They say confession is good for the soul. It’s also a good way to show others they are not alone in their challenges. Talking about what ails you can also foster a sense of community.
We will look into some self-sabotaging habits that commonly derail diabetes management. We’ll also share what our experts suggest to help with those challenges and give you an opportunity for you to declare, share, and move forward.
A Case of the Lazies
Confession: Not checking blood sugar often enough. Also, forgetting to bolus for small snacks. And the desire for the occasional iced cappuccinos!Solution: Busy bee that you are, sometimes checking those numbers can be downright impossible. And if it’s the weekend — time to relax — then naturally you relax on your management too, right? Well, there is an answer to this.
Testing glucose can be a hassle. Try to find a way to have some consistency and yet, give yourself permission to skip a few tests when your situation is stable. Why? A1C correlates to self blood glucose monitoring.
Type 1s who test more than 3 times a day had an A1C on average 1 percent less than those who did not. And type 2s who test more than once a day had an A1C an average of 0.6 percent less than those who did not.
The point is to not put the meter away for most of the day on most days. Also, consider a continuous glucose monitor, so you are always in the know about what your blood sugars are doing.
As for those cappuccinos, what is life without a l-i-t-t-l-e guilt? Did you know a small, 12 oz. sized milk iced cappuccino has 39 grams of carbs and 180 calories? A large 20 oz. size has 69 grams of carbs and 320 calories.
But if you go for the mocha iced cap (large, 20 oz. chocolate milk) it has 101 grams of carbs and 500 calories!
If enough of these “weaknesses” add up, they can certainly derail your diabetes wellness train. Choose wisely and ditch the guilt.
— Theresa Garnero, APRN, BC-ADM, MSN, CDE
Solution: It’s never a bad habit to do your best to prevent night-time lows. Using gummy bears or candies to treat a low may work just fine (5 gummy bears have about 15 grams of carb), but to use them to prevent lows may not be the best approach.
In order to prevent night-time lows, consider the following:
1. Know the early warning signs. If you know the very first inkling of low blood glucose, you can treat it before it goes even lower. Early recognition is important in preventing worse lows. Some people have symptoms such as tingly lips or mild dizziness, sweating, shakiness, etc.
2. Eat a well-balanced diet. Eating consistent, carb-balanced meals is important in preventing lows. When people skip meals or suddenly eat less for a meal, combined with taking insulin and certain diabetes medication, it may increase your risk for lows.
3. Have a bedtime snack if needed.
Based on your blood sugar patterns and recommendation from your registered dietitian or healthcare provider, a bedtime snack may be the key to preventing lows in the night. Have a small snack that has some protein along with carbs.
Examples include a small serving of yogurt with a sprinkling of nuts, a piece of whole-grain toast with peanut butter, a half cup of fruit with cottage cheese, a small serving of popcorn, a glass of milk, a few whole-grain crackers with cheese, a small protein bar.
4. Exercise moderately early in the morning before breakfast. In the morning, your body is most insulin resistant. Since lows are most likely within 4 hours after exercise, you can reduce your risk of night-time lows by exercising earlier in the day.
5. Test of monitor your blood sugar regularly. This will help you identify patterns that can reveal your risk for lows. You can also set your alarm for the middle of the night on a couple of occasions (3 a.m.) to make sure you are not going low.
Some people sleep through their lows, so this is important information to bring back to your provider. Be sure to keep quick-acting sugar (like a small box of juice or glucose tablets) at your bedside.Type 1s who test more than 3 times a day had an A1C on average 1 percent less than those who did not. And type 2s who test more than once a day had an A1C an average of 0.6 percent less than those who did not.
The point is to not put the meter away for most of the day on most days. Also, consider a continuous glucose monitor, so you are always in the know about what your blood sugars are doing.
As for those cappuccinos, what is life without a l-i-t-t-l-e guilt? Did you know a small, 12 oz. sized milk iced cappuccino has 39 grams of carbs and 180 calories? A large 20 oz. size has 69 grams of carbs and 320 calories.
But if you go for the mocha iced cap (large, 20 oz. chocolate milk) it has 101 grams of carbs and 500 calories!
If enough of these “weaknesses” add up, they can certainly derail your diabetes wellness train. Choose wisely and ditch the guilt.
— Theresa Garnero, APRN, BC-ADM, MSN, CDE
Mishandling Lows
Confession: Gummy candies to prevent night-time lows, which I have been having a lot of lately.
Solution: It’s never a bad habit to do your best to prevent night-time lows. Using gummy bears or candies to treat a low may work just fine (5 gummy bears have about 15 grams of carb), but to use them to prevent lows may not be the best approach.
In order to prevent night-time lows, consider the following:
1. Know the early warning signs. If you know the very first inkling of low blood glucose, you can treat it before it goes even lower. Early recognition is important in preventing worse lows. Some people have symptoms such as tingly lips or mild dizziness, sweating, shakiness, etc.
2. Eat a well-balanced diet. Eating consistent, carb-balanced meals is important in preventing lows. When people skip meals or suddenly eat less for a meal, combined with taking insulin and certain diabetes medication, it may increase your risk for lows.
3. Have a bedtime snack if needed.
Based on your blood sugar patterns and recommendation from your registered dietitian or healthcare provider, a bedtime snack may be the key to preventing lows in the night. Have a small snack that has some protein along with carbs.
