For those with diabetes or high blood pressure during a disaster: The "two things" to remember first
Don't forget to eat and drink🤗
You can reduce your anxiety just by being a little careful🥰
The extent of the damage from the Kumamoto earthquake is becoming clear little by little, and my heart aches at the scale of it.
I know some of you are living in evacuation centers in the heat.
Food is limited.
You can't eat at your usual times.
You have to choose what you can get for hydration, too.
In such a situation,if you have underlying conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure,you might feel anxious, thinking,
"Will this kind of food be okay?"
"Won't my blood sugar levels go up?" 😭
I have been working as a registered dietitian in a hospital for 33 years.
For 25 of those years, I have been a certified diabetes educator, talking with patients about their diet and daily life.
Through that, I have often felt that
many people carry the anxiety of "worrying about their blood sugar levels".At such times, I don't just end it by saying "please be careful," but rather
"So, what can you do right now?"I have made it a priority to convey concrete steps. 🤗
I believe it is the same during a disaster.In a situation where you cannot have your usual meals, there is no need to aim for a perfect diet.
If you cannot eat as much as you usually do,
please prioritize eating first.
On top of that,
there are two things I would like those with high blood pressure or diabetes to be careful about within their capabilities.✅
For those with high blood pressure: "Don't drink all the soup"🍜In evacuation life, I think there are opportunities to eat foods high in salt, such as cup noodles and miso soup.When food is limited, eating is of course the priority.
However, if you can,
leave the soup from the cup noodles.
Reduce the amount of miso soup you drink.
Just by doing that,
you can reduce your salt intake.It's not "you must not eat it."
While you eat, do what you can.
In an emergency, I think that is fine.✅
For those with diabetes: "Don't just drink sweet beverages"🧋🍹🧃When it is hot, hydration is necessary.
If you only have juice or sports drinks on hand, please prioritize drinking them for hydration.However,
if you are in a situation where you can also choose water or tea,please incorporate drinks that do not contain sugar, such as water, barley tea, or roasted green tea.
If you only have juice or sports drinks, you may end up consuming a lot of sugar without realizing it.✅
Consuming too much salt or sugar can also lead to thirst🥵Therefore,
"Leave a little bit of the soup"
"Drink water or tea as well"
First, please remember these two things.In my 25 years of talking with diabetes patients, I have heard many voices worrying about blood sugar levels.
But,
when you are anxious, if you only think about "what you must not eat," eating itself can become scarysometimes.What is important is
to choose what you can do in your current situation, one step at a time.In a disaster, eat first.
If it is hot, make sure to hydrate properly.
On top of that, if you have a choice, leave a little bit of the salty soup, or try not to rely only on sugary drinks.
It doesn't have to be perfect.
"One thing you can do now"
Even just that
will lead to reducing the burden on your body.I have previously posted about the topic of "thirst caused by excessive salt or sugar intake."If you are interested, I hope you will read that as well.