By: Coplin Health SystemsNovember 10, 2025

Navigating the Holidays with Diabetes: Tips for a Healthy, Happy Season

Enjoy the holiday season by minding your blood sugar and your mental health.

The holiday season is a special time that brings people together for celebrations. But if you or someone you care about has diabetes, the holiday season can also bring unique challenges.

Food is, of course, an integral part of most holiday gatherings. And for those who must manage their blood sugar, managing what to eat — and how much — can quickly become stressful.

Then there are the family dynamics and stressors that can take an emotional toll and make the holidays even harder for those with diabetes.

The good news, says Mary Treadway, FNP-BC, BC-ADM, CDCES, Coplin Health Systems’ Diabetes Educator, is that with a little planning, and the right mindset and support, those with diabetes can look forward to the holidays.

“The holidays are about enjoying time with family and friends and enjoying food in moderation,” says Mary. “If you focus on maintaining balance when it comes to both your food intake and your emotional well-being, you can approach the holidays with confidence.”

Mary offers the following tips for those with diabetes to have a healthy and joyous holiday season.

Plan Ahead for Holiday Meals

When most people sit down to a holiday feast, they find a bounty of delicious favorites—turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, casseroles, breads, and sweet treats. But many of these foods are risky to consume in large quantities, especially for those who manage their blood sugar.

To navigate the gauntlet that can be a holiday table, a person with diabetes needs to have a plan.

That plan should not include skipping meals so you can “save up” for the big dinner.

“We can develop hypoglycemia when not following normal eating patterns,” Mary warns. Instead, she recommends sticking to your regular eating schedule and enjoying a snack before the big meal to help prevent overeating. She also stresses the importance of taking the proper amount of insulin before partaking of a holiday meal.

In addition, Mary says it’s important to be mindful of what goes on your plate.

“Strive for a balanced plate. A quarter of your plate should contain protein, and another quarter can include starchy foods. Half of the food on your plate, however, should be low-carb or ‘free foods.’ These include non-starchy vegetables like salad greens, brussels sprouts, broccoli, beets, spinach, sauerkraut, asparagus, carrots, and other low-carb options.”

Enjoy Traditions—Mindfully

While the conventional wisdom is that those with diabetes should strictly avoid starchy, high-carb foods and sweet treats, this just isn’t true. In fact, there’s no reason to not enjoy them—in moderation.

“At the holidays, as with any other time of the year, people with diabetes shouldn’t deprive themselves of the food they love. They just need to be mindful about controlling their portions.”

Mary says mindfulness can also help those with diabetes to reframe the holidays to de-emphasize food and focus instead on holiday traditions and time together with special people.

“While food can be the primary focal point of a holiday gathering, the time you spend eating is usually relatively short,” Mary says. “Focus on the totality of the gathering and make the most of time spent visiting with loved ones or engaging in non-food-related activities, whether it’s watching football together, playing a board game, or reminiscing over old family photo albums. Those are the moments you are likely to remember and cherish.”

Stay Active During Seasonal Changes

Getting regular exercise is important for successfully managing your blood sugar.

“Staying active helps control glucose as exercise increases insulin sensitivity and helps cells use insulin more effectively,” Mary says.

Though she acknowledges it can be tough to stay active when the weather turns cold, Mary recommends taking your activities indoors. She points out that many insurance companies have contracts with gyms and wellness centers and programs such as Silver Sneakers that pay for memberships.

“Of course, if you are travelling for the holidays, it can disrupt your efforts to stay active. But any activity can be beneficial. For example, after enjoying your holiday meal, go for a 10 to 15-minute walk.”

Manage Stress & Stay on Your Routine

Staying healthy and well with diabetes is all about positive habits and routines. Unfortunately for many, the holidays not only can wreak havoc on routines but also can be emotionally stressful. That’s why, Mary says, managing stress is a must.

“Stress can increase our glucose or blood sugars by triggering our bodies to release cortisol and adrenaline, which are stress hormones. As busy and trying as the holidays can be, find time to do things you enjoy that help to reduce stress, whether you like to read, listen to music, or practice meditation.”

But she also says that sometimes managing your stress requires getting some help.

“During normal times, those living with diabetes can develop diabetes distress and burnout just from living with the condition every day. There are a thousand thoughts that go through your mind, and it can be overwhelming.

“If you are at a place where you just want to stop caring or stop taking your medication, it’s a sign that you are burned out. If that’s your situation, I would recommend speaking with a therapist to work through the distress and develop coping mechanisms.”

Coplin’s Behavioral Health Services are a great resource if you or a loved one is feeling overwhelmed and needs help to navigate the holidays.

“Keep your stress in check, and both your physical and your mental health will be better,” Mary says.

Give Yourself Grace

Whether it’s family-related stress or the difficulty involved in making the right decisions about food, the holidays present multiple opportunities to feel like you aren’t meeting your own or others’ expectations.

Mary says, cut yourself some slack—and seek help and support if you need it.

“The holidays can be tough for those with diabetes. But don’t be overly hard on yourself, and don’t dwell on your missteps. You’re human, after all.

“With the right planning, the right mindset, and the right support, you can enjoy a happy and healthy holiday season.”