Food on holiday/from now on

[Unkown966592]

I've recently (in the last couple of days) been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (HbA1c was tested at 102), I've been prescribed Gliclazide to to take twice a day, have to prick my finger 4 times a day and monitor my blood sugar to record them in this diary I have (as I'm getting a call in 3 weeks to see if the dosage for the Gliclazide needs to be increased) however I'm due to go away tomorrow (Monday) and prescription for the Gliclazide, the lancets and sharp bin, is yet to be actioned by the chemist as they haven't got it from my doctors surgery,(despite being told that I could pick it up the day after I was diagnosed) and it as it takes as few days, it won't be ready till Wednesday at the latest.

So my worry is now what do I do about eating whilst I'm away, before being told I have type 2 diabetes, me and my girlfriend planned just to eat out all the time we where there, as we didn't want to cook, and just planned on taking things we needed for breakfast such as bacon, croissants, and pancake mix, fruit (strawberries, raspberries, grapes, bananas and nectarines) and bread etc.

But after reading the Freshwell_Red_Amber_Green.pdf from www.lowcarbfreshwell.com, and am now concerned and that I don't have the Gliclazide or any of the other stuff, I'm not sure what I can and cannot eat after being told that I need a low sugar diet and low carbs.

I just have no idea, I'm also guessing the Greggs breakfast roll we normally get when we set off is now also out of the window for me.

 

[EMcKT]

Yip, afraid it is, as well as some of the fruit especially the bananas and the nectarines!!!!You can have the bacon from the roll, eggs, tomatoes for breakfast, yoghurt and dark fruit/berries. Try the greek yoghurt , full fat. Don't panic about it and read the menus carefully when out. Avoid potatoes, rice, pastry,pasta, swap these things for extra vegetables just now. Ask when you are ordering food, say no chips, have salad instead. Yes, it's not easy coping with a holiday so soon after diagnosis but any dietary improvements you can do asap all helps. Stay off the beer, red wine is ok as is the occasional spirit as long as it's low cal mixer. Concentrate on the carb content not the sugar just now, carbs breakdown to sugar so that's the figure you are looking at .
You don't say how long your holiday is but try to enjoy it, it might give you time to read from this forum, it's full of info.

 

[Clare153]

Can you let your GP know in the morning? Don't know what time you need to leave but my practise are quite good at handling my last minute panics over running out of tablets. Due to lots of dose changes over the last few weeks, I've got in a pickle more than once and they sort it same day.

 

[rebrascora]

Are you staying in the UK for your holiday or going abroad?

I would be very concerned about going abroad with uncontrolled diabetes with an HbA1c that high and if you are going abroad and haven't told your insurance company they may not cover you if things take a turn for the worse as can sometimes happen with an HbA1c that high.

Can you find a pharmacy that has Ketostix? You can buy them over the counter for about £5. Being able to check your urine for ketones would be a good precaution, even if you get the Gliclazide before you go. Your blood glucose levels will likely be consistently be mid teens with an HbA1c that high and there is a danger at that level of developing Ketones hence having the ability to test for them. If you are travelling abroad, I would seriously reconsider setting off.

Unfortunately you will need to manage your diet carefully when levels are that high.

 

[Martin.A]

If your prescription is sent electronically to your pharmacy it should be accessible to a pharmacy at your holiday destination, which I'm assuming is in the UK as you mention Greggs. My designated pharmacy couldn't fulfil my prescription recently but told me I could try a different pharmacy. I did, they got it up online and I walked away with my item. Could that be an option for you, as well as what @Clare153 has suggested?

 

[Lucyr]

I'm due to go away tomorrow (Monday)

If you’re leaving the country make sure you ring your travel insurance company before you leave to ensure you’re covered for any diabetic emergencies whilst away, especially to check whether you’re covered if you’ve been prescribed medication but aren’t taking it

 

[Lucyr]

Also, maybe call 111 today if you’re leaving early tomorrow, perhaps there would be a way an out of hours doctor could sort the prescription? I doubt your travel insurance would cover you if you’re not taking the recommended medication, but hopefully you can sort prescription then travel insurance.

