Hi all,
I haven't been on in awhile, but I have been lurking! We are still busily planning our trip to Italy in October but this week I was told by my physician that I need to get my blood sugar under control. So, to all you wise Fodorites out there, how do I do this in Italy? Gelato? Pasta? More Gelato? I have told my husband that I will just concentrate on the culture, art, people and beauty, but who am I kidding. I am definitely going to want to eat and drink! So, any suggestions would be great. My doctor is working with me to get me controlled but I would like to see how others ate while in Italy. Did you eat sensibly one day and then fudge the next. Eat a good breakfast and lunch and then indulge at dinner?
Thanks so much!
Gypsygurl

Eat as you are suppose to eat at home, Gypsygurl. You do not have to live on gelato and pasta. I don't even eat gelato as I can't eat dairy products. If you can have pasta do know that the serving is much smaller compared to what you get in the US.

My beloved stepson has had Diabeties One for decades. He often goes to Italy and he has never had a problem. He orders what his body requires. And no, he has never fudged every other day or at dinner time. If he did he would have problems.

There is no reason you can't stay on the diet your doctor has recommended while in Italy. Many Italians have the same problem. Eat well, be healthy and have a wonderful time in Italy!

Hey GG,

Much depends on whether you are pre-diabetic or diabetic.

I think that the best person to discuss this with is your physician.

They do make sugarless Italian sherbets.

PS,

You can eat just as sensibly in Italy as you would at home.

First off, an Italian vacation usually means lots and lots of walking, and that's going to help hugely. Also, you'll find that portions in Italy are typically a lot smaller than in the US.

Aside from that, you'll find lots of food in Italy that are low in complex carbs. Grilled vegetables are fantastic. I just came back from the Amalfi coast and couldn't get enough eggplant parmigiana. OK, so the gelato is an issue, but still.

Don

Italy, of all places, is a venue for healthy eating. You don't need pasta or gelato, any more than you do at home. The country is full of excellent fresh fish and shellfish, grilled meats, grilled and other vegetables, salads, etc.

I don't understand this American compulsion to scarf down gelato. First of all, I can get good gelato here...or make it...second, it's a once-a-month treat or something for me. I'd honestly rather have a granita on a hot day in Italy anyway - lemon with no or little sugar. Or one of those cold pieces of fresh coconut they serve from street stands.

When I'm in Italy I have a fizzy water with a little lemon or orange juice for breakfast with a piece of fruit or maybe a cornetto once or twice a week. I'm not a big breakfast eater to begin with. Lunch is my big meal, if I have one: a caprese or other salad or soup with half a shared order of grilled fish or shellfish. Dinner I might have another salad and share an order of pasta or a grilled chop or whatever's local and good and fresh.

I think Italy of all places is a great place for healthy eating. Just stay clear of the pasta and gelato - there are PLENTY of other options.

Get a blood glucose meter and track your trend. You would then know what works and what does not. I would not do sensibly one day (or one meal) and fudge the next; I think it can invite a sugar crash yo-yo cycle. Eat sensibly each day, once you found what that means to you. Sensibly does not mean depriving; it means to know what influences your blood sugar level and stay within your limitations in a controlled manner.

Agree that you need to get many more specifics from your MD. Do you actually have diabetes - are you going to have to measure blood sugar? Or do you have prediabetes - and they want you to really watch your diet and increase exeercise and then check it again in 3 months? Also, if it is prediabetes they can give you an oral medication that will help you control it while you get your diet and exercise program in gear.

Frankly it is just as easy - if not easier - to eat a healthy diet in italy than in the US (way less junk food). There is no law that you need to stuff yourself with pasta or gelato. Pasta is served as a separate course and it's very easy to order a whole variety of meat, fish and seafood with delicious vegetable side dishes and/or salads. Also almost every restaurant offer fruit desserts - and you can et fresh fruit in the markets. You can save your carbs and use wisely (small amount of whole wheat bread or pasta) with a very occasional gelato (unless you have full blown diabetes - then you will need to be VERY careful).

I'm a nutritionist with a specialty in diabetes

Get taken care of by your physician and get a referral to a CDE ( certified diabetes educator)
Get into a course ( available thru your hospital or physicians office) all about diabetes management

While it's lovely to ask opinions here, your needs are medical, seek professional advice

Thank you all for your replies! Tripgirl, I am being treated by a CDE, but I also just wanted to find out from others who have actually flown for 12 hours, dealt with maintaining blood sugar levels on the flight as well as traveling. I have never been to Europe so my visions of Italy are just one huge plate of pasta with a side of gelato. I am VERY reassured that I will be able to find an abundance of fresh fish, vegies and fruit.
nytraveler, my physician has told me I need to stay clear of sugar, it is a big no-no for me, as well as wine. But StCirqs suggestion regarding a granita with lemon and no sugar sounds just as refreshing as a gelato and I am a HUGE fan of lemon!
I am looking forward to trying out the grilled vegies and will go over the plan with my doctor. Thanks again for all the input!!
Gypsygurl

Fruit? Are you truly diabetic or pre=diabetic. Pure sugar is preetty easy to "stay clear of". Listen to your nutritionist. Probably knows better than your doctor.

Make an appointment with a registered dietician. Your doctor's office can refer you. A dietician knows vastly more about diet than the average doctor. I was diagnosed with type II diabetes last fall and have had excellent sugar control in large part due to the help and advice of my dietician.

I have had terrible experiences with dieticians. I followed their standard American Diabetes Association diets religiously, almost fanatically, and watched my HbA1C rise from 6.5 to 8.9.

