After last week's post, I was asked a VERY important question, and I think it should be addressed immediately. The question posed was: What about alcohol?
It's funny that I was asked that question, because (of course) I asked the same thing. Here is what I was told.
Carbohydrate contents:
12 oz. Beer - 15 grams
12 oz. Light Beer - ~ 7.5 grams
1 oz. Liqueur - 15 grams
3 1/2 oz. Dessert Wine (Sherry) - ~15 grams
5 oz. Dry Red or White Wine - negligible
1 1/2 oz. Distilled Spirits - 0 grams.
WHAT???!!! Did I hear that right? Beer has carbs. Light beer has carbs. Liqueur has carbs. Dessert wines have carbs. Red and white wine have a little bit. But whiskey? Bourbon, gin, vodka, rum - ZERO???? YEEEHAAAA! Booker's Manhattan here I come!
Not quite so fast cowboy. It is true that distilled spirits have zero carbs, and we all know that carbs are the enemy. The problem is - distilled spirits actually LOWER your blood sugar.
At this point in the discussion, my brain was going so fast I was hoping no one would notice the wisps of smoke coming from my ears.
Wow - I think she just said that I can cure my high blood sugar by drinking bourbon! My blood sugar will be 0 by Saturday afternoon!
Here's the deal. If you are a diabetic (hyperglycemic), you need to lower and control your blood sugar. But not TOO low (less than 70 mg/dL). If your sugar goes too low, (hypoglycemic) you run the risk of passing out, going into a seizure, a coma, or even death. Drinking too much alcohol could cause your blood sugar to go too low.
I know what you're thinking. Drinking too much can cause me to pass out? Thanks for the tip Sherlock! I thought that was the goal.
I can deal with the passing out part. Been there, done that. It's the seizures, coma and death part that worries me. Are diabetics more susceptible to the more negative outcomes of over-imbibing than non-diabetics? The teacher didn't say. But let's just use our heads here. If you are taking meds to help lower your blood sugar, and drinking alcohol in excess, I think it's safe to assume your risk is greater. And please notice I said 'in excess'. Over the last eleven months I have certainly not been a saint. I have had cocktails on more than one occasion. Just not in excess.
The other thing you need to know are the warning signs of low blood sugar. Diabetics know the signs of high blood sugar all too well. But I can assure you, I've never been the low blood sugar type, and had no idea what the symptoms were. When our teacher told us the symptoms, I realized that I have a lot of them on a daily basis.
The symptoms of low blood sugar are:
Sweaty or clammy
Irritability
Weak, lightheaded or shaky
Confusion and Hunger
Well that pretty much sums up how I felt after every night of drinking I've ever had.
If you are diabetic, you need to pay closer attention to what your body is telling you. If you have any of these feelings, you should test your glucose. That is, of course, assuming that you are weird enough to carry your meter and test strips out for a night on the town. (I would love to tell you that I am, but that would be a lie.) If you have any of these feelings, you need to treat yourself for hypoglycemia. How do you do that Bob? Glad you asked.
Remember the "Routine 15". If you feel that your glucose is low, you should test your glucose, but whether you've tested or not, eat or drink 15 grams of carbs. A half of a regular soda, a half cup of orange juice, a cup of milk, or two or three hard candies will do the trick. In fifteen minutes, you should test again. If you are still low, take in another 15 grams. If you do this three times, and you are still low, you should call your doctor or 911. This is not the time to fool around.
Here's one of what I will refer to as 'Uncle Bob's Rules of Thumb':
Don't be stupid.
If I am invited to have cocktails, I'm in - every time. There was a day when I could settle in with a nice bottle of bourbon and spend the evening. As Stevie Ray Vaughn used to say, "livin' life by the drop." But that was yesterday. Today it is much more important to me to be healthy. A couple of cocktails and then just sit around and laugh at the people who are way too intoxicated. It's actually quite enjoyable.
So, kids... What have we learned today?
The world has not ended. You can still enjoy cocktails... just don't be stupid and you'll be fine.
I'm tired of typing now. Think I'll have a drink...
