Especially after the prolonged, continuous pre-election-political period with the tensions, oppositions, confrontations and changes it brought and filled us with anxiety, summer seems like a relaxing dream that we all need to live.

To enjoy life, nature and the season again, to indulge in the sweetness of leisure and relaxation, to renew ourselves and engage in interests and perspectives.
“Particularly people with diabetes, the group usually referred to as a vulnerable group in the time of the pandemic, see the summer holidays as a necessity of life. But in order to enjoy them, they should pay attention to a few things and situations to ensure healthy holidays without dysregulation of diabetes and without risks of complications”, he emphasizes Dr. Andreas Melidonis Pathologist – Diabetologist, Coordinating Director at the Diabetic-Cardiometabolic Center of Metropolitan Hospital, who quotes useful tips that can be a “compass” for a carefree and relaxing summer vacation.

  1. Avoid heavy and large amounts of food in the summer. You prefer small and frequent meals. Stick to green salads, easily digestible foam fish, grilled and dry foods. Eat the fruit your diet allows, but reconsider your portion sizes before you leave for your vacation.
  2. Be careful, too, especially with holiday breakfast which can be skim milk or yogurt with brown bread or cereal and fruit. Resist the temptation to try everything from the hotel’s breakfast buffet.
  3. Soft drinks, especially frozen ones, are the cool note of life in the summer months. You can drink any light soft drink you want without any particular restrictions. When it comes to natural juices, you read the carbohydrate content on the packaging. Do not forget that 10 to 15 gr of carbohydrates correspond to one equivalent of fruit.
  4. Holiday fun is often combined with alcohol consumption. Small consumption is permissible. Heavy consumption is the starting point for short-term (risk of hypoglycemia) and long-term problems (weight gain). You can drink drinks corresponding to 20 – 25 g of alcohol per day, divided into 2 doses.
  5. So be careful with alcoholic beverages, especially those who take insulin, and if the alcoholic beverages are accompanied by intense exercise such as dancing, don’t forget to eat a small carbohydrate meal (toast, juice, fruit or crackers) in between to avoid hypoglycemia. And of course, don’t drive when you’ve had alcohol.
  6. Don’t forget your tithe before you swim. A piece of fruit or a small sandwich protects you from unwanted hypoglycemia while swimming.
  7. Avoid long exposure to the sun. Especially if you take insulin, because its absorption is accelerated and thus sudden, unexplained hypoglycemia can occur. It is therefore advisable to wear a hat. Perhaps better, plan your swim before 11am and after 4pm in the afternoon. And in your swimming, if you wear continuous glucose monitoring sensors, avoid diving to prevent the sensor from malfunctioning.
  8. Avoid putting your feet in the hot sand. Don’t walk barefoot on the beach, take at least two pairs of comfortable walking shoes and enough pairs of socks to change into. Do not walk with bare feet on sandy beaches and beaches.
  9. Walk as much as possible. If you travel by bus or in your car, take short walks during the stops. Carry something quick to eat in case meals are delayed. If you are traveling by plane, notify the airline in good time – at the time of booking – if you wish to be served a special meal for people with diabetes. If you don’t want to change your eating habits, make sure to take something with you. Dry air during flight is a minor problem. For this reason, drink plenty of fluids while on the plane. One glass of water at least for every hour of flight.
  10. Don’t forget when you arrive at your destination, keep the syringes and insulin you won’t use immediately, as well as the glucagon injection in the fridge. Insulin is stored at room temperature for a period of 6 weeks without undergoing deterioration. The sugar strips are kept at a temperature of 18°C ​​to 30°C.
  11. A) Find out about the existence of a Hospital or Health Center near your place of residence. It is useful to have your doctor’s phone number with you. Don’t forget the self-monitoring diary so you can keep in touch with your diabetes control even on vacation.
    B) Prepare and organize your personal travel list before departure. Stock up on the necessary blood or urine sugar test strips for as long as you expect to be away. If you measure your blood sugar, don’t forget your blood sugar meter. It will be a good companion and a protection and safety device in your vacation. And if of course you are familiar with new technologies and use continuous glucose monitoring devices, don’t forget the sensor and the sensor application device (like the Free Style Libre) in order to continuously monitor your sugar in the most modern and safe way.
    C) Stock up on the necessary syringes, insulin needles or pens. The glycogen injection. Your anti-diabetic tablets, if you are taking tablets. Also, medications related to any complications of diabetes. And it goes without saying that we do not forget to observe the basic, well-known preventive measures to eliminate any risk of infection by the new coronavirus which is still present in our everyday life, albeit at a much lower frequency.

“In order to enjoy our holidays, we apply the preventive measures and prevent the unwanted consequences that will deprive us of the joy of the holidays”, concludes Dr. Melidonis