Finally, last winter, facing insulin in three months, I went on a high protein, low carb diet and reduced my HbA1c halfway to goal, dropped another 20 pounds, lowered my cholesterol and cut my triglycerides by 2/3. In the ensuing three months, my blood sugars continue to recede, and many days I am a high blood sugar but not diabetic person. Some days, I am not diabetic at all. Those are days when I eat about 80 grams of carbs.

This is not to trash dieticians (well, not much) but to point out that each individual is different and no standard diet works for everyone. As nickn says, the meter is your friend. I can, for example, drink a glass of red wine for dinner without affecting my sugars, but I can't drink white wine. I live on meat, eggs, cheese, nuts, vegetables, and berries. I do not eat bread, crackers, polenta, cereal, potatoes, rice, or pasta, even whole grain, and I even strictly limit low glycemic index beans, formerly a staple of my diet.

I am not suggesting that you eat like me, only that you work out what your body can handle. We are going to Italy in September, and I anticipate no problems in restaurants, where I can order a starter or salad, meat or fish, and a vegetable. I might have pasta once a day or gelato once a day, never both. We will try to stay in business hotels where the breakfasts include meat, eggs, cheese, and fruit rather than the cornetto, coffee and juice that satisfy some.

The problem will come in the middle of the trip when we share a house with friends who will want to eat (we cook dinners at home) polenta, and rice (we will be in the Veneto) and pasta and have dessert. I will probably have one spoonful of everything at dinner, and then have sausages and cheeses in my room for making up the difference between what is served and what I need.

I don't have a sweet tooth, but everything else is a temptation! Good luck!

I cannot offer any medical knowledge, and don't know much about pre-diabetic conditions or diabetes. Do keep in mind that it's possible to share dishes, if you want, and your body can have, a small amount of pasta or the like. I don't think we ever share main courses, but have gotten an appetizer and/or a pasta, and shared both. You can, of course, do the same with gelato. My daughter and I would customarily get a medium sized gelato and share - that way, we could try different flavors, without as many calories, etc.

Also note that often, vegetables are not served WITH the main course. You order them separately, and they are often a somewhat larger size, that can be shared with the table. Though I rarely do that - if I see sauteed spinach or artichokes, they're all mine, and I don't share (DH does the same with roast potatoes).

You need to be really carful about "sugars" which are not just sugar - but as mentioned above carbs - esp bad carbs.

And yuo do need to learn your body and what you need to do to keep you A1c at goal (or you daily blood tests if needed).

Ackisander, I followed the ADA diet when I discovered I had diabetes and lost 20 lbs and saw my blood sugar levels go down. So, obviously, not everybody will have your results.

My dietician showed me how to pair my proteins with carbs and how many grams of each I should have at each meal. I was able to eat just about anything I wanted as long as I balanced my carbs and proteins and didn't exceed my calorie limit for the day.

A healthy, balanced diet is the best way to control blood sugar.

I'm struggling with the same problem and am just back from a trip to the US. I was a little anxious about how my diet would work on holiday, but it was easy and I don't think that Italy will be any different.

In Italy I think you will find that most hotels will offer a protein option at breakfast and that's what I would start with. Then if you are still hungry some yoghurt with a small serve of fruit and perhaps a tablespoon of good quality cereal. That will keep you going to hours.

I agree with the others that lunch and dinner will be easy and that most of the time the choices will be easy. I don't think an occasional pasta/pizza meal will do too much harm and as others have said the serving sizes are small.

I love Italian gelato and if I was you, I would restrict the intake and maybe just have a taste of my husband's gelato, providing he will share!!

The meals on the plane usually only have a very small serve of carbs so I doubt it will be a problem but you could always leave it on the 'plate' which is what I did. I ate the protein first, then the cheese and crackers and fruit.

bettyk, I am delighted the ADA diet worked for you. It helped me lose almost 50 pounds, but my blood sugars got worse.
As the kids say on other forums, YMMV (maybe we say it here?): everything I write should be understood as having "your mileage may vary" attached to it.

I think a lot of these issues are like allergies: some people can handle glutin, some people can't. Some people can handle milk, some can't. Some of us get kidney stones and have to limit the dark greens so beloved (rightly) of nutritionists. Why should carbs be any different?

Walking will help more than anything. Skip OJ. Yes, it has more vitamins can a soda but it has as much sugar as a soda.

Figuring out what works for you will be something you have to do. I have a co-worker who has switched from drinking coffee to drinking tea. Why? She noticed the acid in the coffee made her feel hungry and she was more likely to pair it with a pastry. I'm not ready to give up coffee but I will try to reach for a piece of fruit or a slice of cheese to go with it.

<i>"I don't understand this American compulsion to scarf down gelato."</i>

I have friends who are completely addicted to ice cream. They simply cannot resist eating an entire pint at one sitting. I don't have any issues with dairy but the thought of consuming so much at one time has no appeal for me. I like everything in moderation. I guess I'm lucky that way.

<i>"Did you eat sensibly one day and then fudge the next...my visions of Italy are just one huge plate of pasta with a side of gelato. "</i>

Maybe your blood sugar level is affecting your vision.

I occasionally travel with a diabetic (for work). He completely respects his doctor's advice and he does not waver or cheat. Diabetes is a serious health concern and he wants to beat it as best he can. He wants to live a longer life. He does not eat white pasta, juices, or gelato.

There are plenty of low-glycemic foods in Italy's cuisine. Whole wheat pasta is on the rise in Italy, and some brands are remarkably tasty. I see no reason why deprivation of a few items should consume all the trip's attention.

If a diabetic has a serious sweet tooth, a lifestyle change will be necessary to live a healthy life. Some diabetics are permitted an occasional dose of sugar but, that's typically determined by a doctor who has your Fructosamine levels under control and monitored. I would be discussing do's and don'ts with a doctor. When your life depends on it, discipline may be the only thing you can count on.