Continuing in our series of, He Said, She Said; I am again proud and honored to team up with Author, Lecturer, AADE’s Educator of the Year, Susan Weiner, MS RDN CDE CDN.
Thanksgiving is fast approaching. With that may come the anxiety of ‘what the heck’ do I do so I do not eat too much. Below are just a few ideas we have for you with the upcoming holiday. Do not fret over the day. If you build yourself with anxiety, you will eat that much more the day after from guilt because you will feel like you failed…..DON’T DO THAT.
Failure is what you make it.
Remember that the holidays are the holidays even for your kids with diabetes. DO NOT make it a day of “Don’t do that!” or a day of ‘NOs!” Remember it is a holiday for your kids too and they will overdo it; as well as you and I will do. Find that balance and read below…..Susan offers some good tips you can use for your kids as well as for yourselves. Enjoy the day. Here are a few things to think about.
HE SAID: For me, the first thing to realize is that I am going to eat too much. Me and my millions of closest friends around the country are all going to approach Thanksgiving and eat too much. It’s the nature of the beast. Realize that, but, when you take that spoonful, try to take a little less than you normally would. Do other things during the day to take less than just piling it on. Even by saying, ‘take less’ to yourself before you start is a help. Look no one likes to eat more than I but now that I’m trying, really trying, to change things around (again!!) know that THIS has helped me.
SHE SAID: There is food EVERYWHERE over the holidays! Holiday cookie exchanges, office parties, annual get-togethers, and the list goes on and on. You might be tempted to just try one bite of cake or one piece of candy. Remember these “BLT’s” Bites Licks and Tastes can lead to an expanded waistline and unusual rise in your blood sugar level. So, just be aware of what you’re eating and keep testing your blood sugar if you indulge a bit throughout the festive season.
HE SAID: When watching those football games—-you can bring your own treat/snack that Is not ‘so loaded’. One of my favorites is: Spinach-Roasted Red Pepper Dip Serving size: 1 tablespoon, servings per recipe: 36
Ingredients: ½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese ½ cup plain low-fat or fat-free yogurt ½ cup light mayonnaise dressing or salad dressing ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard 1 cup loosely packed fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped ¾ cup bottled roasted red sweet peppers, drained and chopped ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions 3 red and/or yellow sweet peppers, seeded and cut into strips, or desired dippers
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, stir together mozzarella cheese, yogurt, mayonnaise dressing, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, the flour, and the Dijon mustard.
- Stir in the spinach, roasted red peppers, and 2 tablespoons of the green onions. Spread the cheese vegetable mixture evenly into a 1-quart ovenproof shallow dish or a 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.
- Bake the dip, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are bubbly and the mixture is heated through. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons green onions. Serve with red and/or yellow sweet pepper strips. Makes 2 ¼ cups. NUTRITION FACTS PER SERVING: Calories: 21, Total Fat: 2 g (0 g sat. fat), Cholesterol: 3 mg, Sodium: 47 mg, Carbohydrates: 1 g, Fiber: 0 g, Protein: 1 g.
SHE SAID:As a football fan, and a nutritionist, I had to come up with my own solid plan for game day. Here are a few of my tips and tricks for game day.Don’t Starve Yourself Before Kickoff
Make sure that you eat a healthy breakfast and lunch before pre-game festivities begin. If you skip meals earlier in the day, you might be extremely hungry and unable to make smart food choices during game time.
Have a Plan
Review the “menu” for the game. If you are going to a friend’s home for the game, find out what is going to be served. Chances are some of your favorite traditional foods will be there! Plan to eat whatever you enjoy … but think about portion control. Offer to bring a veggie platter with a Greek yogurt, salsa or hummus dip. That way you can fill up on low calorie vegetables instead of oodles of chips and cheesy dip. Of course you can have a few chips and some dip, just pay attention to your portion and eat the veggies in between.
Don’t Eat Out of a Container
Don’t eat directly from a bag of chips or out of a bowl of seven layer dip. Count out a few chips and place them on a napkin or paper plate. Spoon out a small serving of dip onto your plate. Try not to sit near the food. That way you’ll stay within portion guidelines and still enjoy some of your favorite foods.
Some great recipes can be found here by The Happy Diabetic, Robert Lewis:
http://www.happydiabetic.com/
HE SAID: Do not be afraid to alternate between drinks….having a glass of cold water between alcoholic beverages is refreshing, your taste buds will thank you, and you will have less alcohol in your body. And as you see below, Susan agrees completely on this point.
SHE SAID: Drink plenty of water. If you decide to drink alcohol, try to drink an eight ounce glass of water between each drink. This will cut down significantly on the amount of alcohol you drink (and your calories as well). Drinking more alcohol can reduce you inhibitions and cause you to eat a lot more food.
Again, do not stress over this day. Take it as it comes, enjoy yourself and realize that it is a holiday. You CAN enjoy it. Do so. Have a great day.
Happy Thanksgiving
I am a diabetes dad.
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