Great Outdoor Activities Plan for Your Family

With the warm weather and longer daylight hours, summer means lots of outdoor activities. Often these activities involve more exercise than you normally do during the rest of the year. If you lead a more sedentary lifestyle from September through May, then suddenly shift into high gear in June, you need to take extra care to keep your glucose levels in good control.

Making Your Perfect Meal Schedule

One of the hardest things to do in the summertime is stick to a regular meal schedule. The extra hours of daylight can throw you off; you may be tempted to eat dinner later, for example, since you have become accustomed to eating dinner when it is dark outside. Family vacations, common during the summer when the kids are out of school, can also temporarily throw you off your schedule.

With so much to do in the summer it can be difficult (or at least inconvenient) to eat at specific times every day. Your appetite is also reduced when the weather is especially hot, and you may not want to eat all the foods required on your diabetes meal plan.

As a person with diabetes, however, you know that it is important to stay on your meal plan to keep your glucose levels in good control and give you the energy to keep you going on these activity-filled days. For me, just with my best exercise earbuds, I feel my activities really perfect without any distractions. Then, moving back and enjoy my prepared meals.

Smaller, more frequent meals during these warmer months may be the answer. Instead of having three full "heavy" meals, you may want to try three small meals and three snacks each day. This kind of "nibbling" plan can work when you are on the go, as well as when you just can't stand the thought of eating a big meal on a hot day. Small meals or snacks eaten every few hours can keep you from getting hungry and indulging in foods that are high in fat, calories and sugar.

A Summer-time "Nibbling" Menu Might Include:

• Cheese and crackers, juice and milk for breakfast;
• A handful of grapes for a mid-morning pick-me-up;
• A cold meat sandwich with lots of lettuce and tomato and a piece of fruit for lunch;
• Half a banana for a mid-afternoon snack;
• A tomato half filled with tuna, crackers and fresh fruit for dinner;
• Milk and crackers just before bedtime.

Talk to your dietitian about adjusting your meal plan to adapt to your summer schedule. If it will meet your nutritional requirements, a "nibbling" plan might be right for you. Not only can it be hard to stick to regular eating times during the summer, it can also be hard to stick to the foods on your diabetes meal plan.

Summertime traditions such as hot dogs and hamburgers, fried chicken, potato salad, chips, ice cream and pie are popular at picnics and barbeques. While these foods are tasty, they are also high in fat, calories and cholesterol (ice cream is also high in sugar).

But with a few modifications, these foods can be included in your diabetes meal plan.

• Choose hamburgers made of lean meat instead of hot dogs, which are higher in fat. Avoid adding cheese or high fat toppings; if you must add condiments, use them sparingly. If fried chicken is the featured main course, remove the skin before eating (or better yet, ask for the chicken to be grilled or baked, if possible).
• Potato salad can be okay if it is made with a small amount of reduced calorie mayonnaise (avoid potato salad that contains excessive mayonnaise) and if you eat it in small amounts. A better choice would be anything from a vegetable platter. Corn on the cob that is wrapped in foil and cooked on the grill is also a healthy side dish.

Try a roll or bread instead of potato chips; if you must have chips, look for low fat varieties and eat just a few. Instead of ice cream or pie for dessert, take advantage of the fresh fruits in season. Mangoes, kiwifruit or strawberries dipped in low calorie whipped topping are some good choices.

Ice cream can be included in your diabetes meal plan, as long as you eat it only occasionally. Half a cup of ice cream equals about 1 starch/bread and 1 fat Exchange.

How about Your Beverages

If you crave something sweet and cold more than occasionally, however, try making Popsicles using fruit juice or sugar-free fruit drink mix (such as Kool-Aid), and store them in your freezer for snacks. Or you can make "snow cones," using crushed ice and a concentrated mixture of sugar-free fruit drink or fruit-flavored gelatin sprinkled over crushed ice. Use your imagination to create fun treats your whole family can enjoy.

To accompany your meal, avoid alcoholic beverages or limit your intake to one or two. Not only can alcohol upset your glucose levels, in hot weather it can actually increase your body temperature and make you feel even warmer. Select sugar-free/diet soft drinks (or nonalcoholic beer or wine) from the beverage cooler instead of beer. If you don't like soft drinks, water is always a good choice but certainly not the only one.

• Make ice cubes from a sugar-free fruit drink and add them to glasses of the drink for a special treat. Pour a concentrated mixture of sugar-free lemonade over crushed ice for a lemonade slush.
• Iced tea is another summertime favorite. You can make your own sun tea by filling a one-gallon jug with water and several large tea bags, then setting the jug in the sun for several hours to let the tea brew. Add a slice of lemon or lime and some ice cubes for a cool, refreshing drink.
• When you make these kinds of adjustments in your summertime eating habits, you too can participate in the activities of season.
• Enjoy your vacation from the cold, dreary months just remember that you can't take a vacation from your diabetes management program.