9 Tips for Steady Glucose During the Holiday Season

1. Use Lingo’s festive balanced plate formula

Lingo has developed a balanced holiday plate method for the winter period to ensure you’re eating in a way that helps to balance glucose while also enjoying your favourite festive foods. This simple formula will help lessen the impact of carbs on your glucose levels.^2,3 Here’s how to do it:

• Fill ½ of your plate with non-starchy vegetables, such as sprouts, cauliflower, or leafy greens.

• Fill ¼ of your plate with high-quality protein, such as turkey, beef, or tofu.

• Fill ¼ of your plate with carbohydrates, such as potatoes, bread, or stuffing.

So, if you know that your brother will be bringing his special roast potatoes to your family meal, you can use this festive formula to make sure there’s room for them while you’re also loading up with the veg and protein to keep your levels steady.

2. Start with greens

Kicking off a meal by eating some non-starchy veg like sprouts, broccoli, or cauliflower can help blunt a glucose spike.^4,5 They’re full of fibre, which can help slow digestion and lead to slower rises in glucose.⁶

The fibre in veggies can make you feel more satiated, too. This may help you avoid overeating so you can leave your dinner table not overly full.⁷

Top tip: If you’re having mashed potato, add more fibre by accompanying it with some other veg, such as swede, cauliflower, or a salad.

3. Prioritise protein

Outside of big meals, it can be easy to sideline sources of protein in favour of all the delicious carby and sugary foods that are on hand. But doing this can lead to glucose spikes and crashes that could leave you fatigued, in a low mood, and craving more simple carbs.^3,8,9

Like your non-starchy greens, eating protein such as roast turkey or chicken ahead of the potato or stuffing on your plate can slow your digestion and prevent your glucose from spiking while also keeping you full.^4,5,10

4. Fuel with healthy fats

Incorporating sources of healthy fats into your meals can slow how quickly you digest carbs, and they are an important source of energy that can help to keep you full.^11,12 While fats are more calorie-dense than carbs and protein, they can also help you absorb important vitamins, like A, D, E and K.¹³

A few examples of good sources include olives, olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, or sardines. You could try adding these to salads or eating them as a snack instead of something that’s more carb-heavy.

5. Choose savoury, not sweet

A quick and easy way to spike your glucose is to eat lots of sugary foods.¹⁴ When you’ve got a choice, picking a savoury food over a sweet option is a simple way to avoid doing this.

Breakfast is a great meal to target here, and we recommend aiming for 30 grams of protein at breakfast. For a savoury high-protein breakfast, try sausage and eggs or a tofu breakfast burrito to fill you up, which may make you more likely to make healthy food choices later in the day.^2,15

And when you do eat sweet, sugary foods, try to eat them alongside or after sources of fibre and protein to reduce their impact on your glucose.³

Top tip: Watch out for hidden sources of added sugar. Many foods and drinks, such as condiments, breakfast cereals, and store-bought pasta sauces, can contain surprisingly high amounts of added sugars. Even seemingly healthy options such as honey glazing on carrots or ham can be sources of hidden sugars.

To satisfy your sweet tooth in a more glucose-friendly way, check the nutrition labels for store-bought treats and look for no-sugar-added varieties, or make your own versions at home by adding non-nutritive sweeteners like stevia or sucralose, or natural flavours like cinnamon or a splash of fruit juice for sweetness.

6. Make simple swaps

Keeping your glucose steady doesn’t always require huge changes to the food you might normally plan to eat. Sometimes a simple swap in ingredients can dramatically reduce the impact of a meal on your glucose.

Here are a couple of swaps to consider:

When recipes call for plain flour, try using wholemeal or almond flour instead. Note: you may need to adjust the amount you use if you make this swap.

Swap half of a potato dish (such as mashed or roast potatoes) for cauliflower. This will cut down the total amount of carbs you eat while increasing your fibre intake.

Snack on mixed nuts, olives, string cheese, or veggies and dip rather than crisps and pretzels. Because they contain mainly protein and fat, they should have minimal impact on your glucose.

Using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) like Lingo will also provide extra insight into the effects that different foods and drinks have on your glucose. With this information, you’ll be able to work out which meals and approaches work best for you.

