The Lunar New Year holiday is a period when "blood sugar spikes" easily occur due to consumption of high-carbohydrate foods such as rice cakes and Korean pancakes, combined with reduced physical activity. Repeated blood sugar spikes, characterized by rapid increases in glucose levels, can raise insulin resistance and increase the risk of developing diabetes. They are also identified as factors that elevate the risk of chronic diseases including cardiovascular conditions by increasing inflammation and oxidative stress in blood vessels.
According to the National Health Insurance Service's "2024 Health Insurance Statistical Yearbook" released on the 17th, approximately 3.97 million patients received diabetes treatment in 2024, representing a 65% increase from 2.41 million a decade ago. With the prevalence rate among those in their 30s and 40s also steadily rising, the importance of dietary management during holidays has grown accordingly. Special attention is therefore needed during the Lunar New Year holiday to avoid exceeding the Korean Diabetes Association's recommended post-meal blood glucose level of below 180 mg/dL measured two hours after eating.
Holiday foods frequently use sugar and rice syrup, making it easy for post-meal blood glucose to spike sharply. Reducing sugar intake and using sugar substitutes with lower glycemic responses can help moderate the rise in post-meal blood glucose. Recently, more people are using alternative sweeteners like allulose to reduce the sugar burden in holiday foods and beverages.
Combining this with the "reverse eating method"—consuming fiber-rich vegetables first, followed by protein and then carbohydrates—can slow carbohydrate absorption and help prevent rapid blood sugar increases. For those who find dietary management difficult, health management applications such as "Genieat" can help monitor sugar intake. Genieat allows users to record weight, blood sugar levels, and meals while providing various low-sugar recipes through food reviews and community features.
Sitting still immediately after meals can cause blood sugar to rise quickly. In contrast, light walking for 10 to 15 minutes after eating helps muscles use blood glucose as an energy source, effectively suppressing blood sugar spikes. Especially during holidays when food intake increases and activity decreases, even short walks can help reduce blood sugar fluctuations.
Health management apps can help compensate for reduced activity during holidays and build post-meal walking habits. Cashwalk's "Neighborhood Walk" feature provides location-based walking route recommendations and rewards users with cash upon check-in verification, motivating families to walk together and establish enjoyable walking routines.
Irregular meals and sleep affect the autonomic nervous system, increasing blood sugar variability, which can lead to "false hunger" and overeating. Sleep deprivation not only promotes secretion of the stress hormone cortisol but also reduces the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin while activating ghrelin, which increases hunger, thereby lowering insulin sensitivity. Experts advise that maintaining consistent meal and sleep times even during holidays can stabilize blood sugar and make it easier to recover after the holiday period ends.