It's hard enough to manage diabetes at home, where most of us have a say in what's for dinner, are allowed to raid the pantry, and exercise on our own time. However, when we're at camp, traveling, or staying in another person's house, it's hard to define the line between taking care of our diabetes and overstepping our boundaries. It's ok if your blood sugar is a little "off" when you're away from home, but you'll have a better time if you're physically well. Therefore, as corny as it sounds, we have to master "healthy flexibility."
A personal example: last summer, I lived with a host family for 6 weeks in Finland. Rye bread, potatoes, sausage, and cheese are mainstays of the Finnish diet. I soon realized that such combinations of carbohydrate and fat were lethal to my blood sugar; similar to the effect of eating pizza, the carbohydrates' effect was delayed, which made it difficult to calculate how much insulin I needed and when. I was worried that I would offend my host parents if I chose not to eat either sausage or potatoes, but after talking to my host mother, I decided to forgo eating sausage and potatoes in the same meal.
It would have put my host family in an uncomfortable position if I had requested special meals throughout the summer. Plus, part of being away from home is a time to experience new foods! However, it was important that I take care of my diabetes to the best of my ability.
It's most important that before leaving, you prepare both yourself and whoever you're visiting. Check how much time there is between meals, and decide if you'll need to pack a snack. If you're going to be served meals on an airplane and need to make a special request, don't forget to submit the request when you purchase your tickets. Make friends with the camp chef; when I was at camp for 4 weeks, the cook reserved cheese sticks and hard-boiled eggs in the fridge from which I could help myself. Lastly, if you're staying in someone's house, make him/her aware of any dietary needs you have. If you're worried about offending your host, remember that it's easier to deal with such a problem before sitting down at the dinner table. Preparing before you leave can make your trip less stressful and more fun!
When you're away from home, try to make do with the foods you have. The best tip: use your best judgment. We each know the foods that wreak havoc on our blood sugars. As I wrote in my last post, eat when you're hungry; you don't have to try everything on the buffet table.
In some cases, it's appropriate to bring food from home if you're worried about the options; for example, last summer I brought my own breakfast to a conference where I knew donuts and fruit juice would be the only choices. This is usually only appropriate when you're with a large group; most private hosts go to a good deal of work to prepare meals.
When bringing your own food isn't appropriate, see if you can have a special meal prepared. Although everyone has a different opinion on the following topic, I think you should only ask for a special meal if it's genuinely what you need to keep your blood sugar in range. (Don't use diabetes as an excuse to get your favorite food, especially if everyone else is stuck with glop.) At camp this summer, my large group was presented a buffet of pancakes, muffins, and coffee cake. I have trouble keeping my blood sugar in range on these foods, so I asked for some leftover chicken from dinner. Make sure not to make unreasonable requests, like asking for a three egg-white omelet with fresh sautéed asparagus. Briefly, take care of yourself, but be a gracious guest.
