Christmas can still be Christmas for diabetics, DHR says

Christmas Day, perhaps more than most holidays, brings families together to enjoy a big feast.

Tables are filled with traditional holiday foods such as tamales, fruit cakes, pastries and ham but for those who have to watch what they eat, the temptation to indulge can sometimes be too great.

According to Mindy Garces, nurse practitioner at DHR Health, the holidays often lead to diabetic flare-ups due to a combination of factors.

Of the more than 1 million people in the Rio Grande Valley, diabetes is prevalent in 26% of the population, research from a 2006 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley study shows.

That study, which was conducted by the then-UTPA Border Health Office, also shows that 7% of the state’s population has diabetes.

Garces explained that during the holidays people with diabetes often forget to travel with their medications, and this coupled with a holiday diet can create problems.

In order to prevent potential problems, Garces is advising people with diabetes to pay attention to carbohydrates that include starches and sugar.

She explained that it is best to limit the number of foods with high starch levels including anything made with corn or flour, peas, potatoes and lentils.

Other foods with high sugar levels such as sweet bread, cakes, jello and pudding are also not advised.

Garces recommends replacing certain foods with non-starchy items such as lettuce, spinach, green beans, asparagus or tomatoes as well as choosing leaner proteins such as fish, chicken, turkey or red meats.

“I always tell patients you always want to make conscious food choices,” Garces said, adding that it’s important to balance out meals.

Along with balancing starchy and non-starchy foods, she explained that it’s also important to avoid sugary drinks.

“Drinks with sugar are one of the big culprits of these sugar spikes,” Garces said. “I always tell my patients to choose like a chamomile tea, like an Earl Grey, some coffee, water or anything like that.”

Overall, Garces explained that one does not need to avoid holiday food entirely but rather focus on balance.