Tis the season to give healthy gifts for diabetics. Living with diabetes is difficult but having extra support in the form of diabetes friendly gifts can help make the holiday season more survivable. These healthy holidays gifts include something for everyone.
Just think about who you are purchasing for and how a health focused diabetes gift would be received- for some people it might be upsetting to receive a medically related gift or insulting to receive a food focused type of gift. Full disclaimer to know your audience. If you’re not sure- a gift card from target, amazon, etc. can also be a great way to go and you can always include a thoughtful note of support and suggestion.
When you are newly diagnosed with diabetes you need the basics. First we want to start with safety, i.e. the medical ID bracelet. This is also a great time to start learning about lifestyle health changes which includes learning how to cook for diabetes and increasing water intake (a fun and high quality water bottle is something I always encourage for clients). Simple and easy steps to start with also include keeping a journal to encourage more self care. Journaling, practicing mindfulness, and sharing gratuity can all help with managing the mental health side of this new diagnosis.
Fun Water bottle- Splurge for a fancy one!
If the person living with diabetes loves spending time in the kitchen or is ready to get in there and learn more, then some of these fun kitchen gadgets are a great place to start! Air fryers are great for decreasing saturated fat but still being able to enjoy “fried” foods, spiralizers make veggies more fun, and a vitamix is great for homemade soups and smoothies. The sodastream and tea are a healthy way to switch it up from water but still avoiding sugary drinks.
We all know how important exercise is for overall health, but especially can see blood sugar improvements in diabetes. Check out this post for some inspiration.
I know I mentioned the importance of considerations for mental health and self care in diabetes previously but this can’t get emphasized enough. It’s almost impossible to take care of your physical health if your mental health is suffering. Plus diabetes distress is real- there is a much higher propensity for depression and anxiety in people living with diabetes. So I’m sharing a few fun ideas and suggestions to give yourself some extra love and care.
Meditation tools (or subscription to calm/headspace)
So everyone is busy and having diabetes can make you feel like things are even more stressful. Things like meal prep can be pushed to the side making it more difficult to stick to a healthy eating plan and end up ordering takeout, grabbing fast food, etc. Let’s make things simple! Here are some kitchen shortcuts for healthy eating with diabetes.
Dietitian approved meal plan (Learn more about my approach here!)
Healthy Snack Bundles or Healthy Drinks
This is not an all inclusive list but it’s a great place to start when shopping for someone with diabetes. As adults- the older we get the less things we tend to NEED (and are typically more inclined to purchase those needs for ourselves) so these are gifts that can help make managing diabetes easier and fun. If you are looking for more gift inspiration check out my storefront!
Disclaimer: This guide includes affiliate links- I may earn a small commission if you purchase directly via my shared links.