Thanksgiving dinner is now a memory. The malls have begun to decorate with tinsel and you can start to hear the sounds of Christmas music at your local grocery store. The holiday season is starting to gear up. Along with the season come treats and desserts, which if not enjoyed in moderation, can cause havoc with your blood sugar. Yes, I am talking about the dreaded “High Blood Sugar”. When you are a person living with diabetes mellitus, it sometimes feels like temptation is thrown in your path every day. Well, I agree that temptation is all around during the holiday season but you can control how high your blood sugar levels go when enjoying holiday treats just by using your blood sugar monitor every day and acting on the results. Those two cookies brought you sugar a little too high? Go for a 20 minute walk to bring it back down. It is a good idea to ensure that you have had your A1C blood test done just prior to the holiday season. Knowing your A1C test results prior to going into the holiday season will give you a good idea if your current way of managing your blood sugar is right for you. If your A1C levels are within target range, you have effectively reduced your chances of developing complications from diabetes. And you know that if you continue your pattern of eating, exercising and taking your medication, you will not develop any problems with blood sugar control. Some people living with diabetes who are on insulin will try and adjust their insulin during the holiday season so that they can eat more food. This should be done only under a physician’s advice. If not done correctly and without close monitoring, the person who is on insulin could develop a hypoglycaemic reaction and will need immediate treatment to reverse this. It is better for you to adjust your blood sugar levels through the holiday season through diet and exercise than by changing your medication doses. I want you to remain healthy and enjoy the holiday season. A brand New Year is just around the corner. Seasons Greetings!