7. Avoid skipping meals

You may be tempted to skip a meal to make room for a big holiday lunch or dinner, but doing this can leave you more open to overeating later.¹⁶ You may also be more easily tempted by “naked carbs” (carbs by themselves, like crisps or biscuits), which could lead to a glucose spike.³

Not only that but missing one meal could cause your glucose to rise more than it normally would the next time you eat.¹⁷

Instead, set yourself up for the day with a protein-packed breakfast (aim for at least 30 g protein). This helps to keep you full and your energy stable,^10,15 which may make it easier to make healthier choices later on.

8. Drink mindfully

Don’t forget to make room for water and other fluids. Keeping well-hydrated is important for your body and brain and may reduce the risk of developing high blood sugar over time.^18,19

When you’re picking something to drink, also be aware of the effects that different drinks can have on your glucose levels. Fruit juices and soft drinks in particular could cause your glucose to rise rapidly. Instead, why not go for water (including infused water), teas, or zero-sugar fizzy drinks.

If you’re going to have something alcoholic, look for a low-sugar option, such as pure spirits, dry wines, light beer, or hard seltzers. And avoid drinking on an empty stomach, as this may accelerate the feeling of alcohol in your system. ²⁰

9. Get moving

Before or after you’ve eaten, try going for a 20-minute walk. This could help aid digestion and blunt a glucose spike. ²¹

It’s also a good idea to make time for some strength training over the holiday period. Resistance training, like 20 minutes of bodyweight exercises (think: lunges or push-ups), can improve your glucose management and insulin sensitivity.²²

Recipes

If you’re interested in some specific ideas for things to eat and drink, here are a couple of recipes for festive favourites that are less likely to spike your glucose.

Non-alcoholic mulled wine

This recipe makes five servings and contains around 13 g of carbohydrates per serving (which includes about 10 g of sugar).

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle of alcohol-removed wine (or 475 ml water and 475 ml pomegranate juice)

• 1 orange, sliced

• 2-3 cinnamon sticks

• 2-3 star anise pods

• 3 cloves

• Fresh cranberries (optional)

• Cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

Instructions:

• If cooking on a stove: combine all the ingredients in a large pot and simmer for 25 minutes.

• If cooking with a slow cooker: combine all the ingredients and set the cooker to low for 2 hours

Mini no-bake pudding balls

This recipe makes between four and six servings and contains around 16 g of carbohydrates, 5 g of protein, and 2.5 g of fibre per serving.

Ingredients (makes 12 chocolate pudding balls):

• 10 medjool dates

• 1/4 cup of ground almonds

• 1/4 cup of cacao powder (or cocoa powder)

• 2 Tbsp peanut butter

• 1/2 tsp of nutmeg

• 1 tsp of cinnamon

• ½ cup of Greek yoghurt

• 1 Tbsp low or no sugar protein powder

• Pomegranate seeds

• Mint leaves, cut small

Instructions:

• Remove the stones from the dates and place with the other ingredients to make the balls in a food processor.

• Roll the mixture into round chocolate pudding balls and leave in the fridge for an hour.

• Make the topping by mixing 1/2 cup of thick Greek yoghurt and 1 Tbsp protein powder. Top the balls with the mixture and finish off with a pomegranate seed and a mint leaf to make them look like little puddings.

A final note from Lingo

It may seem like it’s not possible to enjoy your favourite holiday activities and traditions while maintaining steady glucose levels, but with a few adjustments, you may find it becomes much more doable.

We want you to enjoy the holiday season and have fun while also staying on track with your goals. And the tips we’ve looked at in this article are ones that you can take into the new year and beyond.

If you make a habit of building a balanced plate for your meals or finding time for a walk after meals, for instance, you may find it easier to manage your glucose and stick to your health goals going forward.

You could also take things further with a CGM like Lingo, which will allow you to track how different foods, drinks, and activities affect your glucose levels. This insight can help you to make the best choices for you and your body all year-round.

_{The Lingo system is not for medical use and intended for users 18 years and older. Lingo is not intended for diagnosis or management of any disease including diabetes.}

_{The Lingo programme does not guarantee that everyone will achieve the same results as individual responses may vary. It is best to speak to your doctor for advice on starting any diet or exercise regime or if you have an eating disorder or a history of eating disorders.}

_{© 2024 Abbott. All rights reserved. The biosensor housing, Lingo, and related marks are marks of the Abbott group of companies. Other marks are the property of their respective owners.}