Juice

I’ve been thinking about writing a post on the diabetes-juice relationship for awhile, then I read Kim’s post at Texting My Pancreas called Reflex Theory and decided to write it.

I drank juice as a kid on a fairly regular basis and I loved apple juice, orange juice, grape juice, fruit punch, etc. In college I knew I wasn’t eating nearly enough vegetables so I started drinking V8 Fusion to increase my fruit/veggie intake.

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When I was diagnosed with diabetes, juice became medicine.

Because my body is no longer on glucose autopilot, I have to manually control it with insulin (thanks pancreas). I get low blood sugar sometimes (more frequently than I should, but I’m working on it). To treat lows, I suck down juice because it’s the fastest way to get sugar into my system. I don’t enjoy a glass of orange juice with breakfast like normal people do. Sitting down with a plate of toast and eggs accompanied by a fresh cold glass of orange juice (that’s what everyone has time to make for breakfast, right?), would be like sitting down with breakfast and a side of cough syrup for me.

Juice=medicine isn’t the relationship that non diabetic people see. After my diagnosis, it’s like several people thought all at once: Rachel is diabetic and diabetics need juice. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve turned down offers of juice since being diagnosed. I do need juice sometimes. But juice isn’t a beverage anymore. Juice is medicine. Just like, in a pinch, regular pop can be medicine too.

The desire to be helpful with my diabetes is always appreciated, but please don’t feel the need to run out and buy juice if I’m coming to visit.

 

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