Coping with type 2 diabetes around the holidays

You see all sorts of sugary delectable foods around the holidays. It is exciting for some but not so much for people who are diabetic, specifically ones with type 2.

People with diabetes know the risks but if you are someone without diabetes, you can sometimes forget about accommodating those that have it.

Here is some good news, a local registered dietician certified diabetes educator said it is a common myth that people with diabetes cannot eat those treats.

“Think about what their plan is, watch the portion sizes and the frequency that they do that,” Becky Sulick, RD said.

According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 30 million Americans have diabetes. Of that 30 million, about 130,000 are people in Idaho.

Jacqueline Baray is one of them. She said she has had type two diabetes for about 20 years. She tries to change recipes and said her routine did not come easy when she first started. It takes time.

“You don’t always want to say ‘Oh, I can’t have this.’ ‘I don’t want that.’ I’m going to eat it! If people give me stuff and I can’t eat it right then, I’ll freeze it if it’s freezable. Otherwise I’ll just nibble at it, so I don’t get it all at once,” Baray said.

Baray said the key is moderation.

“I have seen several of my friends, acquaintances that have had it and ate until they got sick and had to go to the hospital and I don’t want to do that,” she said.

Bill Ayzin is the owner of Wealth of Health Natural Market. He said for a diabetic around the holidays, it can be tough, but a solution is substitutes. He is not talking about your usual Splenda sweeteners.

“Almond flower and using a sweetener like Stevia or Xylotol, would produce a total carb count or sugar count much lower than using regular white flower,” Ayzin said.

Ayzin said fat is a diabetic’s best friend. That is one way to accommodate a person who is diabetic over the holidays, Ayzin said.

“If you ever have a baked potato, always put butter, sour cream or bacon, because those fats and protein blend how quickly that potato converts to sugar,” he said.

Alternative sugars are Stevia, Xylotol and Coconut Palm Sugar (more here).