Healthy holiday-eating swaps

Appetizers

Swap raw veggies for crackers. Instead of a cheese or mayo-based dip, try a veggie-based dip, like beans, salsa or hummus.

Main meal

Opt for roasted turkey instead of honey-glazed ham. If you make stuffing, swap an extra serving of vegetables for some of the bread.

Sides

Try mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes. Make vegetables roasted in olive oil instead of casseroles made with condensed soups or dense macaroni and cheese.

Dessert

If you’re in charge of making dessert, skimp on the sugar. The pumpkin pie, pecan pie, apple crisp or sweet potato casserole will still be perfectly sweet from the natural sugars.

Snack attack

If you still have the munchies, there are some go-to healthy snacks that will help you navigate the nutritional temptations of the holidays. These snacks have less than five grams of carbohydrates each:

• 18 almonds

• Three celery sticks and one tablespoon of peanut butter

• One-fourth cup fresh blueberries

• One cup light popcorn

• One hardboiled egg

Diabetes management

If you have diabetes or prediabetes, you aren’t alone. More than 30 million U.S. adults have diabetes and an additional 84 million have prediabetes.

The good news is that prediabetes and diabetes can be managed through medications to lower blood sugar levels, conscious diet choices, regular exercise, and having the proper team of doctors, specialists, and certified diabetes educators in place.

Experts in the field

Once you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes, your primary care doctor may refer you to a specialist, called an endocrinologist, who will work with you to treat and manage your unique situation.

Endocrinologists are internal medicine physicians with years of additional training focused on diagnosing and treating problems related to the endocrine system, which is made up of numerous glands and organs that produce hormones—including insulin.

“Many of the endocrine-based diseases, including diabetes, are complex and lifelong and require a focused approach,” says Baker Machhadieh, MD, with Kettering Physician Network Endocrinology and Diabetes in Hamilton. “When patients need specialized testing, in-depth education regarding their disease, or when conventional treatment is not working, an endocrinologist can provide the next level of care.”

Education is essential for controlling diabetes. Besides an endocrinologist, registered dieticians and diabetes educators can provide you with the best possible care, treatments and education. Self-management is the most important type of education for any individual with diabetes. Applying these newly acquired skills can reduce risks and complications associated with diabetes and improve your overall quality of life.

Your diabetes care team can help you make the most of the holidays while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.