Halloween with Type 2 Diabetes Management
Posted on October 18, 2011 by Lu Young RN
How can you handle Halloween with type 2 diabetes management and children? Sugary treats abound. The theme of the holiday seems to center of getting dressed up and obtaining as much candy as you can from the many sources available.
Ghosts, ghouls and goblins are suiting up for the yearly pilgrimage through neighborhoods shouting “Trick or Treat!” and begging for sweet treats that are synonymous with Halloween.
But a candy-centric holiday poses challenging questions for parents of children with diabetes. Can they have a mini candy bar? Is the orange and black gooey goodness of a cupcake off limits?
“They can enjoy Halloween and enjoy some of the sweets the holiday offers — within reason,” says Kenneth McCormick, M.D., pediatric endocrinologist and senior scientist in the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center. “We give parents and kids three options and let them decide how they want to handle Halloween and the sweets that come with it.”
Tip 1: Count Carbs
McCormick says by counting carbohydrates – which your body breaks down into glucose creating fluctuations in blood sugar – kids can enjoy some of the treats Halloween has to offer in moderation. In this option, the child keeps up with how many carbs they are eating and takes, for example, one unit of insulin for every 15 or 20 grams of carbohydrates.
“This is an easy option for kids on an insulin pump because they can just dial in an extra dose of insulin to compensate for what they are about to eat. But for kids that take shots, this could prove to be more difficult or inconvenient if they have to go to the school nurse for an extra dose,” he says.
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Here are two steps for Halloween with type 2 diabetes management and children.
The first step is to eat a good meal before the children
go out to trick-or-treat.
The second step is to instruct the children that they
are not eat any of the treats before they get home.
At home the lighting is better and you can inspect
the treats better.
Blood glucose does not have to go out of control on Halloween. You can manage Halloween with type 2 diabetes management with a little thought and planning.
