Your Holiday Best Bets

Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year's, Valentine's Day... the celebratory holidays just keep rolling through the winter season. And with them comes sugar. Lots of it, in the form of pies, candies, cookies, even Aunt Hilda's famous braided prune pastry ring.

What's a kid with diabetes to do? A few tips to get you started:

• Make the most of the nonfood aspects of holiday traditions—and start some of your own! A post-feast fun run, anyone?
• Talk with your health professional beforehand to come up with a plan for accommodating the pumpkin pie or latkes.
• Have fun! Playing and exercising every day—ice skating, sledding, bowling, or touch football—can help moderate the effects of extra carb intake. Suggest an activity like this instead of the requisite movie-with-friends weekend.
• Ask for toys instead of treats. Who could deny you a little something while the others are slurping the sugar?
• And, of course, the old standard advice: Ask (or help) your household cook to come up with some yummy holiday desserts that are reduced carb and low fat.

By Julie Mettenburg
Published in Countdown For Kids Magazine Winter 2003
Posted December 2002