Get healthy during the holiday season [column]

Dear Auntie:
It’s that time of year again. I’ve made a resolution to get healthier. I was diagnosed with diabetes and I’ve been trying to exercise and eat better, but I have to admit, I have no will power. The body is willing but the mind is weak. I can’t seem to walk by the dessert table, or take time to get my body moving. Do you have any advice on how to stay on track, even when the pies my granny makes are calling out to me from the kitchen, and I spend all my workday behind a desk?
Signed,
Good Intentions

Dear Good Intentions:
I believe in you! The temptation to dive for the treats is especially strong during the holidays. I have a sensitivity to chocolate and it is torture! Your long-term vision of a healthier lifestyle is a meaningful goal to get control of your diabetes.

One beginning is re-framing the language to positively connect you to your goals. Rather than talk about having no will power…the mind is weak…can’t stay on track… focus on your strengths and preferred lifestyle. The first challenge—or opportunity— is to replace each of the negative statements with positive goals.

For instance: ‘I willingly focus on my goals with my mind, body and spirit.’ When you hear yourself in the habit of saying I am weak, find another positive word, like strong, determined, powerful, to rebuild positive habits.

Be proactive, know your options and be prepared to have back-up snacks and give yourself an opportunity to do your homework. Find workshops, search online, speak with health centre or pharmacy staff, and learn more about diabetic dietary options to make it through any holiday, birthday or community event.

The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) had a timely holiday special on snack options and diabetic cooking tips. Do yourself a favor and know what you can have rather than feel miserable or guilty about what you cannot have.

I once heard it said that when it comes to the negative impacts of the Western European diet to always remember anything white is not good for you—white sugar, flour, lard, salt, etc. The APTN special had a dietician state the same facts and offered whole wheat, honey, raw sugar and other advice about replacement ingredients and the importance of balancing carbohydrates and proteins.

I have a close family member who suffers from diabetes, and I understand the urgency to find a new health path because diabetes is hereditary. I trust that by reaching out for ideas you are committed to getting control of your blood sugar levels before this treatable condition impacts negatively on your health and overall quality of life.

The journey to wellness takes many forms and Elders I have met throughout the country over more than two decades have many ways of inviting the notion of balance into our lives. The most important opportunity that lay ahead is inviting allies, friends and family to become aware of your wellness goals and risk asking for their help. Help will be needed in a variety of ways. Here are some examples and you may think of more: Ask people to remember not to offer you sweets, let you know of any workshops planned, to share diabetic recipes and/or snack options when visiting or planning community events.
Lovingly, Auntie.