What Shifts Blood Sugar on Trips

Meals on the road often break your usual pattern. Dinner may come late. A dish may be unfamiliar.

A portion may be bigger than you are used to. Any of these can change your readings.

A new dish is like a recipe you have never seen. You can guess the ingredients, but you cannot be sure.

Extra walking and sightseeing can lower blood sugar, sometimes hours after you stop. Your muscles use sugar as they move, like a car burning fuel.

A day with more steps than usual is a common trip change. Your readings may fall, so it helps to notice them.

Checking more often on a trip helps you see your own patterns. Note each reading with what you ate, did, or how you slept.

Stress, excitement and poor sleep can raise readings for some people. Over a few days, your notes show whether that is true for you. Ask your care team how often to check on your trip.

Key takeaways

• Late, unfamiliar or large meals can change your readings.
• Walking and sightseeing can lower blood sugar.
• Some people notice stress, excitement or poor sleep can raise their readings.

Try it

At your next unfamiliar meal, check before eating, then note the dish and how big the portion was.