Well, I tried to post this last night when I read it, but for some reason I kept getting a database error and it wouldn't work,
so I went to bed and thought I'd try again this morning.
Star Wars Guy....some great info given so far! And a howdy neighbor from down south...near Carbondale!
I was diagnosed in November 2004 and 3 weeks later went on our first
Disney cruise...brother, I thought I'd never make it, but I was wrong. Like others have said, the increased activity...walking...is a big help! Plus, I had just enough time to practice knowing about portions and things to stay away from at the table. Since, then I've made 2 trips to WDW and been able to manage my glucose levels with only a couple of minor oops! (Don't eat McDonald french fries with your kid at midnight and expect a decent reading the next morning.
)
My doc actually put me on a 12 carb/day plan.
Okay, most people freak when they see 12 and say no way! Let me explain it.
It follows the American Diabetic Association diet for a female...1500 calories/day and you want no more than half of your calories to come from carbs, so 1 carb (counted) is equal to 15 grams of carbohydrates (when you read those nutrition guides) and each 1 carb (counted) equals 60 calories...so 12 carbs (counted) times 60 calories equals 720, which times 2 is 1440. So, I can actually add in an extra carb and still be within my goal. For my DH, he's allowed 1800 calories, so he can have a total of 15 carbs/day.
Following this guideline, I avoid sugar as much as possible and watch the carbs by avoiding high carb foods like pastas
(even the low carb ones are still pretty high, so it's a treat to eat), rice, potatoes and when I do eat them it's in moderation. I've also found that some things (for example reduced fat salad dressings) are higher in the carbs than regular ones. Shortly after I was diagnosed I went to the grocery store for a few things and stayed an hour. DH thought I'd gotten lost...nope, I was just reading the labels. And honestly, I think that may be the best advice...to become knowledgable about what you put in your mouth and know what can trigger the sugar highs and lows.
Also, I can't say it enough and My2Cinderellas said it
...know what your body feels like when your sugar levels are wacky!! Like My2Cinderellas, when mine starts to dip past 80, I get the "I gotta eat NOW!" feeling or I get shaky. Now, my dad, who's been diagnosed since the early 1990s and is insulin dependent, hasn't a clue. Last year, he was all over the chart...up to the 300s easily then down in the double digits. One day I was taking care of him after a rehab stay when he got up, went to the bathroom came back out and was all weird...just kept saying "yeah" like a teenager...very unlike him. I checked his glucose...27! He was nearly in a diabetic coma and never realized anything was wrong...even after the EMTs gave him the super sugar and we were in the ER.
Also, the last thing I'd like to suggest is a website run by a friend's DIL, whose dad is diabetic. She has nutritional labels from different foods (shopping) and restaurants so you can see what you're eating. Unfortunately, no WDW locations, which I can't understand since my friend is a huge Disney nut. The site is...
www.dietfacts.com
Anyway, best wishes!