Thanksgiving Ideas For Diabetics: From the moment you were told you had diabetes you worked to adjust your diet and exercise to assist in your ability to achieve positive health objectives.
Your strict adherence to diet has resulted in very positive results. Your blood sugar is more balanced, your weight is down and you might even feel better than you have in a very long time. Than along comes Thanksgiving.
Suddenly your thoughts return to comfort foods and family traditions. Turkeys dance in your imagination along with pumpkin or pecan pie, potatoes and homemade gravy. Your mind goes back to family gatherings and an almost unlimited supply of taste tempting treats.
It is possible to conclude that this year you may have to cloister yourself away from family and dine on a less than sumptuous meal of celery and sprouts.
Thanksgiving has always been a time for family. Living with diabetes simply means you make the choice to be creative in how you enjoy your time with your loved ones. If you’re the cook you may even help educate others in how to be more sensitive to the needs of those who struggle with their blood sugar levels.
When you live with diabetes you learn to begin looking at food in a new way. By learning what to avoid and what to limit you begin to live more fully within the limitations of diabetes.
Thanksgiving is a time to limit your intake of calories. One of the best ways to do that is to really pay close attention to the food that’s available. Carb laden food such as potatoes, sweet potatoes and stuffing can be used as accents to your plate while modest servings of turkey may also be a familiar treat. Refuse to overfill your plate and resists the allure of second helpings.
One of the best ways to retrain your mind is to concentrate on those gathered around you instead of dwelling on the beauty of past meals. By engaging others in meaningful conversation you will have less time to eat and more time to enjoy the company of family and friends.
Truly savoring the food you do eat is another way to enjoy the meal. You really can eat less and enjoy more when you take smaller bites and chew them longer. This will aid in digestion and reduce the total number of calories and carbs that can prove problematic for you.
Water is always your friend. By making sure you are well hydrated prior to the Thanksgiving meal you may feel fuller and have less need for food. This will always work to your advantage as water is a great cleansing agent and less food will assist in managing your diabetes more effectively.
Resist the after dinner slump. Stay active by inviting others to take a walk with you or by helping with the dishes. We all know the tryptophan found in turkey can be a lure to a mid afternoon nap, but by resisting it you allow the food you have eaten to work through your system without as many problems.
The combination of these disciplines can even pave the way for you to enjoy certain after dinner treats that have strong links to Thanksgiving.
Let’s take a look at a couple of recipes that are geared to assist those with diabetes during Thanksgiving get-togethers.
Better Recipes presents an alternative to the more traditional Thanksgiving turkey by drawing on spice and flavor while keeping things beneficial for diabetics.
Winter Gumbo For Thanksgiving
1 cup okra (sliced 1/2 inch)
1 cup Vidalia onion, diced
1 diced green pepper
3 stalks celery, diced into 1/4 inch slices
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 vine ripened tomatoes, diced
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 14 oz cans of chicken broth
4 Tablespoons Emeril’s Essence
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons Tabasco
2 Tablespoons diced jalapeno peppers (jarred, no seeds)
Heat olive oil in the bottom of a large saucepan on medium high. Sweat the onions, bell pepper, and celery until tender. Add salt, flour and garlic powder. Mix thoroughly until smooth and there are no lumps in the pan. Add chicken broth and canned tomatoes. Bring to a soft boil. Add okra, tomatoes, and jalapeno to the mixture. Add Emeril’s essence and Tabasco to taste. Lower the heat to low and simmer for two or more hours. Serves 10.
Cooks suggests the following delicious dessert recipe that will likely be a hit with all and helpful to those who are on a sugar restrictive diet.
Diabetic’s Pumpkin Pie
1 baked & cooled 9″ pie shell
2 sm. pkg. sugar-free instant vanilla pudding
2 c. milk
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Use plain canned pumpkin. Do not use canned pumpkin pie mixture. Pour into pie shell and chill until ready to serve.
Other snacks that might be appropriate are a moderate amount of nuts or seeds, fruit (dried or fresh), strawberries with angel food cake, or you can try something new and try fruit-kabobs fresh off the grill.
When you start early to develop a strategy for Thanksgiving mealtime you can help keep temptation at bay. You may be certain the course of action you are taking is the correct step to maintaining optimum health, but historic Thanksgiving meals seem to insist you throw off restraint and dine with abandon.
By accepting the temptation to indulge you may actually come to despise Thanksgiving because it always leaves you in poor physical health and sets a negative tone for the remainder of the holiday season.
Be proactive in your planning and mealtime strategy and see if this Thanksgiving might not be the start of a healthier holiday feast that leaves you with no regrets.
