From boxes of chocolate to fancy meals, a typical Valentine’s day celebration is full of potential pitfalls for a person who’s trying to control his blood glucose.
Fortunately, there are ways to handle the day besides denying yourself any celebration or overindulging in candy. As this piece from Joslin Diabetes Center suggests, checking out the nutrition information for a food you’d like to have — such as a Valentine’s day chocolate — can help you figure out how to incorporate it into your meal plan for the day without wreaking havoc on your blood glucose levels. (If you do choose to have some chocolate, choosing a dark variety with a cocoa content of 50% or higher can give you a boost of some healthful antioxidants.) Creating your own healthful version of a favorite treat is another sensible option. (Click here and here for some recipe ideas.)
Making dinner at home or opting for nonfood gifts, such as flowers, jewelry, or a stuffed animal, are alternate ways of reducing the exposure to tempting but unhealthful foods on Valentine’s day, according to this piece by Ashley Henshaw.
And as registered nurse Debra Manzella notes in her post on About.com, there are plenty of ways to embrace the purpose of the day without centering the festivities around food. Her suggestions include going for a walk or to a movie, visiting a museum, heading out on the town for a night of music and dancing, or just spending some quiet time alone with your loved one.
However you choose to celebrate it, have a wonderful Valentine’s day!
This blog entry was written by Web Editor Diane Fennell.
