Drinking Alcohol and Diabetes

How to handle a social event with plenty of alcohol around, if you have diabetes?

Alcohol with plenty of sugar and calories can push your blood sugar up quickly, but equally, it can give you hypoglycemia as well, if you are on oral drugs or insulin.

There are 3 things you can do to participate in social drinking on a low key, without affecting your diabetes condition:

a.      Have a high-fiber snack or a light meal before you start drinking. This will send the alcohol in to your blood slower than if you drink on an empty stomach.

b.      Nurse your drink. The ‘bottoms-up’ mentality does not work if you have diabetes. Bear in mind that getting drunk makes you feel no different from the symptoms of hypoglycemia. It is difficult to know whether you are happily drunk, or dangerous short of glucose in blood!

c.      A dry wine or a light beer is a top choice of alcoholic beverages for people with diabetes. It is best to keep topping the first drink with water, and to try and avoid a second. More than 2 drinks in one event amount to asking for trouble.

So remember that moderation is your watch word when it comes to drinking and diabetes.

To Your Health!