BECKLEY, WV (WVNS)– Thanksgiving calls for people pigging out on grandma’s famous apple pie or maybe some delectable mac and cheese. But for those diagnosed as a diabetic, it means being careful and monitoring their carb intake.

Danny Swank is a clinic pharmacist at Access Health.

“To me, the scariest part of the diabetes is the damage that is done is not from the diagnoses, but from too high blood sugar,” Swank said. “So its important distinction. It’s not that the person has diabetes… its that they have uncontrolled diabetes. The damage that could be done is silent, you don’t feel you don’t know it until it becomes an irreversible problem.”

Swank recommended keeping your blood sugar under control by making a plan and involving your family or friends in the process.

Some foods Swank suggested diabetics to keep an eye on at dinner:

“Your traditional thanksgiving meal, your stuffing, potatoes, any of the breads, corn based products, sweet potatoes, and of course, your dessert,” Swank stated.

Swank recommended to check your sugar two hours after a meal.

“You are trying to catch the peak of what that meal has done to your blood sugar,” Swank continued. “There is a range there, so generally, it’s going to be close.”

If you noticed blood sugar being a bit too high…

“The two recommendations that I have is to one: drink a lot of water, that just dilutes your blood,” Swank said. “My second recommendation is to go for a walk. You’ll feel good, and it will lower your blood sugar.”

Swank also said the key to keeping blood sugar low is to portion size those meals.