With the holidays arriving, you know what that means—food, food and food! But even with all the tasty treats ahead, it is still possible to stick with your healthy habits.

Our team at AFC Urgent Care Spring Hill wants to offer you tips on how you can still enjoy the holiday season while taking the best possible care of yourself.

How Can I Lighten Up Holiday Meals for Those With Diabetes?

With more than 29.1 million people in the United States living with diabetes, chances are high that a few of your guests are included in this statistic. In fact, some of your guests might not even be aware they have the condition.

Fortunately, when cooking your favorite holiday dishes, there are ways you can make some changes to better serve the health of everyone, including people with diabetes. For instance, you can reduce the sugar and remove white rice and other processed grains from your holiday meal. In addition, you want to aim to cut the amount of oil you use in half and try using only healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils when cooking.

Best Foods for Those With Diabetes

• Fatty fish
• Leafy greens
• Cinnamon
• Eggs
• Chia seeds
• Turmeric
• Greek yogurt
• Nuts

What Does a Healthy Plate Look Like?

Visually divide your plate into fourths. One half (two quarters) of your plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables. One quarter of your plate should contain lean protein, like turkey or chicken. The last quarter of your plate should contain whole grains.

It may also be helpful to use smaller plates, since doing so has been shown to cut down on the amount we eat overall.

Other Ways to Stay Healthy Over the Holidays

• Exercise for at least 30 minutes most days.
• Quit smoking.
• Learn how to manage stress.
• Meditate.
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
• Get plenty of rest each night.

Are you feeling under the weather? Visit the AFC Urgent Care Spring Hill team today! No appointment is necessary.