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DIABETIC FRIENDLY SANTA

What do you give a diabetic person for Christmas? The same gifts you would give anyone else. Diabetes is the last thing someone wants to be reminded of during the holiday season. Unless the intended recipient is new at the game and desperate for resources, this is not a good time to present him or her with "Diabetes for Dummies" or "1001 Low-Sugar, Fat-Free Recipes," a new glucometer or electronic food scale, or a gift basket filled with artificially sweetened cookies.

An attractive medical alert bracelet or necklace will prevent bystanders and the police from mistaking an insulin reaction for intoxication. That could be a thoughtful gift if you know the recipient well enough to know how s/he would react. If you are not sure, stick with regular jewelry.

If you are assembling a food hamper, think whole grains, low-fat meats, gourmet cheeses, popcorn (plain or hearty not the caramel variety), green tea and cinnamon. Take it easy on the fruit even though fruit sugar is "natural", it is still sugar. If you decide to add some goodies with artificial sweeteners, be sure you know what the intended recipient's preferred sweetener is. To the uninitiated, Splenda, Sugar Twin and Equal are all the same but that is not how a regular user perceives it. As well, some people have adverse reactions to certain sweeteners, so do your homework.

If you are feeling adventurous, try baking cookies or muffins with whole grains, nuts, seeds, grated vegetables, a little dried fruit, and a reduced amount of sugar. Who knows they could become family favorites at your house as well!

Foot care is an ongoing issue with diabetics. Diabetic-friendly socks are soft, quickly wick moisture away, and do not constrict the ankles. You could pair them up with foot lotion, exfoliating cream, and other foot-care goodies, including a hand mirror to simplify the examination of the bottom of the feet. A gift certificate for a pedicure would also be welcome. Many spas offer services specifically aimed at diabetics.

Exercise helps to control blood glucose spikes. The right gift can subtly encourage a higher activity level. How about ball room or line dancing lessons, an exercise or aquacise class? If you opt for a health club membership, make sure that the staff members know how to recognize and treat sugar cashes.

If your diabetic friend is a walker, a pedometer or an MP3 player can be a powerful motivator to do more. S/he could also make good use of sweats or a squall suit, athletic shoes, a roomy fanny pack to hold water, sugar pills and other equipment for controlling blood glucose, and an insulated carry case to keep insulin cool.

Other exercise aid options are work-out videos, elastic resistance bands, weights, steps, a jump rope or exercise ball. Take exercise to the next hi-tech level with video program such as Dance Dance Revolution for the Playstation or Yourself! Fitness for the X-Box. Perhaps the best accessory to include would be yourself. If you become a faithful exercise partner, you will both benefit.

Happy shopping! Think high activity and low sugar, and you will make welcome choices for your diabetic friends and family members.

Learn more about this author, Christine G..
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