Today’s
prompt asks us to “Write about what’s in your bag / purse / backpack every day”.
Many people with diabetes have to carry around a myriad of things to make
certain that they are in control of their diabetes at all times. That mostly pertains to people who inject
insulin, which I don’t. Add to that the
fact that I am retired and spend most of my time at home means that I don’t
have the need to carry around a boatload of stuff. However, I do carry a meal bar in my purse at
all times for when we are going to be gone over a mealtime just in case we don’t
take time to eat. I also carry my meter
with me if I’m particularly concerned about my glucose or when I’m going out of
town. Other than that, my “on the go”
diabetes needs are pretty insignificant.
However, that doesn’t mean that diabetes doesn’t go with me.
Diabetes
is in my head all the time; I’m not much different than other people with
diabetes in that respect. I carry around
a variety of “tools” wherever I go, even if they’re not in my purse. As someone with T2 I need to control what I
consume in order to ensure that my glucose doesn’t rise too high. That can be tricky when you’re traveling or
out shopping for the day because we sometimes have limited choices when eating
on the road. That’s ok because I have
some tricks that I carry with me for the times when I’m faced with unexpected
meal choices. I have learned that I don’t
have to be stuck eating a salad at a restaurant. I will often order an omelet with tomatoes
instead of potatoes and either no toast or I only eat one slice. (Be careful to ask if the restaurant adds
pancake batter to their omelets! That is
something that is done so watch out!)
Just the other day we were eating lunch while out running errands and I
ordered a tuna club sandwich. Horror for
someone with diabetes! All that
bread! I simply removed at least half of
the bread and used the lettuce to hold the sandwich or ate the filling with a
fork. Ray, bless his heart, is rarely
embarrassed by my odd eating habits. I
ordered coleslaw as my side and ended up with a tasty meal that wasn’t out of
line with my D plan. Score!
The point is to remember that it’s ok to ask
for modifications to your meal. Most
restaurants are open to that. Sometimes
you have to pay a bit extra, like adding avocado, but I’m worth it! It’s far better to pay a bit extra than it is
to consume foods that you know are poor choices. I have observed that more and more
restaurants are ready, willing and able to make substitutions. I think that’s because more and more people
are aware of their health and are asking for changes more often. The other trick I utilize now and then is to
ask for a to-go box at the beginning of my meal and put half of the food inside
before I start to eat. This is a great
idea for those restaurants that load you down with ridiculous amounts of food
that no one should be eating at one sitting.
Regardless
of the fact that my diabetes doesn’t require a lot of accoutrements, I carry it
with me at all times. It’s ok, I’ve got
this. It’s in the bag.
You are certainly worth it!
ReplyDeleteI've been watching out for my diet and I find your post very helpful. Thanks a lot for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kate for your blog. I relate to it so well :)
ReplyDelete