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Skiing and diabetes

François Pugh

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Being diagnosed with diabetes can (and probably should) have a drastic effect on your skiing.

No more loading up on a giant breakfast and skiing bell to bell without stopping to eat...
No more stocking up on Mars bars...
No more eating whatever you want off the see food diet....
No more pigging out on a big steak dinner complete with smashed potatoes, etc. and caesar dressing on your salad after skiing, and definitely no more double chocolate brownies with chocolate sauce and ice cream for desert...
No more wings and a couple of pints of beer, not even an après-ski beer.

Diabetes is a silent killer; many people have type 2 diabetes and don't even know it, especially if their many negative experiences with crappy incompetent doctors who graduated in the bottom half of their class have led them to eschew regular doctor visits. It is a terrible disease with very severe consequences(like feet and leg amputations to say nothing of heart, kidney and liver problems) if left untreated.

A simple blood test is all it takes to find out if you are a diabetic, and if so allow you to start taking control over your situation.

Some clues that you might be a diabetic.
The last time you froze your feet the bottoms remained sort of numb, even long after the painful thawing out process.
Your resting heart rate is 125 beets per minute.
You are wondering if you have gout because your swollen purple feet wake you up in the night.
You need to get up and pee and drink water three times a night.
Sweet pea takes on a new meaning - sweet pee.
You really, really, really need to have a nap after eating a big meal with desert.
And finally, you go out for chicken wings and a few pints of beer and pass out BEFORE you get drunk.

Do yourself a favour and take the test.
 
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VickiK

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The point would therefore be to get yourself checked out, or if you're scared of doctors, invest $15-20 in a blood glucose measuring system and test yourself.
 

Jilly

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I know a CSIA IV that is diabetic. Took a session with him at Tremblant. We go in for lunch and out comes the kit. I recognized it as my Dad had one. Because of the exercise he carried a granola bar if his sugars got low. He has had issues and thankfully enough people around him know and know what to do. Even his ex-wife checks on him.
 

David Chaus

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Do you mean “food with a lower glycemic index?” As opposed to “diabetic food.”

To start the day, I’ll often choose lots of complex carbs as I want a slow increase in glucose to balance the settings on my insulin pump (for which I have a ”Ski day” setting that is different than my usual settings). When I eat lunch or dinner I may need more or fewer simple carbs depending on my glucose levels indicated on my CGM (Continuous glucose monitor).

So what is “good” depends on several factors.

Course I am a type one diabetic so that’s a whole different complicating set of factors.
 

Tricia

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This is always a good topic to discuss.
https://www.pugski.com/threads/diabetes-skiing-with-it.2182/


Last year I installed boot heaters for at least 3 Type 1 diabetics.
One is a close friend of mine, who opted for the BT compatible version so she can control it easily on the lift.

She also mountain bikes with me, so I've grown accustomed to stopping once in a while to check how her adrenaline is affecting her glucose.
 

DanoT

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When I worked for a logging contractor one of our mechanics was a type 1 diabetic. All the crew knew this and when the mechanic passed out in the landing one day, the landing bucker knew what to do as he took a piece of hard candy, held it tight, and rubbed it on the collapsed mechanics lips and this was enough to revive the guy.

I was the first aid attendant, stationed about ten minutes away and when I got there the mechanic had already been revived. When we did our accident investigation I asked the landing bucker how he knew how to reviie the passed out mechanic with the candy, he said his mother is a nurse.

BTW it was not a fluke that the landing bucker had a piece of hard candy in his pocket as it is an old loggers trick that when you are sweating a lot and get a really dry mouth and don't have easy access to water, a piece of candy in the mouth gets the saliva flowing.
 
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François Pugh

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Do you mean “food with a lower glycemic index?” As opposed to “diabetic food.”

To start the day, I’ll often choose lots of complex carbs as I want a slow increase in glucose to balance the settings on my insulin pump (for which I have a ”Ski day” setting that is different than my usual settings). When I eat lunch or dinner I may need more or fewer simple carbs depending on my glucose levels indicated on my CGM (Continuous glucose monitor).

So what is “good” depends on several factors.

