Diabetes And Alcohol In Your Meal Plan
Find out the right way to work alcohol into your diabetic meal plan... If a person has good control over the diabetes in their life, drinking small amounts of alcohol can be fine. You also have to be complication-free and be able to fit the alcohol into your meal plan.
Usually, your liver will put more glucose into your blood if an insulin low occurs. The liver stores itâs own supply of glucose that is called glycogen. When alcohol, a toxin, is in the body the liver tries to get rid of it first. While the liver is trying to get rid of the alcohol, the insulin low can be getting worse.
TIPS TO FOLLOW
Eat something before and while youâre drinking alcohol. Check your blood glucose levels before, during and after drinking. Alcohol can lower the blood glucose as long as 8 to 12 hours after the last drink has been ingested. Although it might be a bit limiting, try to plan how much you will drink and stick to your plan.
BE CAREFUL ABOUT LOWS
More importantly, some of the symptoms of having an insulin reaction can mimic drunkeness. How will someone be able to tell if youâre drunk or experiencing an insulin low? If you do plan on drinking make SURE people around you know that you have diabetes and may experience a low blood sugar reaction. Let them know that if they are in doubt about whether or not you are drunk or having an insulin low to ALWAYS choose the insulin low and try to get your help.
ALCOHOL & COMPLICATIONS
Drinking alcohol can worsen nerve damage, eye diseases, high blood pressure and high blood fats. If you experience any of these problems itâs a good idea to find out how much alcohol you shoul be drinking, if any.
WORKING ALCOHOL INTO YOUR MEAL PLAN
Working alcohol into a meal plan might be tricky. If one ounce of liquor has 107 calories, that might make you delete peas from your dinner plate. It might seem like next to nothing, but drinking a little alcohol can use up a lot of space/calories in your meal plan.
Regular beer, sweet wines and wine coolers may raise your blood glucose level more than light beer, dry wines and liqors (vodka, scotch, etc) because they have more carbohydrate in them. Carbohydrate is the main nutrient that causes the blood glucose level to go up. If you are watching your weight be aware that alcoholic drinks can have anywhere from 60 to 300 calories for EACH drink.
CUTTING CALORIES
To cut calories, use 80 proof instead of 100 proof alcohol.. The lower the proof number, the less alcohol in each drink. Each gam of alcohol has appoximately 7 calories. You may want to put less liquor in your drinks. Use no-calorie mixers, such as club soda and water. Stay away from juices and high calorie mixers. Choose light beer instead of regular beer. Choose a dry wine over a sweet or fruity wine/wine cooler.
| Liquor |
1.5 ounces |
107 calories |
2.5 Fat Exchanges |
| Dry Wine |
3.0 ounces |
68 calories |
1.5 Fat Exchanges |
| Wine Cooler |
12 ounces |
196 calories |
3 Fat Exchanges
1 Starch Exchange |
| Regular Beer |
12 ounces |
151 calories |
2 Fat Exchanges
1 Starch Exchange |
|
Light Beer |
12 ounces |
97 calories |
2 Fat Exchanges |
| 
