When summer comes, cold and sweet treats for quenching thirst and cooling off, such as ice cream, sweet drinks, fruit juices, sodas, smoothies, desserts, chilled fruits, and other cold beverages, are quite popular. However, consuming too much of these can lead to increased blood sugar levels and weight gain due to their high sugar, fat, and energy content. This is especially important for diabetics to be cautious and take extra care of themselves.
Summer Eating for Diabetics
- When the weather outside is hot, we tend to buy food in bulk because we don’t want to go outside due to the hot weather. Having more food can lead to overeating. Therefore, it’s important to portion meals appropriately or buy food just enough for each meal.
- For cold drinks like smoothies and fruit juices, it’s better to add less syrup or sugar, or drink in small quantities.
- For carbonated drinks, choose those that are sugar-free if you decide to drink them.
- Choose to eat chilled fresh fruits instead of drinking boxed fruit juices or freshly squeezed fruit juices, but do not eat too much or substitute them for your meals. The recommended amount per meal for diabetics is no more than 10 – 15 bite-sized pieces. Choose fruits that have high water content such as watermelon, pineapple, cantaloupe, guava, dragon fruit, etc. Avoid fruits that are very sweet or fruits dipped in chili salt sugar.
- For desserts or sweet snacks with ice, avoid adding too much syrup or coconut milk.
In addition to being cautious about food or drinks that are high in sugar and energy during the summer, it’s also important to beware of pathogens that contaminate food and drinks, as they can cause food poisoning and diarrhea. Foods that are at risk of causing disease in the summer include coconut-based dishes, spicy salads, fermented noodles, seafood, overnight food, food infested with flies, and unclean drinking water or ice, etc. Menus that are at risk of causing gastrointestinal diseases include papaya salad, vegetable salad, sashimi, raw meat dishes, raw crab salad, raw horse crab salad, fried rice with crab meat, desserts containing coconut milk like eclairs, grilled foods, Korean barbecue, etc.
Therefore, adhere to the principle of eating hot, shared servings, and washing hands every time. Drink enough clean water, as the body loses a lot of sweat during the summer. Avoid overly sweet, greasy, and salty foods. By doing so, you can take care of yourself and manage diabetes, blood pressure, and gastrointestinal diseases in this summer.
