Make “green” holiday choices when you are shopping, traveling, decorating, sending cards, and choosing gifts. When you save energy and resources, you protect the environment and safeguard health both now and for the future.

The winter holidays are nearly here! Some of us are ready for the festivities, but many of us are still planning and shopping for decorations and gifts and organizing holiday gatherings. We want to enjoy the fun and spirit of the season, but we don’t want to spend too much money or use too many resources in the process. And most of all, we want to enjoy quality time with those we love.

The good news is that we can participate in all these holiday activities and still manage to conserve resources. In doing so, we also  protect our environment and protecting our environment can safeguard our health  now and in the future.

Whether we are traveling, sending holiday cards, decorating our homes, or choosing gifts, all of us can have “green” celebrations. Even if you already reduce, reuse and recycle, browse through the suggestions below for more ways to bring those practices into your holiday activities. If all of us make even a few eco-friendly choices, we will save energy and resources and send less trash to the landfill during this busy time of year.

Decorate with items that are energy-efficient and durable.

• Research the most energy efficient choice for your holiday tree. The choice will vary depending on your location. Below are some suggestions. 
  • Use other types of decorations besides trees.
  • Buy an artificial tree that you can use for years to come.
  • Contact your state cooperative extension service to find out about trees grown in your area or trees grown in ways that keep forests healthy and safe.
  • Buy a living tree you can plant outside or keep as a houseplant after the holidays,
  • Buy a smaller tree so that you have less to recycle.
  • Dispose of your tree at a chipping facility or return to the environment in other eco-friendly ways.
• Use energy efficiently. 
  • Consider using few or no lights in your holiday decorations.
  • Decorate with more energy efficient LED (light emitting diodes) strings.
  • Plug your decorative indoor and outdoor lights into a timer to save electricity.
• Decorate creatively and inexpensively with natural materials from your yard or with items you already own.
• Choose durable ornaments from wood, metal, or cloth rather than plastic or thin glass.

Use fewer resources when you shop, give presents, and wrap gifts.

• Take your own bags on shopping trips. Keep them in the car so they’re ready whenever you stop at a store.
• Shop online.
• Conserve energy when shopping. Use mass transit if possible. If you have to drive, combine several errands in one trip or carpool with family and friends.
• Give gifts that are durable, energy-efficient, recyclable, or made of natural products.
• Buy from local shops and craft shows or from companies that use fair-trade practices.
• Search antique and second-hand stores for unique gifts.
• Make your own gifts: knit, sew, bake, or create art from reused items.
• Make calendars using your own photographs or make a recipe book with your favorite recipes
• Give a membership or an experience—tuition for a class or a visit to museum.
• Give of your time—coupons for providing a meal, planting a garden, cleaning, or using another talent or skill.
• Plant a tree in someone’s yard.
• Use creative materials for gift wrap: 
  • Scarves, fabric, handkerchiefs
  • Old maps, sheet music, advertisements
  • Reusable tins
  • Usable baking pans or other home or garden items

Give cards that are eco-friendly and save resources.

• Make your own cards.
• Buy cards made from recycled paper (look for “post-consumer” content) and printed in non-toxic inks.
• Buy cards and envelopes that can be recycled in your town. Choose cards printed on white stock without metallic or plastic coatings.
• Buy cards wrapped in the least bulky or most recyclable packaging.
• Substitute postcards for cards that require envelopes.
• Reuse the fronts of old holiday cards as gift tags.

Eat sustainable food and avoid disposable containers and extra packaging.

• Research sustainable food choices in your area and buy locally if possible.
• Buy snacks and beverages in bulk to avoid extra packaging.
• Serve food with washable utensils, plates, and glasses, rather than disposable items.
• Make homemade eggnog, hot chocolate or iced tea in large quantities, and prepare pitchers of ice water in advance to reduce waste from water and soda bottles or cans.

Choose a few of these ideas that will be easy for you to incorporate into your holiday celebration. Not only will you conserve energy and resources, but chances are you will also simplify your life. And you may get more of what we all need at this time of year—time to enjoy our families and friends and to focus on the joys of the season.

This information provided by the CDC.

