People with diabetes can''t handle the sugar that foods put into their bodies. So how do they resist the temptations of all those sweet snacks this time of year? Or do they? Tom O''Neal has details in Healthwatch.

All of us should pay attention to what and how much we eat, people with diabetes may have to pay a little closer attention but they can still enjoy the holiday treats.

"It''s planning, it''s planning and staying in control." That may be a tall order for anyone around all those sweet treats, but Gaye Knutsen, a diabetes nurse educator at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, says it can really pay off for her patients.

"My goal is they can eat anything anybody else eats, as long as they know how to count how many carbs are in it," says Knutsen. That''s so they''ll know how to counter the sugar they produce, something our bodies do naturally.

"When I sit down to eat a meal I look at each item that I''m going to eat and what carbohydrates are in each of those items," says Kent Sturhahn, diagnosed 18 years ago, tests his blood sugar before each meal and five or six times day.

"After I determine how many carbs are there. Then I figure out how many units of insulin I need to match up to the carbs that I''m eating," says Sturhan. He then injects what he needs. Those on oral medication also monitor their blood sugar.

"If it''s up a little bit then go for a walk or be a little bit more physically active to bring your blood sugar back down," says Knutsen. Eating out can make it a little harder to control and gauge the ingredients of food. So around the holidays:

• monitor your blood sugar more frequently
• eat more carefully around the times that you know you''re going to indulge in some sweet treats
• make sure the sweets you choose are worth the carbs and calories...including the drinks...and watch the alcohol

"Because alcohol can inhibit the body''s response to low blood sugar," says Knutsen. It''s back to planning and taking control. "You can live virtually a normal lifestyle if you''re willing to aggressively manage your disease. It takes some effort to educate yourself about various foods and we can help."

For more information about this story, visit www.calorieking.com.