Intuitive Eating: Anti-diet Trend Goes Viral. Should You Try It? | Vantage With Palki Sharma [6fd1f5]
Post Time: 2025-07-29
Traveling across time zones can significantly disrupt the body's natural rhythm, or circadian rhythm, which profoundly affects blood sugar levels. For individuals managing diabetes, this disruption can lead to unpredictable glucose fluctuations, making it essential to implement robust continuous monitoring strategies. The change in routine, meal timings, and sleep patterns all play a role in making blood sugar management challenging. Understanding these factors is the first step towards maintaining stable glucose levels while traveling.
This is because circadian rhythm regulates various hormones such as cortisol and insulin. When you cross multiple time zones quickly, your body’s internal clock gets out of sync with your new environment. This physiological stress can cause spikes in blood glucose or, conversely, unexpected drops, making it tricky to administer the correct doses of insulin or medication. A 2018 study published in the journal "Diabetes Care" reported that individuals with type 1 diabetes who travelled across more than 5 time zones were more prone to episodes of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).
| Time-Zone Transition Challenges | Impact on Blood Sugar |
|---|---|
| Disrupted Meal Timings | Inconsistent insulin dosing, leading to glucose spikes/drops |
| Altered Sleep Patterns | Increased stress hormones, potentially causing insulin resistance |
| Changes in Routine & Physical Activity | Fluctuating glucose levels from inconsistent energy expenditure |
The Importance of Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) in Travel
Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) has revolutionized the management of diabetes, particularly during challenging situations like time-zone transitions. Unlike traditional blood glucose meters (BGMs) which provide snapshots in time, CGMs provide continuous, real-time glucose readings, offering a comprehensive picture of glucose trends over time. This is immensely valuable when your internal clock and daily schedule are disrupted. CGM technology typically involves a small sensor inserted under the skin, which sends readings to a receiver or smartphone application, allowing users to observe patterns in blood glucose levels.
CGM data allows you to:
- Identify trends: You can quickly see how your blood sugar is responding to meals, activity, and the shift in your schedule.
- Anticipate issues: By spotting a rapid increase or decrease, you can adjust insulin or medication before it becomes severe.
- Tailor treatments: The granular data from CGM allows more accurate dosage adjustments, particularly for long-acting insulin.
Furthermore, modern CGMs also come with alerts and alarms. Setting up customizable alerts to notify you when blood sugar goes too low (hypoglycemia) or high (hyperglycemia) can be a lifesaver, especially when you are traveling and your routine is disrupted. This proactive approach not only reduces the risk of dangerous fluctuations but also provides peace of mind when exploring a new city. For example, you might discover that the timing of a particular meal after a long flight consistently triggers a rise in your glucose; with that information, you can adjust future plans and dosage timings. A meta-analysis published in the journal "The Lancet" highlighted that the use of CGM is associated with a significant decrease in episodes of both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, especially when combined with other advanced tools like insulin pumps.
Pre-Travel Planning: Essential Steps for Blood Sugar Stability
Effective management of blood sugar during travel starts well before your trip begins. A structured approach to pre-travel planning can significantly mitigate potential issues. Consider the following steps:
- Consult your Endocrinologist: Schedule a visit with your healthcare provider at least a few weeks before your travel dates. Discuss your travel plans, duration, time zone changes, and your usual diabetes management strategy. Your doctor can provide tailored advice, pre-travel medications (like extra insulin if needed), and guidance for specific situations you might encounter. This also includes planning how to adjust your long-acting basal insulin based on time zone shifts.
- Time Zone Adjustment Plan: Work with your doctor to create a customized insulin or medication plan for managing time zone differences. Typically, for westward travel, you may need to slightly reduce the dose of long-acting insulin; for eastward travel, you may need a slight increase. The key here is individualization – no standard formula fits everyone.
- Pack Smart:
- Medication and Supplies: Ensure you pack at least a few days' extra supply of insulin, syringes, needles, and/or oral diabetes medication, along with other essential items like testing strips, lancets, and back-up batteries for your CGM. Carry these items in your carry-on luggage in case of baggage delays or loss.
- Medical Identification: Always carry documentation indicating that you have diabetes. This may include a doctor's letter, prescription, or diabetes ID bracelet. This is very helpful when explaining the need for medical equipment at security checkpoints or during any medical emergency.
- Quick Snacks: Pack healthy snacks such as nuts, seeds, whole-grain crackers, or protein bars to combat unexpected low blood sugar. Make sure they can sustain you while you get yourself back to your usual routine after landing.
- Familiarize Yourself with Emergency Services: Research healthcare options and emergency numbers in your destination, as knowing this will save precious time if you experience any severe glucose related issues. A study published in "Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease" showed that travelers with pre-existing health conditions who research and prepare for contingencies are much better able to handle adverse health situations while abroad.
On-the-Go Monitoring and Adjustment Strategies
Once you are traveling, adapting to real-time glucose readings becomes crucial. Employ these strategies to ensure you're staying within a safe range while dealing with all the variables of travel.
