As a person with type 1 diabetes I know it is not healthy to drink. However, an occassionaly drink or two isn't bad. I was wonderig if anyone had stories to share about what is a decent drink to have that will not iterfere with blood sugar too bad. For example, here are a couple of beers I drink now based on their carbs, calories, etc. (something that I never even thought about before diagnosis): Busch Lite, Michelob Ultra, MGD Lite 64, Bud Select 55.
Alcohol can lower your blood sugar and a lot to people tend to shoot up before drinking which can actually backfire what they are trying to counteract. Alcoholic beverages don't typically have a lot of carbs to begin with so with the extra insulin floating around and the metabolic effects of alcohol, the body has a greater chance of hypoglycemia. Combating a high while drinking is far easier than combating a low while drinking, especially if you want to get drunk or buzzed.
I stick to beer for the most part and have had no issues with lows or high's. I occasionally have a mixed drink but I am usually the one making it and I use diet soda or know the carbs in the juice that i am putting in.
Alcohol can be quite deceptive with type one diabetics. Initally upon drinking your bloodsugars will spike/raise however upon being processed in the blood stream and in the liver it takes on a whole new form like that of insulin as you will actually see your sugars drop within a few hours after consumption. This is what gets most type one diabetics in trouble when drinking becuase when they see their sugars raise they (inexprienced ones) will actually try to treat the high sugar with insulin and not realize that their sugar is actually about to drop. Eating a high carb or starchy food about 2 to 3 hours after drinking will actually prevent this a sudden suprise low blood sugar as a a result of consuming alcohol. As always make sure to monitor your sugars and if you do choose to drink do so in moderation.
I drink a couple days a week (usually between 4 and 8 beers/gin & tonics per sitting) but I've never noticed anything adverse...I'll get home and test sometimes after drinking good beer, Sam Adams Winter for example, and be really high. If you stick to crappy 'lite' beer, I think your glucose will be less affected by it...but life is too short to drink bad beer :)
nothing like a good 15 to 25 year scotch that has been aged well......aaaahhhh memories....
i haven't had a chance to get into scotch...i'm actually aging some beer right now.
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron. I think it starts out at 12% abv, but if you age it in room temp for anywhere from 1-2 years, it can go up to about 15%. Any longer than 2 years and it gets too sweet.
Scotch is good, even the cheap stuff can be pleasant.
I like Abita Amber or Sam Adams Boston Ale. Other than that, I like Red Stripe. Back in the day, it was straight Jose Cuervo. For blood sugar purposes, daquaris and mixed drinks are just killers.
Never had Abita...Red Stripe tasted like Colt 45...am a fan of tequila but not Cuervo. Got spoiled on Patron Silver in college and now won't drink any non-clear tequila :)
Gin & Tonics seem to do ok though.
lol Colt 45, I have to disagree there. But Abita is a Louisiana beer that's popular in the South. Petron is definitely good stuff.
Tequila and I have had several disagreements over the years. I'm more of a rum and vodka guy.
There's some research suggesting that Vodka has the least worst hangovers due to its purity. I tend to like the clear liquors also, with the exception of Jose.
our rugby bar makes its own grain alcohol. It's called "Evel" and is delicious. They use allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon...and a bunch of other spices that make it taste like thanksgiving/christmas.
delicious! Mix it with apple cider (when in season) and you got yourself a "suicider"
Home brews always fun to mess around with.
yeah i'm still waiting to lose my home brew beer virginity. trying to figure out the perfect ingredients for a good flavor that isn't an IPA.
http://www.mrbeer.com
Seriously, they sell supplies to make your own. I did it once and it was super good.
One of my brothers tried his hand at home brewing. Crap stunk badly.
oh a guy i used to live near has supplies. i just want to make a unique brew. i don't like hops...hoppy beer/IPA's are amateur hour stuff. My goal would be to make a strong brown ale. Maybe take fun combos and put them in beer...apple/cinnamon? haha. Steak?
That bites, I had had a great idea when I was in the shower a month ago or so and now I can't remember. Would have made for a very good taste combo.
- Molasses, brown sugar, bacon? !!! Bacon beer! haha..sorry for brainstorming here :)
- Nutmeg, cinnamon, raisins...?
pat, what the hell is wrong with you? who puts raisins in their beer?
i drank. a lot. too much. i prefered jager or tequila. occasionally i'd have a mixed drink. it didn't matter what i drank, my blood sugar was close to 5 billion. never had a low BG after drinking once. it's been almost 4 years since my last drink. i'm doing pretty ok now :o)