Tis the season for anyone who has a sweet tooth to pay attention to how much sugar or simple carbohydrate they are eating on a daily basis. Halloween marks the beginning of the sugar high and then comes Thanksgiving and right around the corner is Christmas. This is a time for people who are insulin-resistant, borderline diabetic or diabetic to be aware of what you could substitute for those hard to resist desserts. Baked apples are always a favorite and can be used in combination with oats and flax seed to balance out the carbohydrates. If you are borderline diabetic and you are also watching your weight then keep food records so you will know what you are eating throughout the day. Give yourself permission to have one dessert a week…or try an alternative like baked fruit compote with yogurt on top.

When you are looking at making a change in your eating habits look at both long term and short term goals.

A short term goal may be:

• Keep a food diary for the next 21 days.

• Decrease or eliminate diet sodas.

A long term goal would be:

• Having more energy and balance in my life

• The next week pick a short term goal and write it down and make a commitment.

Over the next month work on long term goals which would be for the next year.

What would it feel like to actually make it through the holidays without feeling like your dragging through life just waiting for January 1st to appear so you can finally get on track with your life. Most people have experienced either weight gain, decrease in energy, stress or so run down that they end up sick through most of the holidays. I hear people say all the time….”But I had to eat that piece of pie” or I could not turn down the extra helping and hurt their feelings.” Who ends up hurt in the long run? What are some changes you can make today that could change the way you feel throughout the holidays?

Tips:

1. If you have four parties to attend that week….then pick one or two.
2. Start out with a good breakfast that includes protein (egg or almond butter), whole grain (oatmeal or whole grain toast) and fruit.
3. Make sure you eat high fiber foods throughout the day. Not only will you feel full, you will also contribute to healthy colon.
4. Plan ahead….keep some food records to take a look at what you diet is actually like.