With the holidays well underway, many people find themselves traveling out of state or out of the country. In my experience, traveling long distances with diabetes was a challenge at first but following these simple tips can really help take the edge off.

You’ll first want to make sure you’ve got an adequate amount of supplies. A good rule of thumb is to take at least double what you would normally need. With the unpredictable pace of traveling (especially by air), your routine will likely be put through the ringer. I always take an extra CGM as well, just in case anything happens where I would need a new one. I recommend getting a waterproof dry box. They’re inexpensive, provide a hard shell so your equipment doesn’t get crushed, and many come in a transparent variety which makes going through TSA easier.

Depending on how strict your diet is, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the nutritional information of local fast food chains. In case you’re in a situation where you need to grab something quickly or just don’t have any better options, I’ve found on average McDonald’s has the easiest menu to work with, and there is even a hack I’ll share in a future article to get the lowest carb fast food breakfast out there while saving money. Just make sure to modify the ingredients to remove their high fructose corn syrup containing ketchup and it’ll be a less bad alternative to other fast food out there. For hamburgers, I typically go with their triple cheeseburger or a quarter pounder. To cut down on carbs, I usually take one of the sides of the bun off and eat it as an open faced burger. This puts the sandwich around the 15 carb range. I originally thought the winner here would be Chick-Fil-A but a quick read through of their menu will show a lot of items contain hidden sugars and are super carb-y.

Be prepared to have your numbers act up. You’re disrupting your routine and likely getting less sleep because of jet lag or even general restlessness. This is entirely normal and should fix itself in a day or two. If you are finding yourself becoming insulin resistant, taking a long walk or hike is a great way to combat it, as is a brief workout with strength training and cardio.

Lastly, if you must drink alcohol, stick with light beers and dry wines. These can also dramatically lower your glucose levels so be careful! A rule of thumb I have found is that a full flavored beer will generally have about 1-1.5 carbs per ounce. These can add up pretty quickly and send your glucose levels to the stratosphere.