 

[Unkown966592]

Thank you all, luckily I'm staying in the UK for the week at a caravan park, I'll try going to the chemist that my prescriptions are sent to before I set off, but unless my doctors put an urgent request in, the chemist tend to stick to their 3 day timescale, when the nurse said it'd be ready for collection (yesterday) I thought I didn't have to say that I was going away tomorrow (how wrong was I), also my chemist don't count the day they've received it as the first day, that's always the day after.

I can't have greek yoghurt or I'd have it for breakfast, every time I've had it, my skin starts to itch and my lips get tingly, so I have no idea what I'm going to do tomorrow.

When I said the plan was to eat out, the plan for 2 of the 4 nights was to get take away, now that has gone out of the window, so we're having rethink that one, I'd say that there's always noodles but even that's not an option for me, I am tempted not to go, as it's depressing the hell out of me right now

 

[Felinia]

My go-to takeaways are: Tandoori chicken with a salad; chicken or prawns with green peppers and black bean sauce plus a portion of beansprouts or stir fry vegetables; KFC with garden salad. It took some working out, but all are reasonable for carbs.

 

[rebrascora]

I had Saag Bhaji last night.... almost no carbs. It is just a very mildly spiced soft spinach side dish (very different to onion bhaji as it isn't crispy and deep fried) but I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it. Depends on your tastes of course. Perhaps have it with your usual curry of choice but skip the naan or rice or just have a few spoons of your partners rice. You can also get cauliflower bhaji and brinjal (aubergine) bhaji and mushroom bhaji and a mixed veg one but that often has potato in it, so I tend not to get that. I did have a small piece of poppadom with it.

 

[Clare153]

Thank you all, luckily I'm staying in the UK for the week at a caravan park, I'll try going to the chemist that my prescriptions are sent to before I set off, but unless my doctors put an urgent request in, the chemist tend to stick to their 3 day timescale, when the nurse said it'd be ready for collection (yesterday) I thought I didn't have to say that I was going away tomorrow (how wrong was I), also my chemist don't count the day they've received it as the first day, that's always the day after.

I can't have greek yoghurt or I'd have it for breakfast, every time I've had it, my skin starts to itch and my lips get tingly, so I have no idea what I'm going to do tomorrow.

When I said the plan was to eat out, the plan for 2 of the 4 nights was to get take away, now that has gone out of the window, so we're having rethink that one, I'd say that there's always noodles but even that's not an option for me, I am tempted not to go, as it's depressing the hell out of me right now

I was on holiday in the UK in my caravan (for my birthday!) When I got the call about my hba1c being very high. I considered coming home but stuck it out, and in hindsight wish I had come home to get sorted. I would have felt safer I think.

But do what you need to do. And at least as self catering you can start to eat better and take some control over it.

 

[EMcKT]

I had Saag Bhaji last night.... almost no carbs. It is just a very mildly spiced soft spinach side dish (very different to onion bhaji as it isn't crispy and deep fried) but I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it. Depends on your tastes of course. Perhaps have it with your usual curry of choice but skip the naan or rice or just have a few spoons of your partners rice. You can also get cauliflower bhaji and brinjal (aubergine) bhaji and mushroom bhaji and a mixed veg one but that often has potato in it, so I tend not to get that. I did have a small piece of poppadom with it.

Oh, one of my favourite Indian dishes which I will have as a side but make it my main. Don't order as a main ......it's huge ....allows me have a poppadom but no rice. Only one takeaway since February, did not have lots of them, but sometimes one does NOT another salad for dinner......

 

[Lucyr]

When I said the plan was to eat out, the plan for 2 of the 4 nights was to get take away

You could have kebab andnot have too much pita/chips. Or Indian and not have too much rice/naan, there’s still options.

Get some good quality sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms for your holiday breakfasts too. Don’t go overboard on toast or baked beans though.

 

[Lucyr]

Oh and you might want some strawberries and cream, or chocolate eclairs, for your puddings 🙂 holidays are often a time for pudding

 

[Leadinglights]

Make sure you are drinking plenty of low carb fluid and watch the obvious carbs, potatoes, rice, pasta, cakes, biscuits, ice cream.
Eating out, steak and salad, Caesar salad or the Indian meals suggested should be OK.
Is it all yoghurt you have a problem with, if not then the high protein yoghurt or Kvarg deserts with berries would be OK for breakfast or eggs etc.
Lunch is likely to be more tricky as the usual sandwich is going to be high carb but if you leave the crusts that helps.