I have type 2 diabetes and travel quite a bit. My eating & exercise are unpredictable at best when I travel and I’m having a difficult time managing my diabetes. What do you suggest?

Type 2 Diabetes is easy to control, even when on the go, with some simple preparation. Make sure to always keep medications, meters and glucose tablets with you in case blood sugar changes unexpectedly. Carrying snacks and 100% juice will also help maintain normal blood glucose levels and keep you from going hungry between meals. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day will keep you hydrated, too.

When you do have meals during your travels, put in a little effort to find a restaurant that serves healthy alternatives to the foods you want. Meals that are low in carbohydrates, saturated fat and sodium will be the most beneficial to you.

Just as important as eating healthily is exercising often while travelling. Exercise will help to dull any stress you experience during your trip. If you have few exercise options, try exercising between activities by taking the stairs instead of the elevator choosing a parking spot in the back of the parking lot.

In addition to these steps of preparation, make sure to prepare for possible emergency treatment of your diabetes.  Ask your insurance company which hospitals and doctor’s offices in your area of travel they cover with your policy before your trip to avoid frustration and stress. Keep a list of these health care facilities in your wallet while travelling.

Since I live alone, I rarely cook (if ever). I have type 2 diabetes and I’m wondering which is better… eating frozen dinners or restaurant food? Thank you for your help.

Before I offer my recommendation of what kind of frozen dinners or restaurant food to eat, I urge you to consider cooking at home more often. It is cheaper, healthier and quicker if you plan ahead and make large batches to reheat in portions throughout the week.

While you’re possibly under the impression that all frozen dinners and restaurant food are high in salt and carbohydrates, there are healthy alternatives to both options. I would opt for restaurant food over frozen dinners because there are more opportunities to consume fresh food. Particularly, Subway has several low-carb subs with an array of fresh vegetables from which you can choose to top your sub, which adds fiber.

If you must eat frozen dinners, try the Kashi variety of Chicken Florentine. Though it has about a quarter of your daily intake of salt, this amount is actually lower than that of many other frozen dinners. More importantly, it is lower in carbohydrates and high in fiber.

My doctor recently diagnosed me with type 2 diabetes. I know it is important to watch my sugar intake. Is sugarless candy really sugarless?

All foods, not just candy, can contain up to .5g of sugar, and the company producing the food does not have to indicate such information on a Nutrition Facts label. Although  this is a small amount, when eating sugar-free candy in large amounts, this sugar can add up quickly. Try dried fruits with no sugar added like raisins as a substitute to sugar-free candy.

I am trying to find a class for our grandson. He is 19 and has a part-time job but no insurance. He just found out last week that he is a type 1 diabetes after losing a lot of weight and his blood sugar was 523. He is on insulin but needs to go to a class to manage is diabetes without going hungry. Where do we start? Any suggestions would help us a lot.

Make sure you find a class taught by a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE). CDEs are Registered Dietitians (RDs), Registered Nurses (RNs), or other health professionals who have completed education in diabetes. Your doctor should have recommendations of classes to attend. If not, try this website: http://www.diabetesplanner.com/diabetes_education/default.asp

I have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. During the day at work I eat very little, but in the evenings and weekends, I can’t seem to stay out of the kitchen. Do you have any suggestions to control my snacking in the evenings and weekends?

Try not to go more than five hours without eating. When snacking, choose foods that are high in fiber and mono-unsaturated fats to keep you fuller longer. Good examples of high-fiber choices are fruits and vegetables, and I recommend almonds, avocados, and olives. With diabetes, take extra care of portion sizes, especially when consuming fruits, and make sure to increase your fiber intake slowly so as not to disrupt the digestive system too much.

What is the best sugar substitute to use for baking and daily use for diabetics?

I have never been a fan of sugar substitutes. Many are highly processed carcinogens and can interrupt the physiological process of digestion in that when one tastes something sweet in the mouth, the body begins to prepare to digest what it thinks is a sugary substance. However, when the body realizes that there is no sugar to digest, complications may arise.

Because this is a blog for people with diabetes, I understand that it is very difficult to avoid consuming sugar substitutes. In this case, I would recommend using agave nectar because it scores low on the Glycemic Index (GI), an indicator of the effects of foods on blood sugar.

Welcome!

I am a Nutrition Apprentice at http://FOODPICKER.org, a website designed to help people with diabetes. If you have any questions about Diabetes which you would like me to answer, please send your questions to diabetes@foodpicker.org. Enjoy!