What can I do to manage my diabetes this time of year?

Thanksgiving isn’t the only event we celebrate in November. It is also Diabetes Awareness Month, and, according to Donna Gibbons, Diabetes Program Manager at Westchester Medical Center (WMC), getting screened for diabetes may be the perfect way to mark the occasion.

“The 2016 guidelines include mandatory diabetes screening so that all adults 45 years and older — not just those with a family history — should get screened,” Gibbons explains. In addition, if the test is normal, it should be repeated every three years.

When it comes to making the holiday easier – particularly for someone newly diagnosed with diabetes, Gibbons says it’s important to work with a diabetes educator or medical professional. “When it comes to sweets at the holidays, we try not to tell anybody no. Instead, diabetes educators teach people to redesign their plates to have more non-starchy vegetables, along with fewer fats and carbs. We teach them to make their favorite foods fit into their holiday plans by modifying their favorite holiday recipes to be healthier. Or, if they have a favorite treat that they just don’t want to modify, we teach our patients how to count the grams of carbohydrates for their meal, so they can make room for and still eat that special treat.”

For more about diabetes, visit https://www.westchestermedicalcenter.com/endocrinology-and-metabolism