- Regular CGM Checks: Monitor your glucose levels frequently. CGM devices often show trends over hours or days. Watching these patterns is invaluable for anticipating and preventing major spikes or dips. Check alerts diligently, and when you do get an alert, act on it by having a meal or taking a medication/insulin as advised by your doctor.
- Meal and Insulin Synchronization: Align your meal times and insulin dosages with the time at your destination as soon as feasible. While it may be difficult in the initial hours after arrival, adjust gradually. Consult your pre-travel insulin adjustment plan to figure out a strategy that would work for your itinerary. In cases of big differences in time zone, take guidance on intermediate acting insulin doses to take when traveling.
- Hydration and Diet Awareness: Stay well-hydrated and choose balanced meals, but when you do indulge, have some extra insulin on hand, or adjust it in a way that your doctor advises, based on the size of the meal. Remember to avoid sugary drinks. Consider having healthy snacks handy, especially during periods between meal service on flights.
-
Physical Activity Consideration: Travel can sometimes limit physical activity; however, if you plan to engage in some more intensive activities during the travel itself, have some snacks on hand in case you drop to hypo. Be aware that increased activity could lower your blood glucose. Monitor blood sugar levels, especially if you become more physically active in your new location, adjusting meal and medication/insulin doses accordingly to suit your activity levels.
Action Timing Purpose Check CGM trends Frequently (several times daily) Observe changes in glucose and adjust insulin Meal synchronization with insulin As per new local time Align medication timing with local mealtimes Monitor hydration Continuously Ensure proper body function & avoid confusion with glucose symptoms Assess activity levels Regularly during travel Adjust meals and insulin around changes in energy consumption
Title 5: Post-Travel Monitoring and Continued Care
Once you return home, it is essential to transition back into your regular routine while closely observing how your body adjusts. Monitor your glucose levels closely in the days immediately following your trip as your body acclimatizes back to your home time zone. The effects of time zone travel and disrupted routines might persist for several days. If you find blood sugar levels becoming consistently erratic post trip, immediately consult your health provider, and make adjustments to your current blood glucose management plan as per their advice.
Consider the following:
- Gradual Transition: Instead of abruptly shifting back to your regular schedule, gradually realign yourself back to your normal mealtimes and sleep schedules in a phased approach. This will give your body ample time to adjust from the shift, and will help avoid large swings in blood glucose.
- Note Patterns: Keeping a journal to note any patterns that emerge is invaluable. Monitor if there are any foods or situations that you react to after the trip, and note their correlation with blood glucose spikes or dips. This way you have more information to optimize your management strategies.
- Follow up With Your Endocrinologist: Schedule a post-trip follow-up with your endocrinologist. Discuss any difficulties, challenges, and observations from your trip and formulate a strategy on addressing any lasting changes or trends observed. It can help refine your travel plans and insulin strategies in the future for any future travel, especially those that involve time zone changes.
By embracing continuous monitoring, planning meticulously, and staying vigilant, individuals with diabetes can navigate time-zone transitions with greater confidence and maintain better blood sugar control throughout their travels. Travel need not be a deterrent for people with diabetes; it simply requires advanced preparation and keen attention to your specific needs.
Intuitive Eating: Anti-diet Trend Goes Viral. Should you try it? | Vantage with Palki Sharma Intuitive eating lower blood sugar at night is a diet trend but it is the farthest thing from dieting. Intuitive eating focuses on a person's internal hunger cues where the person relies on their body's needs. Intuitive dieting promises to balance nutrition and desires. And it comes with health benefits like improved blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. But intuitive eating mostly offers psychological benefits. And at its core, it battles the chronic dieting culture that puts pressure on eating habits. But what are the downsides of intuitive eating? Will it lead people to give into impulses and overeat or consume junk food? Can intuitive eating aid weight-loss? Palki Sharma tells you. --- Intuitive Eating | Food | Diet | Viral | Firstpost | World News | News Live what is normal blood sugar two hours after eating | Vantage | Palki Sharma | News #intuitive #eating #food #diet #firstpost #vantageonfirstpost #palkisharma #worldnews Vantage is a ground-breaking news, opinions, and current affairs show from Firstpost. Catering to a global audience, Vantage covers the biggest news stories from a 360-degree perspective, giving viewers a chance to assess the impact of world events through a uniquely Indian lens. The show is anchored by Palki Sharma, Managing Editor, Firstpost. By breaking stereotypes, Vantage aims to challenge conventional wisdom and present an alternative view on global affairs, defying the norm and opening the door to new perspectives. The show goes beyond the headlines to uncover the hidden stories – making Vantage a destination for thought-provoking ideas. Vantage airs Monday to Friday at 9 PM IST on Firstpost across all leading platforms. Subscribe to Firstpost channel and press the bell icon to get notified when we go live. Follow Firstpost on Instagram: Follow Firstpost on Facebook: Follow Firstpost on Twitter: Follow Firstpost 140 blood sugar conversion on WhatsApp: