Type 1 in Spain

Around 6 months ago, I went to Spain. Not the first time I had gone but it was definitely another wonderful and adventurous experience. Now, you are probably wondering why I am talking about my trip to Spain, this last year. Compared to the first time that I went, this second time I had gone to Galicia and I had faced new challenges that the first time I hadn't gone through. This time around, walking and exploring monuments and old structures proved much more difficult than the first time. When I went 6 months ago, I had had diabetes for about 6 months. Although I was relatively new to the condition, I was still experienced enough to handle any problems. However, I never realized how arduous my trip would be.

List of Difficulties:
1.  There are not as many a variety of snacks in Spain as there is in the United States.

In Spain, we liked to go to authentic restaurants and cafés. 

Try a low-carb diet? Not that easily.

Only form of snacks I could buy that would help me in case I had a low blood sugar

 were yogurts and breakfast cookies bought from the food market.

2.   My blood sugar levels would get dangerously low.

I was active, more active than I ever was back home. 

That was a possible reason for me having constant dangerous lows. 

However, even when I wasn't active my blood sugar levels would still get dangerously low. 

My family and I puzzled why. 

We suddenly thought that the cold weather was probably making my sugar levels drop. 

My body was struggling so much to keep itself warm. 

~✿~

When I got back from my trip, I was wondering more and more about me and my family's conclusion about the climate's effect on my sugar levels. I began researching. A lot of sites and research were reporting high A1C levels during winter and low levels in the summer. I got so confused. I am still confused. There are some sites that reported high sugar levels during the summer due to dehydration. That made total sense because whenever I visit my family in Puerto Rico, I become dehydrated and my sugar levels rise. That's why I need to keep very well-hydrated all the time so as to not risk having false readings. 

Here are some things I recommend when in hot and cold climates:

• Hot Climates
• Drink lots of water. For a diabetic, it is recommended more than 2 liters. 
• Take care of insulin and keep it in a cool place or a refrigerator. 
• Eat a low-carb diet, especially one rich of fruits and vegetables.

• Cool/Freezing Climates
• Drink lots of water anyways.
• Be careful of how much insulin you put in your body.
• It is important to check your blood sugars constantly or carry a continuous glucose monitor. You want to make sure when you have to give yourself insulin and when not to. 
• Don't overstuff yourself with holiday sweets and indulgences. Some say that high A1C levels during the winter may have been due to holiday feasting. 

Questions: 

What do you think about climate levels and their effect on sugar levels?

What have been your experiences?

Any suggestions for what to do during cold/hot climates would help everyone out!

😊