58 DI ABETIC LI VING / S UMMER 2 019
DRINK UP
Protect Your Skin
Drinking plenty of fluids keeps your blood sugar levels in
check: “If your blood sugar is high, you’re urinating more
... and then can become dehydrated,” says Soper. Stop the
spiral before it starts by sipping from a water bottle through-
out the day. Unsweetened seltzer water (such as LaCroix or
Waterloo) is a good option if you consider plain H 2 O too
boring. (Remember that sports drinks are often packed with
as much sugar as soda, so they’re not the best choice.) You’ll
know you’re on track if your pee is pale yellow, says Erin
Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, author of 2-Day Diabetes Diet.
Everyone needs to practice good sun-
protection habits. “The inflammation
from sunburn causes pain and stress,
which can increase your blood sugar,”
says O’Malley. What’s more, if you
have neuropathy, you may not feel the
effects of the sun until it’s too late. The
No. 1 rule of sun protection? Apply a
broad-spectrum sunscreen every two
hours to exposed skin when you’re out
in the sun. The American Academy of
Dermatology recommends at least SPF
30, but if you’re prone to burns or have
HOW TO STAY COOL AND
SAFE FROM HEAD TO TOE
Stick with shades. Buy sunglasses that
block 99 or 100 percent of UV light.
Wraparound styles are best, as they
prevent light from sneaking in the sides,
according to the American Academy of
Ophthalmology.
Remember the three L’s. Keep clothing
loose, lightweight, and light-colored to
help avoid overheating, advises the Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention.
Protect your feet. Flip-flops are easy
to slip into, but they also leave your feet
vulnerable to cuts and scrapes that can
create problems down the road. Wear
supportive, enclosed footwear.
nerve damage, consider going higher,
suggests O’Malley.
If you use insulin, take care to keep
your skin cool at your injection site.
“Skin that’s warm absorbs insulin faster,”
O’Malley explains. Heat increases blood
flow to skin, so injected insulin gets into
your circulation faster, rapidly driving
glucose into cells. The result: you may
experience an unexpected low. If you’ve
been in the sun and now your skin is red
and hot, inject into an area of your skin
that hasn’t been exposed.
Aim to schedule
full-sun activities
before 10 a.m.
or after 2 p.m. to
avoid peak rays.
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