Diabetes affects a large number of people across the world every year.

Although this condition can be treated and controlled by several methods and medications, the one process every patient needs to follow is a change of lifestyle. This change in lifestyle includes several activities to be carried on by the patient, with observing a strict diet plan being the most important of them all.

Diet plans for a diabetic patient is made with the focus on controlling the concentration of sugar present in the blood stream.

Be it a diet for increasing the levels of insulin in the body for patients of Type 1 diabetes or focusing on weight loss for enhancing the ability of the cells to respond to insulin in case of Type 2 diabetes, each diet needs to be followed religiously for it to have the desired effects.

The main problem arises when the healthy diet has to be observed while travelling over long distances or taking a vacation which results in deviating from the set schedule that one has followed until that point of time.

While it is a challenge to follow a diet plan when travelling, quite a few steps can be followed to ensure that the diabetic diet is maintained at every destination while travelling. A few of the steps that can be taken for a healthy diet when travelling are:

1. Healthy choices

There are numerous restaurants that do not offer food especially for diabetics. In these cases, it is advised to switch to food items that are equally healthy and can be good substitutes. Food items rich in fiber content such as salads, fruits and oatmeal are always recommended for diabetes patients. Also, these patients need to steer clear of the food that has high carbohydrate and fat content. Fried foods should be avoided and grilled and steamed foods should be given preference.

2. Regular meals

A patient can often be taken in by the sights and relaxation that a holiday offers but it is of utmost importance that none of attractions end up distracting one from meal time. Skipping a meal may result in uneven levels of blood sugar which can lead to further complications.

3. Minimum alcohol intake

Alcohol is an essential part of many people's vacations. However, if the person is diabetic, alcohol should be kept to the bare minimum or avoided altogether.

4. Proper hydration

Keeping the body hydrated while travelling is another important step that every diabetes patient must take. Patients should always make sure that the prescribed medications and insulin shots are taken at proper intervals.