Course I am a type one diabetic so that’s a whole different complicating set of factors.
Glycemic index is a good indicator of how quickly the food contributes to sugar levels in your blood, i.e. what to eat so your sugar doesn't spike. At the moment I'm really also trying to lower my AC1 score, or average blood sugar, 2 hours after meals and fasting blood sugar, all of it.
Learning a lot, e.g. milk has lots of sugar. Orange juice is not good for you. Healthy sounding M&M cabage rolls have sweet tomato sauce (same with most prepared foods - sweet and salty taste sells).
Who knew?
 
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François Pugh

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When I worked for a logging contractor one of our mechanics was a type 1 diabetic. All the crew knew this and when the mechanic passed out in the landing one day, the landing bucker knew what to do as he took a piece of hard candy, held it tight, and rubbed it on the collapsed mechanics lips and this was enough to revive the guy.

I was the first aid attendant, stationed about ten minutes away and when I got there the mechanic had already been revived. When we did our accident investigation I asked the landing bucker how he knew how to reviie the passed out mechanic with the candy, he said his mother is a nurse.

BTW it was not a fluke that the landing bucker had a piece of hard candy in his pocket as it is an old loggers trick that when you are sweating a lot and get a really dry mouth and don't have easy access to water, a piece of candy in the mouth gets the saliva flowing.

The other possibility for a passed out diabetic is a diabetic comma brought on by too high blood sugar. Giving that guy sugar won't have much effect, it will only be a drop in the bucket, like throwing a match on a burning house, but giving sugar to someone with low blood sugar will make a big difference. If in doubt give sugar.
 

VickiK

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I consider myself lucky to have lowered my blood sugar through diet and lifestyle changes. My fasting # went down to 91, my A1C is no longer in the prediabetes range.

My new go-to granola bar is Autumn Gold Cinnamon Almond. 11g of carbs total, with a net of 8g sugars because 3g are fiber, and 210 calories. No weird unpronounceable ingredients either. It's no good if one has nut allergies, but otherwise seems like a good choice.
 

David Chaus

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Now try to say that in Quebecois. :roflmao:

But, seriously, what do y'all do about coffee? Tight socks? Tight liners?

In Quebecois?
“Loe -air glai-say-make end-decks?”

I drink tea (blend of Assam and Yunnan, no sugar), I used heated socks, and my Intuition liners are just right.
 

David Chaus

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Any particular reason for this blend from different parts of the world, other than personal taste preference?
Do you blend your own?

I like them both on their own, but sampled a blend at a tea shop in Portland. So personal preference, I sometimes blend my own using teas from Steven Smith, Teamaker in Portland. https://www.smithtea.com/

Their British Brunch is the best English Breakfast-type blend I’ve had, they also offer a Portland Breakfast with Assam, Pu-erh and Keemun. They seem to like to play with blending teas from different regions. They also have great single source teas. Ceylon Dimbula is nice, they also have a blend of Dimbula with Uva and Nuwara Eliya. I’m not as fond of Darjeeling, and Jasmine added to green tea does nothing for me. Nor fruit flavors/herbal tea added to black tea.

Some Oolongs I like, others not so much. I will sometimes get Matcha, but for green tea I prefer Genmaicha. I’m not fond of blending green and black teas.

Wait, what thread were we on? Oh, yeah, diabetic food. Well, I will admit to loving a decent chai, but when I brew it myself (Steven Smith’s is good but the best is Morning Glory in Seattle) I use minimal sweeteners.
 
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François Pugh

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My doctor told me to drink only one cup a day due to tachycardia (was 132 bpm). I usually go for Colombian medium roast. I switched from milk and one sugar to just milk when a friend of mine got diabetes. More recently, I discovered that 100 grams of milk has 5 grams of sugar, and dropped the milk too. I'm used to black coffee from canoe tripping.
 

Plai

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Wait, what thread were we on? Oh, yeah, diabetic food
I was wondering if there were medicinal reasons for your preference, other than sugar avoidance.

Thanks for sharing some of your favorites. My favorites are the more floral Taiwanese oolongs and really older pu-ers. For me, it's also about making sugar avoidance taste good.
 

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