| It's that time of
the year again -- trips to visit family, entertaining
guests, cooking large meals, and encountering
a bounty of rich foods and desserts. Quite a challenge
for a person with diabetes. But not to worry --
as always, we've got some tips for you on how
to prepare for and enjoy this festive season.
Our holiday Lifestyle Tip is on Holiday
Meal Planning and our Recipe of the Month,
appropriate for the season, is actually a
pair of dishes that are personal favorites of
ours -- Holiday Roast Turkey and Cranberry
Apple Relish.
As always, when you see "Read More" at
the end of an article, or something that is underlined,
you can click on it to be linked to another
Web site where you'll find more information. When
you find a site that you may want to visit again
in the future, you can bookmark it.
Each month we receive
questions from our readers. We post some of the
more frequent questions and answers for everyone
to read. If you have questions or comments of
your own, please e-mail them to us at the end
of this issue.
We hope you enjoy this issue of our newsletter.
Thank you for making Access Diabetic Supply
your choice for diabetic supplies. |
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Avoiding
Holiday Overeating |
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Overeating during
the holidays can be a big problem for people with
diabetes. In this article, experts offer tips
on how people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes can
maintain healthy eating throughout the festivities.
People
with diabetes must control the amount of carbohydrates
they eat. In addition to many sweets, foods high
in carbohydrates include fruits, milk and starchy
foods such as potatoes and bread. Some vegetables,
such as peas and corn, also have a high carbohydrate
content.
Read More |
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Holiday Glucose Control |
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With proper planning,
you can keep your blood glucose (sugar) within
the normal range while having a good time. Holiday
gatherings and parties pose a special challenge
for people with diabetes, but with proper planning,
you can keep your blood glucose (sugar) within
the normal range while having a good time.
The following tips can help you manage your diabetes:
► Eat a low calorie, healthy snack
before leaving home. That way, you won't be as
hungry when you get to the party and you won't
overeat.
►
Have a plan for what, when, and how much you will
eat.
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Check out the foods being offered at the party,
and choose those that fit in with your meal plan.
►
Bring your favorite healthy dish to the party.
►
Eat slowly, and enjoy every bite. By eating slowly,
you reduce your chances of eating too much.
►
Drink water, the healthy, no-calorie snack.
Read More
Managing diabetes
while on vacation
Your diabetes or that of someone in your family
should not discourage you from travelling, even
abroad. Unfortunately, you can't take a vacation
from the diabetes. But careful planning will ensure
a safe and enjoyable holiday. Meet with your diabetes
team at least 4 to 6 weeks before a long trip
or a journey to a different time zone.
Here are some tips:
► Take enough insulin and other
supplies to last for the entire trip, and some
to spare. Keep the extra in a separate location
from the main supply, in case one of your bags
is lost or stolen.
► If you're boarding a plane, make
sure all your supplies are in your carry-on baggage.
For international travel, it may help to bring
a letter of permission from your doctor explaining
the equipment your child needs to have.
► Wherever you go, always carry some
food, together with a good supply of fast-acting
sugar to treat insulin reactions.
► Plan to monitor blood sugar at least
4 or more times a day, specifically, before meals
and at bedtime. The routine will be different
than it is at home, and you'll need to know how
her blood sugar is affected so you can make safe
adjustments.
► For active holidays, you may need
to reduce your child's insulin. Speak with members
of your diabetes team.
► Make sure your child wears some
form of diabetes identification, such as a MedicAlert
bracelet.
► Be prepared for emergencies. Take
the glucagon kit with you, so you can respond
to severe low blood sugar if necessary. Also,
take your sick-day guidelines and your ketone
testing strips with you.
► Don't forget to take the phone numbers
of key members of your diabetes team. They may
also be able to provide you with the names of
experts in your holiday location.
