Tech Deck Tricks: Doctor: Diabetics Should Plan For The Holidays

Dec 22. It may be too late this year, but the holidays are just around the corner. Ramachandra Chemitiganty advises diabetics to plan ahead.

When you look at holidays like Christmas and especially Thanksgiving, there are some common health risks, like injury from decoration, says Kemitiganty, an endocrinologist and assistant professor at Texas Tech University's Center for Health Sciences.

“But one thing about diabetes is that the holidays are a season of stress, partying and overeating. Overeating affects diabetes in the same way that the stress that comes with it — planning, waiting, traveling — everything that comes with it. “So I call it private diabetes. “Your patients need to know what different foods do to the sugar you eat, and they need to have strategies,” Chemtiganty says.

Not everyone can eat right all the time; We are human, so there are times when you feel the need to overdo it.

“If you are planning to eat this food, we use some tricks and tricks in terms of adjusting your medication... to make sure you don't spike your sugar. You may be slightly overweight or obese, but the sugar will be under control," he said.

He added that people should make sure they have enough medicines and supplies for testing during the holidays.

“Many people realize on Christmas Eve that they don’t have medicine, or they are traveling and don’t take medicine with them, or they have lost it in their bag,” Chimtegante says. “I think they have to be very deliberate to make sure because I don't think anyone is open. Doctors' offices will be closed, some pharmacies will be closed, so that's another simple thing to fix."

The hard part is managing your food and controlling your inventory.

“Fortunately, there is technology where you don't have to cut yourself to pieces. You can wear a bandage on your arm or belly and the new technology will continue to monitor your sugar levels…give you a notification on your phone,” Chimtegante said. So you don't have to worry about hurting your fingers."

The machine understands what you eat and gives feedback. It can be controlled with insulin or tablets.

He noted that in most cases people do not plan vacations.

“Many of them are trying to fix it, and nothing terrible happens. But you end up in a hospital with two or three patients, which is completely avoidable. Holidays are not the season for other patients,” Chimtegante says.

He also said that he had always said that diabetes was unlike any other disease we know of.

“Everything we do affects our blood sugar levels. If you are sick for a long time, it affects your blood sugar levels. If you exercise too much, it affects your blood sugar levels. If you don't eat on time, it affects your blood sugar levels. "For blood sugar. It affects sugar. Sugar," Cimitagante said.

She adds that diabetes itself can increase anxiety and exacerbate stress.

“The better we prepare, the easier it will be,” he said.

Asked if people should exercise more during the holidays, Chimitagante said it does little to compensate for their sugar intake.

“I give the example of ordering fettuccine alfredo from our favorite Olive Garden, which contains about 2,000 calories. To burn them, you need to run on a treadmill for about 20 hours. An hour of exercise on a treadmill at an average speed will burn about 100 calories,” Chimtegante says. Control sugar, but watch the calorie content of the food you eat.

Diabetics should generally consume between 1800 and 2000 calories per day, depending on body weight. “We rarely need more than this,” Kimettigante added.

Another problem is drunkenness during the holidays.

“We talked about injuries, overeating and stress, but if you're a diabetic, drinking alcohol is probably one of the worst things you can do because two things happen… all the carbohydrates in alcohol increase blood sugar. but alcohol suppresses some of the liver's functions and disrupts its function, so later the sugar level can rise and fall. And it spreads everywhere. Again, light calories exacerbate diabetes.”

“If you drink again, you don't know how much you eat, so you eat a lot. If you drink a lot, you switch to unhealthy food. This is a vicious circle. The key is moderation… Do things in moderation and plan your meals. Do it, plan. For training…and make sure you have all the supplies and food for the holidays,” Chimtegante said.

Medicines are effective in treating diabetes, but they are very expensive.

“Depending on your insurance plan, it may or may not be covered,” he said. He added that you should talk to your doctor.

People need to identify what causes them the most stress and the situations that cause them the most stress.

“When we're stressed…our bodies crave calories and other distractions like alcohol, so if you know what's causing stress, you can prepare for it. ... him without reaching for a walnut pie or a glass." Another beer,” Chimtegante says.