The Christmas and New Year season can be a difficult time to stick to a healthy diet, but it is possible - if you plan your holiday meals and stock your pantry ahead of time.

Diabetes is a chronic condition, so it's important for your long-term health that you control your blood glucose level during the Christmas season with healthy eating and regular exercise. The key to doing this is to have a holiday eating and activity schedule planned ahead of time.

Months before Christmas, start making regular notes about how your meals, stress levels and activities affect your blood glucose level by using a diary and home blood glucose monitor. After a month or more, take your diary to your doctor for a review of your blood glucose control and any medication you may be taking.

Then consult your dietitian, who can recommend a suitable meal plan for the holiday season, including sensible amounts of your favourite foods and timing meals in line with your medication.

Managing Diabetes In The Christmas Season

1. Consult your doctor and dietitian before Christmas about a suitable holiday diet.
   
2. Host Christmas lunch at your home so you have suitable foods available.
   
3. Bring suitable foods and drinks with you when eating at other people's homes.
   
4. Substitute low-calorie drinks for alcohol, fruit juice and non-diet soft drinks.
   
5. Socialise away from the bar and the buffet table.
   
6. Don't give in to people pressuring you to eat something that's not healthy for you.
   
7. Make time for relaxation and stress relief. Exercise is a great stress reliever.
   
8. Stay active during the holiday period. Go for a walk in a park or along a beach with family or friends. Take the kids for a walk.
9. If you're travelling, take suitable snacks and drinks with you.
10. Try not to overeat at buffets. Eat slowly and wait for 10-15 minutes before going back for seconds. Take time to enjoy the company as well as the meal.

Whether you have diabetes or not, your healthy eating guidelines are the same: avoid eating too much fat and carbohydrate, and base your meals and snacks on fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrain cereal products, and legumes. The recipes in this book are suitable for the whole family, so there's no need to cook separate foods for those with diabetes, which helps take some of the stress out of holiday preparations.

All of the recipes in this book are delicious and easy to make, and have a relatively low fat content and low GI (glycaemic index). Foods with a high GI value (70 or more) are digested more quickly and produce a faster and higher rise in blood sugar than foods with a medium (56 to 69) or low GI value (55 or less).

Underneath each recipe you'll find the nutrient content of an average serve of the dish, including the approximate GI value. This information will help you monitor how much fat and carbohydrate you're eating, and help you choose lower-GI foods.

Dr Susanna Holt (PhD, dietician)