Happy and Healthy Holidays

For those of us who are trying to eat healthy and stay active, the stretch from Halloween to New Year’s Day is a real gauntlet.

Temptations are everywhere, and parties and travel can really throw a wrench into our regular nutrition and exercise routines.

It’s even tougher to navigate the holidays if you’re also trying to manage diabetes. How can you stick to your plan when everyone else is splurging?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these five tips that can help: and savor a small serving, and make sure to count it in your meal plan.

You’ve got a lot on your plate this time of year, and physical activity can get crowded out. But being active is your secret holiday weapon; it can help make up for eating more than usual and reduce stress during this most stressful time of year. Get moving with friends and family, such as taking a walk after a holiday meal.

Going out more and staying out later often means cutting back on sleep. Sleep loss can make it harder to control your blood sugar, and when you’re sleep deprived you’ll tend to eat more and prefer high-fat, high-sugar food. Aim for 7 to 8 hours per night to guard against mindless eating.

Finally, the best thing you can do during the holidays is to remember one of the great joys of the season — spending time with the people you care about most. When you focus more on the folks and the fun, it’s easier to focus less on the food.

And, in this time of Thanksgiving we just want to say how are grateful we at Polk Medical Center are to be part of such a wonderful community.