November: Stopping Diabetes Over the Holidays

Just in time for the Holidays....November is National Diabetes Month and I'm glad the awareness is spreading during a time when many people put their health on the back-burner while enjoying the holidays. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE Thanksgiving and Christmas...but gone are the days when I celebrate weeks in advance with cookies, chocolate, and eggnog on a daily basis. It can be tempting - but the statistics (and my job) provide me with enough education and motivation to focus on being healthy and saving the indulging for the actual holidates.

Did you know that 51% of the annual weight gain across the U.S. occurs during the 6 week holiday season? Let's think about the significance of that statistic - if you gain 5 lbs in a year, half of that is gained in just a month and half!

Or, say you worked hard to lose 8 lbs over the last few months, you could be potentially sabotaging your hard work by entitling yourself to 'letting go' over the holidays....and then you become one of the several people who feel guilty in January and make all sorts of weight-loss resolutions.

Now for the link to Type 2 Diabetes. Along with genetics, lifestyle factors largely affect a person's risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. Proper nutrition, an active lifestyle, and a healthy weight can help manage or even prevent Type 2 Diabetes. The statistics for diabetes also give incentive to keep it clean:

• every 20 seconds, someone is diagnosed with diabetes
• over 24 millions children and adults are living with diabetes
• 57 million have prediabetes and are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes
• 1 out of every 3 children will face a future with diabetes if current trends continue
• since 1987, the death toll from diabetes has climbed 45%
• it doubles the risk of heart attack and stroke
• the leading cause of blindness, amputation and kidney disease

I'm hoping I can help motivate and inspire people to keep their health a priority over the next couple of months. I am going to continue being active and eating well and I hope you join me in this challenge! I'll save my treats for the actual holidays themselves and work on healthier versions of holiday recipes in the mean time.

If you'd like to learn more about American Diabetes Month, visit http://www.stopdiabetes.com/. Check out your local listings for community events to support the cause.

I'll also be posting tips and tricks on keeping it clean over the holidays on my Facebook page. Feel free to share your wisdom too!