Birthday parties, weddings, and special dinners are great times not to be missed, and everyone wants to spend them with friends and family.
When it comes to desserts, wine, or picnic baskets filled with bread rolls, is it possible that diabetes makes you indifferent to the food?
Not at all! Patients can still have fun and indulge for a while. Just follow a few simple guidelines.
Avoid eating too much sugar-free food
Eat lots of sugar-free foods: This may seem like a sensible approach to the problem of sugar intake. But remember, diabetes avoidance is not just about sweets, but about all carbohydrates.
Sugar-free foods may also contain carbohydrates and calories. Patients are more likely to want to eat something that they actually want to eat, not just sugar-free foods.
Avoid consuming too many carbohydrates at once
Save the amount of carbohydrates you can consume that day so you can eat as much as you want at the party.
If you skip breakfast and lunch, you will have symptoms of hypoglycemia. When eating again, the amount of carbohydrates acquired will be more than your body can handle at one time, causing a spike in blood sugar.
Decide on a time
Look at the calendar and decide what is most worthy of a good meal.
This will give patients a better idea of when they want to indulge and help curb spur-of-the-moment impulses.
Select carefully
Make a list of your favorite foods and make those your priorities so you don’t waste calories or carbs on foods you don’t like.
Try to keep track of how many carbohydrates are in each serving, and you may be surprised to learn that some foods like frosting, honey, and syrup contain more carbohydrates than expected.
Pack and take away
At a birthday party, ask the party host if you can take a small piece of cake or other sweet treat with you so you can enjoy it later. It’s easy to pack food to take home – tin foil, plastic wrap, or paper plates will do the trick. You can even plan ahead and bring your own packing containers.
Replace wisely
If you really want to treat yourself, cut back on carbohydrate-laden foods and eat a small piece of cheesecake instead of something filling. Or if you like to eat potato salad at picnics, then eat fewer chips.
Chew slowly
When at a potluck or faced with a hearty dinner, it can be difficult to obtain a decent-sized meal. Take it easy, take time to enjoy each bite, and chew slowly can be helpful.
Consuming food
Try getting some more exercise when you eat too much at a party. Take a post-party walk with your peers, or opt for a bike ride on Day 2.
After an extra glass of champagne at a friend’s wedding reception, you can hit the dance floor, but know beforehand that your blood sugar will respond to the extra physical activity as well as the alcohol, and test your blood sugar before and after exercise.