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Cutting calories and carbs but not the enjoyment
Christmas is a mixture of many things – presents, excitement for children [and adults] and a busy time for everyone. But if you or a member of your family has diabetes, Christmas can be a worrying and stressful time too, especially if this is your first time with diabetes. Celebrating Christmas is not just a time for presents but also about food! We all eat a lot more than we should and we tend to eat much more of the sort of food that is not exactly ideal for children or adults with diabetes. It doesn’t matter whether you are taking insulin for Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes or tablets for Type 2, you can’t take a day off from it but it is important to remember that it is a time to be enjoyed with family and friends.
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HOW TO DECREASE SUGAR IN YOUR FAVOURITE RECIPES
Use less sugar, use sugar-free gelatins for desserts, substitute sweeteners for sugar and/or substitute sugar-free drinks in punches or other drinks.
CHRISTMAS DINNER
In terms of carbohydrate content, it is similar to Sunday lunch with some extras, such as cranberry sauce and stuffing. You aren’t obliged to eat everything, so choose what you like best and pass on the rest. If you want to eat everything, do so but just have smaller portions. Take a family walk after lunch to walk off the extras – it’s good for everyone and a convenient way of lowering blood sugars without anyone else thinking about it!
MINCE PIES
Make your own so that they have thinner pastry and are smaller than bought ones! Adding finely chopped apples to bought mincemeat will reduce the sugar content.
NIBBLES
As well as the usual carbohydrate-containing nibbles, have plates of raw vegetables and low calorie dips around. Nuts and dried fruit are a good idea too – two tablespoons of nuts are only 10 grams of carbohydrate and half to one tablespoon of dried fruit is the same Fruit is always good too – there are 10 grams of carbohydrate in a medium sized banana, apple, orange, two plums, two tangerines and a handful of grapes or cherries.
Christmas is a time for celebration and enjoying lovely food. Many people go out to several functions at this time of year when a Christmas dinner is offered. Here are some ideas for how to cut calories and carbohydrate in an easy way. All calculations have been based on average portion sizes, so if you eat large ones then the calories and carbohydrate will add up even more.
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• Cutting down on the potatoes and dry roasting them.
• The chipolata wrapped in bacon can be omitted.
• The plate can be filled up with extra vegetables, such as carrots or brussels.
• The Christmas pudding can be home made to a lower calorie recipe.
• Fruit salad can be substituted for the Christmas pudding.
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These recipes are about inspiration, not ones to be followed slavishly but ideas to get the Christmas taste buds flowing. If you think they are too different from your normal recipes then adapt them a little but so that you are still moving towards a lower fat type of recipe. So often buffets feature a variety of rich fat nibbles. Nothing wrong with them other than they are a bit higher in fat and salt and can be a bit boring. So here are a few low fat ideas. All are calculated out so they will give you some idea as to how to fit them into your diet.
(Portions – 8)
The fun doesn’t stop here. You can just as easily swap out carrots and cucumbers for other vegetables. Here are some other options:
26 kcal, 5g carbohydrate, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g salt.
(Portions - 12 depending on the size of the potatoes)
• 450g of salad potatoes or baby potatoes cut into wedges
• Chopped thyme and parsley or any other herbs you fancy
• 10ml light soya sauce
• 10ml sesame oil
Put all the ingredients into a plastic bag, shake well.
Place potatoes on a baking tray, lightly oiled or onto grease proof paper and bake at the top of a hot oven.
35 kcal, 6g carbohydrate, 1g fat, 0.2g saturated fat, 0g salt.
Portions - 6
• 2 large onions, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp rapseed oil
• pinch pepper
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 1 slice whole meal bread, in breadcrumbs
• 100g mashed sweet potato
Add the onions to a pan with the rapeseed oil and cook gently for 6–7 minutes until softened and starting to brown.
Add the pepper and sage. Then add the breadcrumbs, sweet potato and 200ml water from the boiled potato.
Mix well, place the mixture in a lightly oiled ovenproof dish and bake for 20 minutes until the top has browned.
If you don’t like sage, try adding a tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley and a teaspoon of dried thyme or use oregano or tarragon instead.
Freezing instructions: Freeze in portions then defrost in the fridge, or defrost in a microwave and reheat until piping hot.
65 kcal, 10.8g carbohydrates, 1.3 fat, 0.1g saturated fat, 5.9g sugars, 0.08g salt.
Portions -10
In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towels. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings.
In same skillet, combine vinegar, brown sugar and reserved drippings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in a serving bowl, combine spinach, apples, onion and bacon. Drizzle with warm dressing; toss to coat. Serve immediately.
117 calories, 7g fat (2g saturated fat), 11mg cholesterol, 135mg sodium, 11g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 2g fiber), 3g protein.
Portion - 8
Method
In a small bowl, mix oil, garlic and seasonings; rub over roast. Arrange carrots and onions on the bottom of a 13x9-in. baking pan. Place roast over vegetables, fat side up. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 475°. Roast the pork for 20 minutes.
Reduce oven setting to 425°. Roast until a thermometer reads 145° and vegetables are tender, 30-40 minutes longer. Remove roast from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 20 minutes before slicing.
1 serving: 295 calories, 13g fat (4g saturated fat), 85mg cholesterol, 388mg sodium, 9g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 2g fiber), 34g protein.
Portions- 5
Method
Core apples, leaving bottoms intact. Peel top third of each apple; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Combine the cranberries, brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon and nutmeg; spoon into apples.
Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until apples are tender.
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.
1 stuffed apple: 136 calories, 2g fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 6mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate (25g sugars, 4g fiber), 1g protein.
When you drink, your liver decreases its ability to release glucose so that it can clean the alcohol from your blood. Because glucose production is shut down, hypoglycaemia [low blood sugar] becomes a risk for people with diabetes, particularly if you drink on an empty stomach or shortly after taking insulin or glucose-lowering tablets. It takes two hours for just one ounce of alcohol to metabolise and leave your system so the risk continues long after your glass is empty.
• Alcohol lowers blood glucose levels so increasing the risk of hypoglycaemia [low blood sugars] not just while drinking but also over the next 24 hours or longer.
• Alcohol impairs judgement, so you may not realise that you are hypo and will not treat it with sugary food. You may also be mistaken for being drunk by others around you and so they will not offer help. Both of these situations could lead to severe hypoglycaemia.
• The alcohol that we drink may contain carbohydrates but these do not offset the blood sugar lowering effect of the alcohol, so they should not be counted as part of your overall carbohydrate consumption.
Having diabetes does not mean that you cannot drink but there are some golden rules that people with diabetes should follow:
• Only drink in moderation – sensible advice whether or not you have diabetes.
• Learn by experience how alcohol affects you – everyone is different.
• Take the appropriate steps to prevent a hypo and if necessary lower your insulin dose at the meal prior to going out for a drink.
• The best time to drink alcohol is with a meal. If you are not having a meal with your alcohol then it is a good idea to nibble carbohydrates [eg crisps] throughout the evening.
• Never drink alcohol before a meal.
• Have an extra bedtime snack before going to bed. Remember that alcohol could lower your blood glucose during the night while you are asleep, resulting in a night hypo. The alcohol may also make you sleep more soundly so that the hypo warnings may not wake you.
The standard treatment for a hypo [hypoglycaemia, low blood glucose] is a glass of orange juice but if it is a mild hypo and you are able to eat and drink, then have chocolate as a treat. Chocolate contains more fat which slows down the action of its sugar content, but it is Christmas after all!
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