Having diabetes shouldn’t stop you from enjoying holiday celebrations and travel. With some planning and a little work, you can stay healthy on the road and at holiday gatherings with friends and family.

The most important step in managing diabetes during holiday travel and festivities is preparing. Know what you’ll be eating, how to enjoy a few traditional favorites while sticking with a healthy meal plan, and how to pack necessary supplies for a trip, and you’re all set to celebrate!

Feasts and Parties

Before you go, take these steps to make sure you stick to your healthy meal plan.

• Eat a healthy snack to avoid overeating at the party.
• Ask what food will be served, so you can see how it fits into your meal plan.
• Bring a nutritious snack or dish for yourself and others.

You don’t have to give up all of your holiday favorites if you make healthy choices and limit portion sizes. At a party or holiday gathering, follow these tips to avoid overeating and to choose healthy foods.

• If you’re at a buffet, fix your plate and move to another room away from the food, if possible.
• Choose smaller portions.
• Choose low-calorie drinks such as sparkling water, unsweetened tea or diet beverages. If you select an alcoholic beverage, limit it to one drink a day for women, two for men, and drink only with a meal.
• Watch out for heavy holiday favorites such as hams coated with a honey glaze, turkey swimming in gravy and side dishes loaded with butter, sour cream, cheese or mayonnaise. Instead, choose turkey without gravy and trim off the skin, or other lean meats.
• Look for side dishes and vegetables that are light on butter, dressing and other extra fats and sugars, such as marshmallows or fried vegetable toppings.
• Watch the salt. Some holiday favorites are made with prepared foods high in sodium. Choose fresh or frozen vegetables that are low in sodium.
• Select fruit instead of pies, cakes and other desserts high in fat, cholesterol and sugar.
• Focus on friends, family and activities instead of food. Take a walk after a meal, or join in the dancing at a party.

Traveling for the Holidays

Leaving home to visit friends and family means changing routines. Make sure you remember to take care of your diabetes while traveling. Check blood glucose (sugar) more often than usual, because a changing schedule can affect levels.

Remember Your Medication

• Pack twice the amount of diabetes supplies you expect to need, in case of travel delays.
• Keep snacks, glucose gel, or tablets with you in case your blood glucose drops.
• Make sure you keep your medical insurance card and emergency phone numbers handy, including your doctor’s name and phone number.
• Carry medical identification that says you have diabetes.
• Keep time zone changes in mind so you’ll know when to take medication.
• If you use insulin, make sure you also pack a glucagon emergency kit.
• Keep your insulin cool by packing it in an insulated bag with refrigerated gel packs.

On the Road and in the Air

• Get an influenza vaccination before traveling, unless your medical provider instructs otherwise. Get the flu shot, not the nasal spray.
• Wash hands often with soap and water. Try to avoid contact with sick people.
• Reduce your risk for blood clots by moving around every hour or two.
• Pack a small cooler of foods that may be difficult to find while traveling, such as fresh fruit, sliced raw vegetables, and fat-free or low-fat yogurt.
• Bring a few bottles of water instead of sweetened soda or juice.
• Pack dried fruit, nuts, and seeds as snacks. Since these foods can be high in calories, measure out small portions (¼ cup) in advance.
• If you’re flying and do not want to walk through the metal detector with your insulin pump, tell a security officer that you are wearing an insulin pump and ask them to visually inspect the pump and do a full-body pat-down.
• Place all diabetes supplies in carry-on luggage. Keep medications and snacks at your seat for easy access. Don’t store them in overhead bins.
• Have all syringes and insulin delivery systems (including vials of insulin) clearly marked with the pharmaceutical preprinted label that identifies the medications. Keep it in the original pharmacy labeled packaging.
• If a meal will be served during your flight, call ahead for a diabetic, low fat, or low cholesterol meal. Wait until your food is about to be served before you take your insulin.
• If the airline doesn’t offer a meal, bring a nutritious meal yourself. Make sure to pack snacks in case of flight delays.
• When drawing up your dose of insulin, don’t inject air into the bottle (the air on your plane will probably be pressurized).
• Stick with your routine for staying active. Make sure to get at least 150 minutes of physical activity every week. Ten minutes at a time is fine.