Keep Blood Sugar in Check Naturally This Holiday Season

‘Tis the season for celebrations

‘Tis the season for celebrations, indulgent foods, and an abundance of tempting sugar-laden treats. While the holidays can be enjoyable for many, they can pose challenges for those looking to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

Enjoying the Holidays with Balance

While you won’t have to forgo eating gingerbread cookies, that beautiful Bûche de Noël, or luscious red velvet cake, with a little help from a functional medicine practitioner, you’ll be able to stabilize your blood sugar and support overall wellness.

Personalized Nutritional Guidance

Functional medicine practitioners recognize that everyone’s body reacts to foods differently. A practitioner will take your particular health profile and tailor a diet to help you balance your blood sugar. This might be by steering you toward low-glycemic foods—the ones with the slower release of sugar into the system—and nutrient-dense choices to stabilize energy levels.

For the holidays, FM doctors can also offer healthier alternatives to traditional sweet treats. For example, you can use natural sweeteners and add fiber-rich ingredients that delay the absorption of sugar.

Supplement Recommendations for Targeted Wellness

There are certain supplements that are recommended to help balance blood sugar levels. Among the more important ones is chromium, an essential mineral in the processing of glucose; equally important are magnesium and alpha-lipoic acid. A functional medicine doctor would assess your nutritional needs and recommend some supplements to address them.

This ensures you’re not only getting the right nutrients but taking them in safe and effective doses. For many people, these supplements will be powerful tools to support the balance of blood sugar when temptations increase during the holidays.

Lifestyle Support and Stress Management

From juggling workplace demands to getting all those holiday to-dos done, this can be a stressful season, and stress has a direct impact on blood sugar levels. Elevated stress increases cortisol—a hormone that can cause blood sugar spikes.

This is precisely the link that our FM physicians uncover and often incorporate into management strategies through techniques such as mindfulness practices, breathing exercises, and lifestyle modifications to promote calm and, thereby, optimize blood sugar regulation. Lowering holiday stress will allow you to better manage cravings and prevent overactive eating that may trigger blood sugar spikes.

Focus on Physical Activity

From a brisk hike to ice-skating at your neighborhood rink, being active will help you manage blood sugar; exercise improves insulin sensitivity and assists your muscles in absorbing glucose. A functional medicine practitioner may recommend the exercise modalities that best fit your fitness level and lifestyle—from gentle yoga and walking to strength training.

Even a short, brisk walk following a holiday meal can make a significant difference in terms of blood sugar stability, and your doctor may be able to provide some helpful advice about how to incorporate activity into your holiday routine.

Accountability and Support

Just like having a workout buddy can help you stick to your exercise routine, navigating holiday eating challenges is easier with guidance and accountability. An FM practitioner becomes a partner for your path to wellness, providing encouragement and support as you navigate a busy season. They may help you set realistic goals and check in on progress, adjusting recommendations based on how you’re feeling.