Three 3 Tips for Trick or Treating with Type One Diabetes

Here are three tips for trick or treating on Halloween for a type one diabetic. Taking your children out on Halloween can be intimidating but following these tips can help make the evening less stressful.

1. BE PREPARED FOR LOWS WHEN TRICK OR TREATING

Whether you are an adult or child you should be prepared for low blood sugars when trick or treating. Trick or treating means a lot of walking (and possibly running) between homes which can quickly lead to a low blood sugar. To prevent getting caught off guard, I recommend bringing Glucose SOS with you while you’re out rather than devouring the bag of candy you have collected. By using Glucose SOS, you are receiving a precise amount of fast-acting carbs that will bring you up quickly. Diving into your bag of candy sounds tempting but being unaware of the carbs in the candies can lead to overtreating the low blood sugar.  To make it easy to carry and locate your quick acting sugar, try carrying a separate bag just for your diabetes supplies. The Diabetes Triple Zip Purse or the Diabetes Insulated Sling Backpack is the perfect bag to take while trick or treating since it is hands free. It can accommodate all of your diabetes supplies and carry fast-acting sugar for low blood sugars.  

1. EAT WHAT YOU WANT WITHIN MODERATION

Halloween is the first holiday of the season in which it is totally acceptable to over eat. As a diabetic though, you have to be careful. You can eat whatever candy you want, but it might not always be the best idea. Instead, try limiting yourself to a few pieces of candy at a time and watch how they affect your blood sugars. Be sure to test your blood sugars often and give the appropriate amount of insulin to avoid spikes in your blood sugar.

1. PAIR PROTEIN WITH YOUR CARBS

Make sure you are pairing protein with your carbs when you eat your Halloween candy and treats. When you pair protein with carbohydrates, it makes it easier for your body to digest the carbs. This can reduce the spikes and extreme drops in blood sugar afterwards. Try taking nuts or single-serve peanut butter containers with you while you’re trick or treating. If you’re hosting a Halloween party, try serving meat and cheese trays at your party. The best part is that the protein dishes can be made into fun, spooky displays!

By: Amy Powell, living with T1D since 2009