The holidays can be one of the most exciting, yet stressful, times of the year… For someone with diabetes the stress can be intensified by the temptations of holiday fare. If you, a guest, or a family member lives with diabetes, keep these suggestions in mind…

• Eat meals at regularly scheduled times. You’ll find that you have more energy and less hunger when you eat five to six small meals daily at the same time every day instead of two or three big meals.

• Reduce the amount of dietary fat. The current American Diabetes

Association® guidelines advise that less than seven to 10 percent of calories should come from saturated fat. These are the fats that raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol should be less than 200 to 300 mg per day, and intake of trans fats should be minimized.

• Keep protein intake in the range of 15 to 20 percent of total calories. Choose proteins that are low in fat such as nonfat dairy products,legumes, skinless poultry, fish and lean meats. To keep the cholesterol content in range, approximately six ounces of protein per day is recommended.

• Increase fiber intake by choosing carbohydrate foods that come from whole grain breads or cereals, pasta, brown rice, beans, fruits and vegetables. Increasing dietary fiber is a general guideline for the entire population, not just for people with diabetes. Diabetics who eat more high-fiber fruit, vegetables, and grains can improve their blood sugar control and may reduce their need for additional diabetes medicine. Limit sources of high-calorie and low-nutritional-value foods, including those with a high content of sugars.

Know your numbers!

Blood sugar monitoring is the most important tool for self-management. It reinforces whether your food choices and patterns of behavior are working for or against you.

Diabetes and Dental Care

Brush twice a day everyday! Did you know that people with Diabetes are twice as likely than non-diabetics to suffer from gum disease? Gingivitis is caused by bacteria in plaque. People with high blood sugar levels, like diabetics, may be particularly susceptible to the gum inflammation from gingivitis caused by these bacteria.