Toolbelt Tips and Tricks - what you need to know when you're sick.
Welcome back Champions!
This week's blog post is something that's pretty common to ask - what can you do when you're sick to make sure you get over it A) FAST and B) without affecting your blood sugars too much?
Well as imagined, being sick isn't fun! I was under the weather a bit this past weekend, and I tried a couple of different things this time around to really see what worked great for me, my body, and my blood sugars. If you'd like to see some tricks and tips about how to handle being sick with diabetes, keep on reading! :)
*DISCLAIMER* I AM NOT, NOR DO I CLAIM TO BE A DOCTOR/NURSE/PHYSICAN/MED-STUDENTWHOKNOWSMEDICINE :) Please make sure to check with YOUR doctor if you have any questions when you're sick/about your diabetes, etc.!
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DIABETES + SICKNESS = IT CAN BE MANAGED!!!
Yes, yes it can! Just like anything, diabetes can be managed in any situation! Being PREPARED and having a PLAN is one of the most important things, and while you can't prepare for when you'd be sick, you can lay out a plan for the future when you do get sick! So let's get into it:
1. Be prepared with any NECESSITIES you might need.
We all know that when we're sick, we need at least 2 things:
1. lots of water/liquids with electrolytes!
2. saltines/crackers/some kind of food you can tolerate!
Be PREPARED by having these, many times there are always around in your pantry at home because they can be used in a lot of different scenarios. Whatever works for you, make sure you have them on hand, or ge
t a friend or family member to grab some for you! Or you know.... postmates has your back, always ;) (no shame!)
2. Have a PLAN of action.
A PLAN will help you know where/what you'd start with! Do you call your doctor first? Get started on drinking lots of water? Make sure to check your temperature and blood sugars every 30 mins? Every hour on the dot? Have a "list" whether written down or not, of things you would do to help you feel better and ensure you're not just laying in bed and actually helping you get on track!
Okay great, you're PREPARED and you have a PLAN, now what?
Here are 5 tips and tricks I used and tried out that I found really helped me this last time, and that are pretty good in making sure you get over being sick fast, PLUS these next points will help you manage your diabetes and keep your blood sugars from adding to the chaos! :)
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~ tip number one:
WATER...WATER...WATER! DID I MENTION WATER?
This is probably THE number one holy grail, you-must-do-this, the-best-hack-ever, don't-underestimate-the-power-of-H2O trick ever. Water helps keep you hydrated, which with diabetes, is crucial. If you're super sick and you're vomiting - this is even MORE crucial than before. Being sick drains you, and it dehydrates your whole body. This takes a heavy toll on your blood sugars as well. Not only is your body physically stressed out, the deviation from homeostasis (where your body usually is under normal conditions) is causing stress on your blood sugars! Water will help with these both! Staying hydrated will help keep your pancreas happy and those blood sugars will be able to be more in range, or at least not as crazy as otherwise.
trick for tip number one:
Buy water that has a good number of added electrolytes and has a great pH! Your body's pH is naturally going to shift - again if you're vomitting, your body is so much more acidic - Essentia water is Alkaline water: this means it's supercharged and has a pH of 9.5+ (or higher) because they've gotten rid of bitter tasting acidic ions.
* Fun fact: it's been scientifically shown Essentia is better at hydration! Check it out the study here.
* * Fun, fun fact: I'm obsessed and buy two boxes at a time of their water (oops).
* * * I'm done now.
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~ tip number two:
SET A TIMER/ALARM TO REGULARLY CHECK YOUR BLOOG SUGAR.
If you have a Dexcom CGM like me, even better! But whatever you do, do your best to not let your blood sugars slip behind! If I didn't have the Dexcom reporting my blood sugar in real time, I'd do what my mom used to do when I was a kid: she'd check up on me every 30 mins- 1 hour to check my blood sugar and track if they were running high/low and treating appropriately.
This helps you in a couple of different ways:
1) you won't let your numbers slip and end up super HIGH if you're making an active attempt to check them.
2) Writing them down (even better) let's you see if there's a trend and this way you put together a "box of knowledge" for whenever you're sick or not feeling well in the future.
3) You can see if drinking lots of water/sugar-free Powerade/juice/etc. helps keep them stable.
trick for tip number two:
Use your clock or timer on your phone to help set the alarms and keep them set, and try to stick to it! You could even find apps that remind you to check your blood sugar, a quick search should bring up plenty of options in the App Store on your iPhone/Android!
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~ tip number three:
GET. OUT. OF. BED. I know...
This might seem a bit out of the box here, but bear with me. Of course, if you're really sick and you just can't get out of bed, that's understandable (again, check with your physician).
But if you can manage to, walking around your house, from room to room, or even outside for a little bit is good to get your blood flowing and decreasing your sitting in one area all day. I made sure to get up and walk around the house, as frequently as I could manage to find the energy, to make sure I was breaking up my sitting time and gauge how I was feeling! Do whatever feels comfortable for you!
trick for tip number three:
If you're sick/not feeling well, make yourself sit/lie/spend time somewhere comfortable OTHER than your room, not only for a change of scenery, but so you don't feel so cooped up in one place! This also helps because you most likely will want to get things you need, and you'll obviously need a restroom break! Use these opportunities to get you up!
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~ tip number four:
WRITE IT ALL DOWN!
How do you feel? What makes you feel better? What makes you feel worse? What helps get rid of your pain/discomfort? Have a little notebook of things that you feel throughout the day/duration so you can tell your doctor when/if you decide to see them at the clinic, and that way you won't forget about that one time you felt that one symptom but now you've forgotten and can't remember... :/
trick for tip number four: Having a little notebook is great for your blood sugars too - this helps you connect any dots to what a possible reason may be if your blood sugar is high/low or not behaving as you think it should! Keep a list of your numbers, what you ate, and any medications you took/currently take so you can see it all played out in front of you.
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~ tip number five:
EATING IS A MUST!!!!! FOOD = YOUR FRIEND :)
Just like staying hydrated is important, so is making sure to eat! First of all, you can't starve yourself especially when your body is already going through so much - it needs nutrients and vitamins, especially fruits and vegetables - to keep it going this crazy time.
But additionally, making sure to eat regularly is important for your diabetes! Your body needs food and insulin - so make sure to eat low carb, nothing too heavy, and load up on healthy options which can range from broccoli to carrots to citrus fruits.
trick for tip number five: Find a staple or favorite food item that doesn't upset your stomach and you can handle! My favorites are soup, saltine crackers, Powerade, Pedialyte popsicles (these are sooo good ESP if you don't like drinking regular Pedialyte), and jello! Make sure to have these on stand at home, like broth, juice bars/popsicles, fruit drinks, water, crackers, pretzels, jello, etc.
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I hope those 5 tips and tricks helped you guys out and can give you a better idea of how to prepare and totally overcome when you feel sick and managing your diabetes at the same time!
Diabetes is never an excuse not to do something nor should it ever make you feel like you can't control something in your life! I promise you can do whatever you set your mind to, and that applies to everything we do in life!
Let's keep our heads up high and keep fighting the good fight my friends! Have a wonderful rest of your week!
Thanks for visiting, see you guys next week!
xoxo,
B :)
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