(NAPSA)—Typically, gettogethers and celebrations during the holiday season are accompanied by bountiful buffets of rich foods. For some, such temptations cause no problem, but for the 7 2 diabetes know they need to mon- itor their blood sugarlevels, most don’t realize that healthy eating and even moderate weight loss can help them better manage approximately 24 million people in the United States living with diabetes—of which 20 million are overweight—healthy eating during the holidays maybe especially challenging. Virginia Valentine, a clinical nurse specialist and certified diabetes educator with more than 25 years of experience helping people with type 2 diabetes and managing her own, offers the following healthy eating strategies to survive the holidays. Only eat half. To prevent weight gain, the challenge is to enjoy tastes of your favorite foods—but only in limited quantities. Try eating from a salad plate to ensure portion control, and rememberthat, half of the portion you think you need is often enoughto satisfy your cravings. * Manage your intake. Remember to sit as far away from the buffet as possible. Getting up be accepted. “While many people with type their disease,” says Valentine. Making healthy eating choices is only one of the steps people Controlling portions could help people with type 2 diabetes manage their weight over the holidays. to get your food can be exercise— or at the very least, might deter you from making too manytrips for secondsor thirds. Bring a lower calorie healthy dish along. If you’re invited to a pot-luck where you're asked to bring a dish along, be sure it’s a healthy option. Veggie trays, fruit salads, or roasted vegetable dishes are great tasting selections that offer essential nutrients with less calories. * Don’t resign yourself to gaining weight. Even moderate weight gain over the holidays—3 or 4 pounds—should not should take to ensure they are managing type 2 diabetes appropriately. In addition to lifestyle changes—including diet and exercise—medications to help control blood sugar, such as BYETTA, a twice-a-day injection of exenatide that improves blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes, may help people better manage their disease. BYETTA may not be for everyone. BYETTA is not insulin and should not be taken instead of insulin. BYETTA is not recommended to be taken with insulin. BYETTA is not for people with type 1 diabetes or people with diabetic ketoacidosis. People living with type 2 diabetes should talk with their doctor about finding the right medication to manage their diabetes. wanna nnn en De ne eee Important Safety Information for ByErra (exenatide) injection Based on post-marketing data, BYETTA has been associated with acute pancreatitis, including fatal and non-fatal hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis. The risk for getting low blood sugaris higher if ByETTA is taken with another medicine that can cause low blood sugar, such as a sulfonylurea. BYETTA should not be used in people who have severe kidney problems, and should be used with caution in people who have had a kidney transplant. Patients should talk with their healthcare provider if they have severe problems with their stomach, such as delayed emptying of the stomach (gastroparesis) or problems with digesting food. Severe allergic reactions can happen with Byerva. The most commonside effects with ByeTTA include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, feel- ing jittery, and acid stomach. Nausea most commonly happens whenfirst starting ByETTA, but may become less over time. These are not all the side effects from use of ByeTTA. A healthcare provider should be consulted about any side effect that is bothersome or does not go away. For more information on living with type 2 diabetes and treatment with ByYETTA, including full Pre- scribing Information and Medication Guide, visit www.BYETTA.com.
