels-does-timing-make-a-difference
8 How Walking After Eating Impacts Your Blood Sugar. November 17, 2023. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/walking-after-eating
9 Blood Glucose and Exercise. American Diabetes Association. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://diabetes.org/health-wellness/fitness/blood-glucose-and-exercise
10 Lega IC, et al. Diabetes Canada 2018 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada: Hypoglycemia in Adults. Can J Diabetes. 2023;47(7):548-559. doi:10.1016/j.jcjd.2023.08.003
2 Robinson D.J., et al. Diabetes Canada 2018 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada: Diabetes and Mental Health. Can J Diabetes. 2018:42 Suppl 1:S130-S141. doi:10.1016/j.jcjd.2017.10.031
3 Ingrosso D.M.F., et al. Stress and Diabetes Mellitus: Pathogenetic Mechanisms and Clinical Outcome. Horm Res Paediatr. 2023;96(1): 34–43. doi:10.1159/000522431
4 Healthy Eating and the Holidays. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 15, 2024. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/healthy-eating/5-healthy-eating-tips-holidays.html
5 Healthy eating. Diabetes Canada. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://www.diabetes.ca/nutrition---fitness/healthy-eating
6 Alcohol and diabetes. Diabetes Canada. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://www.diabetes.ca/diabetescanadawebsite/media/managing-my-diabetes/tools%20and%20resources/alcohol-and-diabetes.pdf?ext=.pdf
7 Glucose Control: Why Timing Your Exercise After Meals Matters. Cleveland Clinic. August 8, 2018. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/exercise-and-your-glucose-levels-does-timing-make-a-difference
8 How Walking After Eating Impacts Your Blood Sugar. November 17, 2023. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/walking-after-eating
9 Blood Glucose and Exercise. American Diabetes Association. Accessed September 13, 2024. https://diabetes.org/health-wellness/fitness/blood-glucose-and-exercise
10 Lega IC, et al. Diabetes Canada 2018 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada: Hypoglycemia in Adults. Can J Diabetes. 2023;47(7):548-559. doi:10.1016/j.jcjd.2023.08.003