Of all the continents I visited during my trip around the world without airplanes, Asia is undoubtedly the one that best lends itself to the management of diabetes by the traveler.
As always happens, in fact, when traveling, the variable linked to food is always the greatest discriminating factor as well as the most difficult to manage.
In Asia, bread, pasta, and extra virgin olive oil disappear, foods that should be dosed with great care at home to avoid glycemic imbalances. Already in the first few days, you have the first positive effects and this is the good news, but .. there are bad surprises! First of all, the omnipresent rice that with its starch, if not carefully controlled, creates many problems. Besides, all drinks, especially the typical and not packaged ones, are loaded with sugar. The practice of sweetening is practically non-existent and every time you order a drink you must remind the waiter not to add it, however, communication in this corner of the world is often difficult.
Fruits and vegetables, especially in the southern area near the Tropic of Cancer, are tasty and fiber-rich foods that help a healthy and proper diet.
Asian cuisine prefers fast or steamed cooking, as well as rich and tasty soups. It is a different tradition from state to state and completely different from our Italian one.
I got lost in enjoying all kinds of unlikely dishes in China, or the savory and spicy Indian dishes, as well as the creative and tantalizing Thai cuisine, my absolute favorite.
All good? Well sometimes in Asia you are not so lucky. For example in Nepal the Dhal Bat, which is the typical Nepali dish based on rice and lentil soup, or in Mongolia, by far the worst cuisine ever tried in the world, dishes based on potatoes, cucumbers, mutton, are were real "gastronomic challenges" !!
So how was it possible to manage all this with diabetes?
As always, I believe that the solution lies in careful self-monitoring, especially in the post-meal phase because foods such as rice and potatoes, which are so popular, contain starch and the glycemic reaction must be monitored carefully. The help that can come from technology, such as Apps, in particular the OneTouch Reveal App, can really be useful, simplifying this monitoring and facilitating sharing with your doctor.
Another essential aspect to take into consideration when traveling to this wonderful continent is the scarcity of some hygienic conditions such as in Nepal and especially in India: for people who have to prick their fingers and inject insulin several times a day, it is obviously not the best thing. It is also necessary to keep in mind the absence of a freezer where you can freeze the refrigerating tiles necessary for the storage of insulin in the thermo-protective bags, but on the other hand, there is no lack of refrigerators where the proverbial Asian kindness and concern will allow you to store your medicines without never drop a single baht or rupee.
Asia is extraordinary land that I personally adore, but with diabetes, you need to pay due attention and focus on monitoring glycemic values because cultural and gastronomic differences give tasty surprises but can also give unexpected bitters.