(ARA) - During the holiday season people tend to over indulge in the holiday festivities. Food management becomes extremely difficult and most people tend to "slip" on their healthy lifestyles. "While it is appropriate to enjoy the holiday, it is important to prepare for different eating habits so you can stay within reasonable limits and maintain regular glucose monitoring," says Patty Latham, M.S., R.D., diabetes educator at Roche Diagnostics. Roche Diagnostics, maker of ACCU-CHEK products, have developed some helpful tips for healthy holiday management.
* Plan Ahead. Map out what you will want to eat before your holiday celebration dinner and adjust your meals accordingly throughout the day.
* Moderation/Trade-off. Treat yourself to small samples/tastes of your favorite desserts; however, do so within limits. If you know you will want a piece of apple pie or a holiday cookie, work it into your diet by easing down your intake of carbohydrates for the day. (Be sure to check your blood glucose levels afterwards and take the proper measures to stabilize, if necessary.)
* Eat a low-calorie, healthy snack, such as fresh vegetables, before you leave for the celebration. Heading out on an empty stomach will only increase the chances of over-eating.
* Bring a healthy dish or dessert to your holiday celebration. (See recipes below)
* Portion Control. Smaller portions of meals and snacks will give you the ability to eat a wider variety of foods during the holiday season, and all year round. It is okay to indulge on sweets once in a while, but you have to make sure that you splurge on a small scale and adjust appropriately.
* Do Not Binge. One binge, such as a carb-overdose, can drastically increase your blood sugars for three to four days. Elevated blood sugars over an extended period of time can damage your blood vessels and organs. Be sure to maintain healthy blood glucose levels to avoid complications.
* Physical Activity. Regular exercise helps to moderate your blood glucose levels. It is important to engage in physical activities three to four times a week, especially during the holiday season.
Have a happy and healthy holiday!
For more information, visit www.accu-chek.com.
Healthy Holiday Dessert Recipes from the American Diabetes Association
Angel Bites
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 10-15 minutes
Number of Servings: 6
Serving Size: 6 Angel Bites
Ingredients:
5 egg whites
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons Splenda Granular
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 oranges for juicing
2 lemons for juicing
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 egg yolk
pinch of salt
Preparation:
For the Angel Bites, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 13 x 11 baking sheet. Set aside. Separate egg whites from yolk (reserve 1 yolk for the Citrus Filling). Place egg whites in a medium sized bowl. Whip on high speed using an electric beater or wire whisk until frothy. Add 1/3 cup Splenda Granular, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix until stiff peaks form (about 20-30 seconds on high speed with an electric mixer). Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of egg whites onto prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan.
Sandwich Angel Bites with Citrus Filling. Place filling on the bottom of one Angel Bite and top with another so that the bottoms of the Angel Bites are facing each other and the filling is sandwiched between them. Repeat to make 3 filled Angel Bites per serving (using 6 unfilled Angel Bites).
For the Citrus Filling, juice oranges and lemons to make approximately 3/4 cup of juice. Blend 3 tabelspoons Splenda Granular and the 1 reserved egg yolk together. Stir well. Add juice to egg yolk mixture. Mix thoroughly. Add cornstarch. Stir well. Pour into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened (approximately 2 minutes). Chill until ready to use. Garnish Angel Bites with a dollop of whipped cream, some orange zest and a sprig of mint.
Exchanges per Serving
1 Starch
Nutrition Information:
Amount per Serving
Calories 80 (Calories From Fat 9)
Total Fat 1 g (Saturated Fat 0 g)
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 50 mg
Total Carbohydrate 14 g (Dietary Fiber 1 g, Sugars 7 g)
Protein 4 g
Apple Cranberry Streusel Pie
Number of Servings: 8
Serving Size: 1/8th of recipe
Ingredients:
1 pastry for single crust 9-inch pie
1 3/4 cups Equal Spoonful OR 42 packets Equal sweetener
1 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
1 cup apple cider or unsweetened apple juice
1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 cups sliced, cored and peeled Granny Smith or other baking apple
1/4 cup quick cooking or old fashioned rolled oats, uncooked
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons Tbsp cold butter or margarine, cut into pieces
Preparation Instructions:
For Pie Filling, roll pastry on floured surface into circle 1-inch larger than inverted 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into plate; trim and flute edge.
Combine 1 cup Equal Spoonful and cornstarch in small saucepan. Stir in cranberries and apple cider. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute.
Combine 1/4 cup Equal Spoonful, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and salt; sprinkle over apples in large bowl. Toss to coat. Pour cranberry mixture over apples and mix gently. Arrange fruit in pie pastry.
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About The Author
Courtesy of ARA Content
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