For many families around the world, family holidays and traveling is an exciting way to bond with each other and explore new cultures.
However, some health conditions make it more difficult for family members to travel comfortably. One such condition is diabetes.
Diabetes is a chronic disease marked by high glucose levels, due to the body’s inability to use or produce insulin, the hormone that controls our blood sugar levels.
According to the World Health Organization, about 422 million people globally have diabetes, with Type 2 diabetes being the most common for adults.
Findings from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that an estimated one in 20 Australians were living with diagnosed diabetes in 2021 — and it’s a condition that affects all generations.
Almost one in five Australians aged 80 to 84 live with diabetes. At the same time, children are also impacted by this condition, albeit at lower rates than adults.
Tips for Families Traveling with Diabetes
In 2017, 6,527 children were recorded to have Type 1 diabetes (juvenile diabetes), and the prevalence of diabetes only increases with age.
This doesn’t mean that families with diabetics can’t enjoy recreational time like traveling.
Of course, your preparation and packing list as a family will differ slightly from that of other families, so ensure you have enough medications, supplies, and emergency kits to last the vacation.
With enough planning, however, you and your family can enjoy your summer holiday without compromising your health.
Below, we’ll be sharing some essential family travel tips for diabetic parents:
1) Pack Your Insulin
As a lot of diabetes care banks recommend having insulin ready at all times, this should be at the top of your medical packing list — and the bottom, just to be sure.
Packing your insulin includes ensuring you have enough pen needles, infusion sets, and insulin delivery systems, as these may be harder to get on the go and require a prescription.
When packing your insulin, it’s also important to consider your storage options. Insulin should be stored below 25°C, so you may want to check out travel pouches or cool storage containers.
If you’re planning a family road trip, you should also remember never to leave insulin in hot cars. When traveling to a different time zone, parents should ensure to adjust doses accordingly to new hours and re-set these doses back when arriving home.
2) Tracking Your Meals
Another important diabetic tip you’ll want to keep in mind while traveling with your family is to track your meals.
Meal tracking can help diabetic parents keep track of the nutritional value and glucose levels of their daily food intake. Fortunately, there are many smartphone apps you can use to help do this.
You can also check out WeightWatchers’ weight loss program for diabetics to help you stay on top of your meals while on vacation.
The program also provides a supportive online community of fellow diabetics and experts with whom you can share and receive tips.
The program also offers customized nutrition plans depending on your needs as a person with diabetes, as well as a crucial blood sugar tracking feature.
3) Bring Healthy Snacks
Traveling can be stressful, and stress can negatively impact your blood sugar levels, causing them to rise or drop without you knowing.
As such, while trying authentic new cuisine is an integral part of traveling, it’s also important to pack your stash of healthy snacks for your trip.
If you’re not the only family member living with diabetes, you can draw inspiration from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s list of kid-friendly snack and lunch ideas for your children.
These include freshly baked goods with lowered carbs and fat (reduced sugar, almond instead of flour, etc.) and yogurt with berries, which are naturally low in carbs.
On the other hand, if you’re flying or driving to your destination, this lack of activity may also cause blood sugar to spike.
Be sure to let your children drink plenty of fluids to prevent this from happening.
4) Prepare Diabetes ID Cards or Bracelets
Finally, you may also want to prep your medical alert bracelet or diabetes identification cards, whether for you or your child.
This is significantly useful for other people and medical professionals to identify your condition and any immediate care you need in emergencies like hypoglycemia when your blood sugar drops very low.
If your child is the one living with diabetes, a medical alert bracelet or ID will also come in handy in case you get separated from your child.
It’s important to note that when your blood sugar drops, speaking and effectively communicating your needs can be challenging.
A diabetes ID card or bracelet helps provide emergency contact information and medical information that can save your or your loved ones’ lives.
Final Thoughts on Traveling With Diabetes
A chronic health condition like diabetes shouldn’t stop families from enjoying the beauty of new travel experiences.
Although we are not diabetic, we wanted to provide some helpful information to those who might be looking for tips on how to manage the condition smoothly when exploring new destinations, environments, and cuisines.
