Dealing with diabetes can be hard any time of year, but especially around the holidays.

Most people celebrate the holidays with feasts and special treats and regardless of how well you try, it can be hard to avoid overeating or indulging in sweets and carbs.

Here are some tips to help you avoid losing control.

Snack
Before you show up for a big meal, eat a healthy snack or small meal. This will keep you full and help you avoid overeating. You can continue to snack slowly and responsibly while at the dinner or party.

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Plan
It’s never rude to ask what will be served at a party and knowing ahead of time will help you plan for it. You can decide if you should eat or snack before the meal and even think about what you can eat at the dinner or party. Knowing ahead of time will prevent you from overeating or eating things that are not good for you and could affect your diabetes.

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Bring Your Own Food
If you are afraid that there won’t be anything you can eat at the dinner or party, bring your own food. You can ask the host or hostess if it’s okay to bring a covered dish and then prepare something that is good for you and will not negatively affect your diabetes.

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Don’t stress out about the holidays or your diabetes.

There are plenty of ways you can enjoy holiday meals, parties and get-togethers without making yourself sick or harming your health.