The holiday season is usually ushered in with office parties, family gatherings and any number of celebrations that all include rich fatty foods and high calorie beverages.For diabetics, join in the celebrations by using your coping skills and making good healthy food choices. You don’t want to run the risk of elevating blood glucose levels or worse yet, paying a visit to the hospital and missing out on all the fun.Around holiday time people eat because they are happy, stressed or depressed. Not everyone welcomes in the holiday season with excitement and anticipation. Here are a few tips to get you through the festivities and keep you in good health. Although they are directed to diabetics, it is useful advice for everyone to eat healthy.· Carefully look over appetizers, the family buffet and desserts before making a selection.· Be aware of the foods that are high in saturated fats and sugar. If in doubt, ask about the ingredients in the dish to assist you with making healthy choices.· If you are hungry and dinner is served later than your regular mealtime, eat a healthy snack to avoid hypoglycemia.· Bring one of your favorite healthy dishes along for folks to try.· Start out with a big garden salad to help cut down on portion sizes for your main meal.· If you wish to have dessert, eat less carbs like potatoes, rice, pasta and bread, or better yet, add a few more vegetables to your dinner plate and have a small portion of one or two starches.· Use moderation with gravies, dips and sauces. They are usually saturated with heavy cream, fats and other high calorie ingredients.· Avoid turkey that has been deep-fried and stick to an oven roasted bird. Do not eat the skin.· Take a break between courses to aid digestion and avoid that stuffed uncomfortable feeling.· Make a conscious decision to take your blood sugar before you eat and again two to three hours after you have eaten.· Don’t forget to drink lots of water and minimise your consumption of alcoholic beverages, sodas and sweet bottled drinks.· Remember, sugar free doesn’t always mean carb free or low calorie.Engage in ActivitiesHolidays are a time to catch up with friends and family members. Here are a few suggestions to fend off the nibbles:· Spend time playing board games, volunteering and engaging in physical activity to draw your attention away from food.· Go for a walk about an hour after you have eaten your main meal.· Go cycling with your kids, family members or friends.· Play soccer, softball or basketball to run off those extra calories.· Don’t allow the entire holiday season go by without sticking to your exercise routine. Get back on track as quickly as you can.· Offer to wash dishes or clean up around the house after the holiday meal to avoid picking at leftover food that keeps calling your name.Healthy Holiday RecipesAdd one of these recipes to your holiday meal.Roasted Beets & Mixed Greens Salad6 large beets, 3 golden/3 red¼ cup apple cider vinegar1 teaspoon organic cane sugar¼ cup light olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon1 container of mixed salad greens⅓ cup of dried cranberries2 tablespoons sliced almonds or sunflower seeds½ teaspoon sea salt½ teaspoon pepperCut beets in quarters and coat the beets in a tablespoon light olive, sea salt and pepper. Place in a covered casserole dish and bake in the oven set at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until beets are tender. Allow beets to cool to room temperature before serving.For dressing, whisk olive oil, vinegar and sugar in a bowl. Add leftover liquid from the beets in with the ingredients for the dressing. Toss beets and salad greens in the dressing and garnish with cranberries and almonds.Butternut Squash Gratin2 2 ½lbs butternut squash1 tablespoon olive oil1 8oz container of fresh spinach1 tablespoon unbleached flour1 package (2 cups) of light shredded cheddar cheese1 cup rice milk½ teaspoon sea salt½ ground black pepper1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary1 teaspoon freshly chopped thymePreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish and set it aside. Peel the squash, cut in half and remove the seeds. Cut the squash in ¼ inch thick slices. Rinse the spinach and cook it for about 1 minute or until slightly wilted. Arrange one layer of squash in baking dish, one layer of spinach and another layer of sliced squash.In a saucepan over low heat combine flour, olive oil, salt and pepper into a paste, add milk slowly and stir constantly until smooth. Add 1 cup of cheese to the mixture and stir until thick and creamy. Remove from heat and add freshly chopped herbs. Pour cheese mixture over squash and spinach and sprinkle with remainder of cheese. Bake on 350 until squash is tender and dish is golden brown.Kuni Frith-Black is the executive director of the Bermuda Diabetes Association.