Summer Diabetes Guide: How to Protect Your Tech, Stay Hydrated, and Avoid Spikes
By IDS Director of Lifestyle and Nutrition, Jenny Smith, RD, LD, CDCES
Every season brings a change. For many people, summer brings in more time off, warmer weather with time outside, activity level increases and food choices change too.
Some simple tips for this summer season can help to keep you cool as a cucumber and decrease the chance of stress in a time when relaxation should be at the top of the list.
Here Are 5 Essential Tips for Managing Diabetes All Summer Long
1. Make use of your diabetes technology.
- Adjust your CGM alerts to catch lows sooner and possibly adjust the high alert to catch a rise up sooner too.
- Use time off to evaluate your pump settings or the doses for your injections.
- Consider the change in food choices and learn to use smarter features on your pump, such as extended boluses (helpful for those cookouts) or temporary basal rates (for the extra chips and dip).
2. Stay Hydrated.
- Warm temperatures can quickly cause dehydration. Long hours outside gardening, running, biking, or even at the beach can really increase the loss of water in the body.
- BG levels can rise due to dehydration and CGM data can be inaccurate with poor water intake.
- Drink water throughout the day and add in electrolytes to keep a balance of sodium, potassium, chloride and magnesium.
3. Keep your devices safe
- Heat decreases the impact of insulin if a pump or vial/pen is left out to cook in the sun. Use cooling cases or keep the pump under clothing or in the shade if disconnected.
- Use adhesive on sensor or pump sites to keep products well attached.
- Avoid using sunscreen on or around the adhesive, as this can decrease stickiness. Pods can crack when exposed to spray sunscreen, so cover these when spraying that area of the body.
4. Consider active times of day.
- Early morning and evening times have cooler temperatures more often through the summer months. If possible, add active time early or late in the day to avoid excessive exposure that can cause dehydration or heat stroke.
- Tubed pumps – consider where you wear the device. Avoid exposure to sweat and moisture. Keep the pump in a pouch/pocket and not next to the skin.
5. Keep a To-Go bag ready
- Are you ready for running out the door to have fun or when the mood strikes? Have a bag ready to go by the door so you don’t have to spend time packing up each time you leave on a new summer adventure.
- Ideas for what to pack in a To Go bag can be found in a few good places:
If summertime planning is hard to think about, give us a call or schedule a visit with one of our clinicians at Integrated Diabetes Services.
We have navigated through many summers and can help you plan for all the adventures you may want to take!
2 Responses
What electrolytes do you recommend?
From Jennifer Smith RD, LD, CDCES, Director of Lifestyle and Nutrition
Non sugar options are:
water with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt
NUUN tablets
Ultima (powder)
Propel or Vitamin Water Zero
Smart Water – has no sodium but contains calcium, magnesium and potassium
Some electrolytes that have minimal carbs with very low/no impact:
Coconut water (dpending on the brand)
Nooma
Carb based option for using in sports to support BG and electrolyte needs:
SkratchLabs powder