Read More
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Healthy Living: Lifestyle Tip &
Recipe of the Month |
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December Lifestyle Tip:
Holiday
Meal Planning
What does your family schedule look like for the
holiday season? Are you going out of town? Having
visitors stay with you? Do your plans usually include
a lot of parties and food-oriented events? Or are
your holidays more active, with events such as the
annual family Thanksgiving football game? Getting
a handle on what your schedule will look like ahead
of time will help out a great deal as you tackle
each day.
Once you know what your day will consist of, you
should then examine your menus. Do you have traditional
dishes that you make every year? There's no need
to completely rework your menu just because of diabetes,
but you may want to fine-tune it a bit. Planning
ahead can help. For example, maybe there are some
ways you can make your traditional holiday foods
a bit healthier. Will that casserole taste just
as good with fat-free or light sour cream instead
of regular? Can you steam the green beans this year
instead of sauteing in butter? There are plenty
of ways to lower fat, sugar, and carbohydrate counts
in your favorite foods while still keeping the taste
and texture you love.
Read More
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Talking
Turkey for the Holidays |
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| Sure to be the staple
of many holiday meals, turkey is a great addition
to your diet. It's low in fat and high in protein,
and a good source of iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium
and B vitamins. Here are some tips for turkey
safety:
► A frozen turkey can be bought
months in advance and stored in the freezer section
of the refrigerator. Allow about 24 hours of defrost
time for every 5 pounds of turkey. A 20-pound
turkey will take 4-5 days to thaw! Never thaw
turkey at room temperature.
► Stuff your turkey just before
you place the bird in the oven. Allow 1/2 to 3/4
cup stuffing per pound of turkey, and do not over-stuff.
The stuffing must be cooked to a minimum temperature
of 165 degrees to be safe.
► To roast the perfect turkey,
place the bird in a shallow pan. Insert a meat
thermometer into the inner thigh of the bird and
roast it in a pre-heated oven set at 325 degrees.
Your turkey is cooked when the thermometer in
the inner thigh reads 180 degrees, and the juices
run clear. Be sure the thermometer is not touching
any bones.
Read more
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| December Recipe: Cranberry
Apple Relish |
| This
month our featured recipe goes well with roasted
turkey: Cranberry Apple Relish.
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| Ingredients: Cranberry Apple
Relish |
| Ingredient |
Measure |
| Fresh
cranberries |
One
(1) 12-oz. bag |
| Granulated sweetener |
One (1) cup |
| Water |
One (1) cup |
| Orange juice
concentrate |
3 tablespoons |
| Medium apple, peeled, cored and diced |
One
(1) apple |
| Raisins (divided use) |
1/3 cup |
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Preparation
Place cranberries, sweetener, water and
juice concentrate in a medium saucepan.
Bring to a boil, and boil for 3 to 4 minutes,
or until cranberries start to thicken
and water has reduced by about half. Remove
from pan and place in a medium bowl. Cover
and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or overnight.
Add diced apple and half the raisins to
the cranberries. Stir well. Refrigerate
till ready to serve. Just before serving,
sprinkle remaining raisins over cranberries
for garnish. Makes 20 servings.
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Nutritional
Information - Cranberry Apple
Relish |
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| Recipe makes 20 servings |
| Calories: |
44 (4% fat) |
| Protein: |
Trace |
| Sodium: |
7 mg. |
| Cholesterol: |
None |
| Fat: |
Trace fat |
| Carbohydrates: |
11
g |
| Fiber: |
2 g |
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Questions & Answers - Ask the
Experts |
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| Each
month our staff answers questions and asks for your
feedback. However, if you have urgent questions
about your order or your meter, we encourage you
to call our customer care department at 1-800-276-5712.
We do our best to answer all questions, but we also
encourage you to consult your physician.
Below are a few of the typical questions
our customer care department has answered on this
month's theme. Each question is linked to a Web
site that gives an answer and provides more detail.
We hope you find this section helpful. |
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Access Diabetic Supply |
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