Thanksgiving Foods You Might Want to Skip on Ozempic

• There are a few foods you may want to skip on Thanksgiving if you’re taking a GLP-1 medication such as Ozempic, dietician Kylie Bensley, founder of the women’s nutrition company, Sulinu, tells PEOPLE
• Macaroni and cheese and candied yams, Bensley says, should be avoided due to their impact on digestion and blood sugar
• There are ways to enjoy other seasonal treats like pumpkin pie — and even a holiday cocktail

When you’re loading up your plate on Thanksgiving Day, there are a few things you might want to skip if you’re taking a GLP-1 medication such as Ozempic for diabetes or weight loss.

On the no list? “I would definitely say mac and cheese,” dietician Kylie Bensley, founder of the women’s nutrition company, Sulinu, tells PEOPLE.

“It’s one of those dishes that you really can’t make low fat, you really can’t make it light,” she explains. “Sometimes, it’s even hard to digest just because it’s just carbs and fat and could make you feel worse.”

“Ozempic can slow down your gut motility,” she explains, referencing how GLP-1 medications can hamper digestion. And macaroni and cheese, she addss, ”doesn’t offer a lot of nutrient value or fiber that’s going to help you move it through your gut. So I think that would be the one I say to stay away from.”

She also cautioned people to keep their blood sugar in mind: While Ozempic has become a trendy weight-loss aid, it’s approved by the FDA for people with type 2 diabetes.

For this reason, Bensley suggests avoiding “candied yams, for sure. Your blood sugar is so dramatically affected.”

“It’s mostly all sugar. and very little nutrient value,” she said.

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Sugar can also be a problem in some cocktails, she says, advising people to skip “any heavy, heavy alcohol drinks,” she said. “Any cream-based drinks, I would say to avoid, too.”

Those who want to imbibe should choose spritzers, like a wine spritzer with cranberries. “It’s fun and festive and you enjoy it, but also it’s not going to drastically affect your blood sugar,” she says.

Consuming dairy should not be a huge worry, says Bensley — no need to go completely dairy-free. She suggests pairing cheese with fruit, for example, to add more fiber to aid digestion.

An overall good strategy is “protein first, veggies second.”

Even if you decide to indulge in macaroni and cheese, Bensley says, “Make sure that it’s no more than 25% of your plate — and eat your protein first.”

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You can have dessert, she says, with one caveat: Consider eating it with the meal to avoid a blood sugar spike.

“I love Thanksgiving for the pumpkin pie — it’s such a low-sugar dessert that it tends to be fine for your blood sugar,” Bensley tells PEOPLE. “Chocolate is okay, but just try to do it with your meal to keep that blood sugar stable.”

And if you overeat at the meal, she says, sip peppermint or fennel tea and go for a walk to get things moving.

“Quickly forgive yourself and you move on. Don’t spiral in through all the holidays. Don’t throw up your hands and say, ‘ I’ve given up, I’m just gonna go into a general spiral through New Year’s.’ “

“We just practice fast forgiveness, we move on,” she says, “and we practice more mindfulness at the next meal.”