Nervous - walking holiday overseas

[RooTypeTwo]

Any suggestions for how to keep blood glucose under control in unfamiliar environments under non-typical conditions? We’ll be in the mountains in the Czech Republic on a gentle walking holiday. Food from unfamiliar shops and unfamiliar restaurants for 10 days, and since it is rural, choices will be limited. Plus I’m not generally an adventurous eater.

It’s one of those holidays for spoiled walkers -a taxi takes our luggage while we enjoy the views on moderate hikes.

I’ve been T2 for a long time, but the last two years have been really really difficult due to complications from covid. Now I finally have my blood glucose where I want it, and being able to choose my foods has been the key. I’m on the verge of cancelling this dream trip because I’m so keen to keep a healthy glucose level, but that strikes me as possibly a bit overwrought.

I’m thinking of packing the following (not in my day pack): peanut butter for quick protein; protein bars in case I get picky about a specific meal - I’m not a great eater plus peanut M&Ms in case all the walking means my bg goes low (it’s the thing that works most reliably for me). And stocking up on cheese and salami whenever we can, which should be easy in Bohemia.

Appreciate practical suggestions and moral support. Please tell me I’m an idiot for thinking of cancelling this trip. I can do this, right?

 

[Inka]

Welcome @RooTypeTwo 🙂 I’m happy to oblige and call you an idiot😉 (not really, of course - just referring to your comment). Czechia is beautiful and your trip sounds amazing. You have no need at all to cancel it. There’ll be plenty that you can eat and you’ll be walking too which may well allow for some treats because you’ll walk them off. It’s sensible to take hypo treatments if you’re on medication that can cause hypos but I’d just take packets of Dextro tablets personally.

Are you on any medication for the diabetes?

 

[debinfrance]

Hi, did you book through a company or is it a recognised walking route, or both even? If either of those you should be able to get info about where places to eat and stock up are locally to the places you’re staying.Failing that contact the places you’re staying and ask them what shops there are nearby. Sounds like an amazing trip so hope you manage to start looking forward to it.

 

[AndBreathe]

Any suggestions for how to keep blood glucose under control in unfamiliar environments under non-typical conditions? We’ll be in the mountains in the Czech Republic on a gentle walking holiday. Food from unfamiliar shops and unfamiliar restaurants for 10 days, and since it is rural, choices will be limited. Plus I’m not generally an adventurous eater.

It’s one of those holidays for spoiled walkers -a taxi takes our luggage while we enjoy the views on moderate hikes.

I’ve been T2 for a long time, but the last two years have been really really difficult due to complications from covid. Now I finally have my blood glucose where I want it, and being able to choose my foods has been the key. I’m on the verge of cancelling this dream trip because I’m so keen to keep a healthy glucose level, but that strikes me as possibly a bit overwrought.

I’m thinking of packing the following (not in my day pack): peanut butter for quick protein; protein bars in case I get picky about a specific meal - I’m not a great eater plus peanut M&Ms in case all the walking means my bg goes low (it’s the thing that works most reliably for me). And stocking up on cheese and salami whenever we can, which should be easy in Bohemia.

Appreciate practical suggestions and moral support. Please tell me I’m an idiot for thinking of cancelling this trip. I can do this, right?

What sort of medication, if any, do you take to help manage your T2?

I'm overseas at the moment, and happily walk about 10km a day - most of it in the morning, but usually a bit more late afternoon, when the heat is easing a bit.

To be honest, my A1cs are always at their best when either on this sort of holiday, or just after. (I need to be monitored for some non-diabetes meds, so sometimes end up having bloods done here.) I don't do anything special for my diabetes. I have a decent breakfast, which is usually based around eggs and salad or yoghurt and a piece of fruit, then dinner in the evening.

It's hard to make too many suggestions without knowing what meds you take, but whatever, please do ensure you drink enough. You can become dehydrated even in cold weather, and that would't be good.

 

[harbottle]

Since diagnosis I have been to Italy, Croatia and Spain a few times and have had no problems with food at all (Apart from maybe the lack of decent fresh berries in Croatia and the disgusting Greek yoghurt.). Eating out was far easier than the UK as most restaurants served meals with fish and meat and would remove things like potato. Italy was excellent for eating out and also supermarkets. Spain similar.

I also did a lot of walking (Around the Amalfi coast and up Vesuvius) and biking without a single issue with 'low' blood sugar (Unless you're on certain medications it's not a problem, so it's not something I even worry about, even though I do often see it go down into the 3s.) The first few times I went abroad I bought Libre sensors and decided it was a waste of money as it was easy to keep it under control.

The UK is the worst place I've been to so far for eating out, as most towns/cities are full of chains where it's hard to find something that isn't full of carbs. Even a simple chicken in tomato sauce is laden with sugar in some of the so-called 'restaurants' we have and the meals are pre-prepared in plastic bags from a central depot so the staff haven't got a clue what's actually in it (I went to some awful French-style Bistro chain where the waitress gave me this answer when I asked for some nutritional information.) and the chefs are just microwave operators. Ping!

This year I treated myself to some Gelato and Magnums in Croatia, and a delicious Salmon with some rice - I knew we would be doing a lot of walking, so didn't worry too much. A large pastry stuffed with meat fuelled my walk around the city walls of Dubrovnik without causing me any blood sugar trouble and a walk around the coast after an Almond croissant kept things under control.

 

[Deb_l]

If this is your dream trip, don't even think about cancelling. You will be so disappointed if you do.

The food choices will very likely surprise you and you will have plenty to pick from. If you're staying in hotels, then breakfast and dinner are likely to be a buffet selection which will give you loads of options.

Yes, you are where you want to be with your BG levels now but straying off your chosen plan for 2 or 3 days (out of the 10) is not going to make a huge difference in the overall scheme of the rest of your life but missing out on an incredible trip might.