Guest Post: Keep the Holidays Happy and Healthy with Diabetes Prevention

I am SOOOO super excited for this guest post today!! It's all about staying healthy during the holidays and, let's face it, Easter and Passover are right around the corner! I'm not sure about you but we tend to indulge a bit more in my family during the spring holidays so I'm definitely taking this blog post to heart. Today's guest blogger is Carolyn and she's a  20-something year old with a passion for life, fitness and overall well-being. She is an avid cycler, golfer and has been known to bust some serious moves on the dance floor. Check out Carolyn’s fitness blog - you won't be disappointed. 

I have always taken pride and enjoyment from staying physically fit, but when my young cousin was recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, I realized that my personal fitness was no longer enough. For my cousin and the rest of my family, I need to actively promote healthy living and diabetes prevention awareness. This was fairly easy during November, American Diabetes Month, but it’s also important to remember all throughout the year, too!

I started to do some research on the disease so I could better understand how to help my cousin, and was horrified to find out how serious it really is. According to St. Joseph’s Cardiac Center, if left untreated, diabetes can reap other serious consequences later in life such as eye problems and blindness, heart disease, and even amputation. With St. Patrick’s Day and East rights around the corner,a time where kids are likely swapping all kinds of candy and sweets at school and at home, my resolve is still high, and I have been working with my cousins regularly to promote healthier overall lifestyles.

Being Active
The truth is that one need not abandon all traditional holiday activities in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. As every kid knows, the best thing about their upcoming spring break is no homework, and the extra time at home, away from desks and books, can be spent participating in fun physical activity. What could be more seasonally appropriate than going out to play in freshly fallen snow? Kids will work up a great appetite for healthy snacks while rolling up snowmen, sledding, building snow forts and participating in snowball fights. If you live in a warm climate or snow is starting to fade from your neighborhood, organize outdoor “spinning” activities for kids who can participate with bikes, scooters, roller skates or any kid-powered vehicle with wheels.

Eating Healthy
When it comes to holiday goodies, emphasize healthy snacks while minimizing the availability of high-calorie goodies full of refined sugar and saturated fat. You and your kids can still some of your favorite treats, but do so in moderation, or make healthier versions of them.

Replace fattening, sugary drinks with healthier options. For example, instead of sugary packets of instant-spiced cider, enjoy unsweetened apple cider that has been warmed and seasoned with cinnamon and a pinch of cloves. For dessert, consider trying sweet, vitamin-packed clementines instead of fattening cookies or pieces of candy. If you do choose to eat fattening holiday goodies, do so in moderation. Small servings help minimize holiday weight gain. Remember, your kids will model your behavior, so if you choose healthy options throughout the holiday season, and beyond, they are likely to follow suit.

Type 2 Diabetes is directly related to weight gain and inactivity. Adults who set good examples for their children while encouraging them to eat nutritious food and participate in physical activities are the best weapons against this disease.