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For a diabetic, Christmas Eve and Christmas are a hard time of trial. So many tasty dishes. You want to try everything, but can you? What can diabetics eat during the holidays and what should they avoid? It turns out that diabetic's Christmas Eve can be quite pleasant.
Diabetic dietandChristmas EveandChristmaswhen the table is set, they do not go together couple. How people with diabetes should survive Christmas, advises a dietitianKatarzyna Kowalcze , specialist indiabetic diets .
Soon we will be sitting at Christmas Eve tables filled with delicious dishes. Then two days of feasting. How are people with diabetes supposed to experience them?
Katarzyna Kowalcze, dietitian:Like everyone else. To please the eye and savor what is on the tables and what has a unique taste on this very Christmas. But…
Well, that's it! Sugar will "jump", gain weight and you will have to painstakingly lose unnecessary kilograms again to maintain an appropriate blood glucose level.
KK.:This may or may not happen. And it shouldn't. Proper diabetes treatment, adherence to specific dietary rules and an appropriate dose of exercise ensure he alth safety in every situation. Also on holidays.
Patients treated with fast-acting human insulin analogues that mimic its physiological secretion are in a more comfortable situation. These preparations can be used just before, during and even after a meal, you do not need to wait 20-30 minutes to start a meal, as is the case with conventional insulin therapy.
The choice of treatment method is solely the decision of the doctor. When it comes to diet, there are certain universal rules based on the canon of he althy eating and a balanced diet. In short, it's all about variety and eating in moderation.
However, each patient with diabetes (both type I diabetes, type II diabetes, and others) has a diet determined individually, e.g. due to the course of diabetes, possible coexistence of diseases, or existing complications.
Let's go back to the Christmas Eve table…
KK.:The Christmas Eve dinner is traditionally fasting, so this is what forthe best diabetics. At the table full of play, but - as I tell my patients - controlled. The golden rule - a little bit of everything, especially applies to such dishes as dumplings or noodles with poppy seeds.
You need to be cautious about desserts, e.g. compote of dried fruit with a high sugar content and chocolate delicacies. However, you do not need to deny yourself a very small portion of the poppy seed cake.
For two festive days, some households prepare more fatty dishes, and here eating moderation will be good for all household members. The cakes can be with sweeteners, which in this special holiday season is worth recommending to ensure equal access to sweet pastries for all family members. Often the holiday season extends until the New Year.
It's family cuisine, but holidays are also a time of visits. And in family and friends, traditional sweets and fatty dishes can reign.
KK.:You have to look carefully at what's on the table. Choose one or the other dish, chicken meats, fish, vegetables. You can allow yourself to try a little bit of something forbidden to feel the taste of freedom, and in the hostess not arouse remorse that something is wrong.
Christmas trips are in fashion. It is often quite a radical change in lifestyle and diet. This can be confusing for people with diabetes.
KK.:Not if the treatment and diet rules are followed. On the other hand, a holiday trip is a great opportunity to exercise, which is an integral part of the therapeutic process. In the case of dietary sins that disrupt blood sugar levels, exercise is also beneficial.
People who spend many hours on the ski slope or go on long hikes should be careful and remember about their illness. I recommend getting a sandwich or sugar cubes to protect yourself from low sugar.
Are there any cases after Christmas that require medical intervention because of dietary mistakes?
KK.:Yes, and unfortunately, it is not that rare. There is also hospitalization. It is required by patients whose blood sugar concentration reaches very high levels, threatening life after Christmas madness.
Medical interviews also show that patients, wanting, as they say, to free themselves from thinking about the necessity to take medications, stop the therapy. This is a big mistake that often requires special actions from the doctor, dietitian and patient. Two or three kilograms in the plus is also often a fight again to maintain a he althy weight, which in the treatment of diabetes isvery important.
Let's talk about children with diabetes. What is and can be Christmas Eve and holidays for them?
KK.:It should be a time of joy and festive flavors, as with all children, of course with the basic principles of he althy eating and with an emphasis on dietary requirements.
In families where a child has diabetes, it is much easier to change and rationalize everyday eating habits. This also translates into the festive menu. I have many children among my patients. Those who are treated with insulin analogs administered by an insulin pump that automatically supplies the body with adequate doses, are in a comfortable situation.
From my many years of experience it appears that the nutritional rules are much better adhered to by children, which is undoubtedly due to their parents, than by adult patients, who in many cases are difficult to persuade to follow the diet.
For children with diabetes, which should also be remembered by parents and loving grandparents, the charm and joy of Christmas presents do not have to be embodied in chocolate boxes and chocolate Santa Clauses.