Don't Forget Diabetic Friends, Co-Workers This Christmas

It never fails. I go to the office Christmas party and there's all this food spread out over two or three tables. It looks delicious and tempting. I'd like to try one of everything but there is a dilemma. There isn't a single thing there I can eat.

That's an exaggeration. There are usually some sliced meats. And water.

As a diabetic, functions such as these pose an especially disappointing encounter. It's normal to see sweets and I expect that. So I stay away from those. But it's difficult to steer clear of the main dishes which consist of pastas, breads, fruits and other high-carb ingredients. Not to mention sweetened tea and sugar-laden soft drinks.

It is estimated that 7.8% of the U.S. population is diabetic, almost 24 million people. Of those, 11.5 million are women. Diabetes is a growing health problem for children with about 1.6 million people under the age of 20 diagnosed with diabetes.

Diabetes is not something to play around with. This disease affects every part of the human body, from the heart, eyes, kidneys, and blood pressure to teeth and the nervous system. It can lead to heart disease, stroke, blindness, dialysis and amputations.

So this Christmas season, take into consideration those friends and co-workers who are diabetic. Here are a few suggestions to include their special dietary needs in the festivities.

1. Include fresh, raw vegetables, preferably those low in carbohydrates such as broccoli, cauliflower, celery and carrots. Low-carb dips are also available to accompany those veggies. If your office party is a potluck, the "green" family is an excellent source of low carbs along with other nutritional values: green beans, mustard, collard and turnip greens, spinach and kale. These leafy greens can be cooked or used raw in salads.

2. Sugar-free soft drinks and unsweetened iced tea are the better choices for diabetics. Consider having more than one container of those choices as non-diabetics will tend to drink them as well in an effort to balance all the carbohydrate intake they realize they are making.

3. Read the labels on your bread choices. Fifteen grams of carbohydrates is equivalent to one serving. Any bread product which has fewer than 15 grams per slice or serving is a good choice for diabetics. The labels on all processed foods are required by law to include carbohydrate and sugar information. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to read those labels to determine exactly what you are getting in the food you buy. Be careful, though, because even though a product may be low in carbohydrates, it can also be very high in sodium content which adversely affects blood pressure.

4. Include some sugar-free or low-carb dessert choices for diabetics. Believe it or not, most fresh fruit is high in carbohydrates. Sugar-free jello or pudding are good choices. But the best choice for dessert for diabetics is fresh berries such as raspberries, blackberries or strawberries. Apple slices or orange and grapefruit sections are also good choices, provided they are consumed in moderation, but that is up to the individual.

5. Include plenty of protein choices. Cottage cheese is a great source of protein in addition to any meat selections and a good choice for diabetics and vegetarians alike.

6. Set aside a table specifically for diabetics. Sometimes the non-diabetics scoop up those dishes that are good for diabetics before the diabetics themselves have the chance to get to them. Better yet, healthy eating for diabetics is actually healthier eating for all and you may want to consider having an entire low-carb menu for your holiday office party.

Recipes and menu ideas for diabetics can be found all over the Internet. Make it a healthy holiday celebration for yourself, your friends and your co-workers.