Examples include a small serving of yogurt with a sprinkling of nuts, a piece of whole-grain toast with peanut butter, a half cup of fruit with cottage cheese, a small serving of popcorn, a glass of milk, a few whole-grain crackers with cheese, a small protein bar.
4. Exercise moderately early in the morning before breakfast. In the morning, your body is most insulin resistant. Since lows are most likely within 4 hours after exercise, you can reduce your risk of night-time lows by exercising earlier in the day.
5. Test of monitor your blood sugar regularly. This will help you identify patterns that can reveal your risk for lows. You can also set your alarm for the middle of the night on a couple of occasions (3 a.m.) to make sure you are not going low.
6. Limit alcohol, especially on an empty stomach. Alcohol can cause low blood sugar, especially the following morning. Best to have with food, and have a plan in place regarding medications on the nights that you do drink (your doctor may suggest a little less long-acting insulin, for example).
— Theresa Garnero, APRN, BC-ADM, MSN, CDE
Incorrect Correcting
Confession: Under-counting carbs when bolusing and then correcting two hours later.
Foods that contain carbs (starches and sugars) tend to raise blood sugar levels. Rather than having to constantly correct a high or low-blood sugar, it’s very important to figure out the right amount of carbs for you (or your child) to eat throughout the day.
Daily activities don’t always go according to plan, but if you familiarize yourself with the carb content of various foods that you enjoy and eat most often, you will be less like to have to correct your blood sugar.
Becoming comfortable with reading food labels, and understanding portion sizes can help you determine carb intake more easily. If you double up on a serving, you’re consuming twice the amount of carbs!
If a food doesn’t have a food label (for example fresh fruit and produce), you can approximate the number of carbs in the food.
More ideas to prevent frequent blood sugar correction:
Irregular Exercise
Confession: Not exercising regularly.
Solution: The best thing to do is to stop thinking about exercise and start moving more daily. Just being active all day long — standing, taking steps, moving whenever and wherever you can —will help build your fitness and keep your blood sugar under better control.
Consider getting an inexpensive pedometer or fitness tracker and setting daily goals, too. Physical activity of any kind is the best medicine for diabetes.
Sign up for some dance classes, start taking walks on your breaks, and stand up more every day to get started on being more active.
— Sheri Colberg, Ph.D.
The common denominator here is portion control — or lack of it. Pizza and savoury snack foods are some of the hardest to eat in moderation. What can you do?
Pizza usually causes a delayed blood sugar rise, which can wreak havoc with your management. It’s the big dose of carbs from the crust combined with the blood-sugar moderating fat in the cheese.
The best strategy with pizza is to allow yourself to eat the first few bites of the thin part of the pizza and then use a fork to scrape off the rest and leave the big, thick part of the crust right on your plate (or better yet, throw it away so you don’t start nibbling on it without thinking).
Eat slowly, too, to give your body time to get the message up to your brain that you’re satisfied.
And here’s one piece of good news about the peanut butter: Two tablespoons of peanut butter (the popular brands, with added sugar) contain just 7 grams of carbs, and 2 of those grams are beneficial fibre.
It’s calorie-dense but delivers healthy fats, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
Here’s what I do to help me not overeat snacks: Buy some mini ramekins or other condiment-size containers that you like (I have little wooden bowls in different shapes that I love).
At snack time, get into the habit of always pulling out your mini-size dishes and never eating out of a jar or package.
— Lynn Prowitt-Smith
Updated 8/14/19.
NOTE: The information is not intended to be a replacement or substitute for consultation with a qualified medical professional or for professional medical advice related to diabetes or another medical condition. Please contact your physician or medical professional with any questions and concerns about your medical condition.
Consider getting an inexpensive pedometer or fitness tracker and setting daily goals, too. Physical activity of any kind is the best medicine for diabetes.
Sign up for some dance classes, start taking walks on your breaks, and stand up more every day to get started on being more active.
— Sheri Colberg, Ph.D.
Dis-proportion
Confessions: The food that usually sabotages my sugars is pizza. Eating too much peanut butter.
The common denominator here is portion control — or lack of it. Pizza and savoury snack foods are some of the hardest to eat in moderation. What can you do?
Pizza usually causes a delayed blood sugar rise, which can wreak havoc with your management. It’s the big dose of carbs from the crust combined with the blood-sugar moderating fat in the cheese.
The best strategy with pizza is to allow yourself to eat the first few bites of the thin part of the pizza and then use a fork to scrape off the rest and leave the big, thick part of the crust right on your plate (or better yet, throw it away so you don’t start nibbling on it without thinking).
Eat slowly, too, to give your body time to get the message up to your brain that you’re satisfied.
And here’s one piece of good news about the peanut butter: Two tablespoons of peanut butter (the popular brands, with added sugar) contain just 7 grams of carbs, and 2 of those grams are beneficial fibre.
It’s calorie-dense but delivers healthy fats, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
Here’s what I do to help me not overeat snacks: Buy some mini ramekins or other condiment-size containers that you like (I have little wooden bowls in different shapes that I love).
At snack time, get into the habit of always pulling out your mini-size dishes and never eating out of a jar or package.
— Lynn Prowitt-Smith
Updated 8/14/19.
NOTE: The information is not intended to be a replacement or substitute for consultation with a qualified medical professional or for professional medical advice related to diabetes or another medical condition. Please contact your physician or medical professional with any questions and concerns about your medical condition.
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