Eat, Drink, Pee, and Fill Your Bag!

Summer has finally arrived in SW Montana and it has been great to feel the warmth. Hydrations is even more important for me as a Type I Diabetic and ostomy bag wearer (I had my colon completely removed in 2022).

Your colon is in charge of absorbing most of the water from foods, so I have to rely on my small intestine, which is not designed for the job. Therefore, fluid replacement through water, electrolyte powders, and salt is really important as the temps climb and the air remain really dry.

I use Skratch Labs nutrition and hydration products for my outdoor and daily activities. The clear, hint of lemon is something I put in my water bottle to start the day. Each serving has 270mg of sodium, 13 carbs, and only 4g of sugar. For longer days mountain biking or hiking I use the high-sodium hydration mix. It packs 1,720mg of sodium, 17g of carbs and 14 total g of sugar.

I learned a tough lesson after my surgery last summer during a two hour run. I had packed water with scratch fruit punch drink mix. It tastes fantastic and is really effective to help me with hydration and blood sugar management. The problem was my blood sugar was trending higher during the run, even with extra insulin on board. I drank less and had to fight dehydration the rest of the night.

My ostomy nurses warned me, dehydration with a stoma can go bad quickly and require a trip to the ER for fluids. I was lucky to avoid it, and adjusted my tactics.

For longer efforts, I use the clear and have one bottle of high-sodium mix which treats the ostomy side. For diabetes, I carry the skratch energy chews, which have 38 carbs and only 13g of total sugars per packet.

This approach has allowed me to treat higher blood sugar when it happens and remain hydrated.

Beyond my use of skratch, I eat as many bananas, apples, and pears that my blood sugar and stoma will tolerate. I also salt my food a little bit more in the days before and after longer times spent outside in the heat.

There are countless nutrition products on the market. For me, skratch has been the most effective and easiest for my stomach to handle while out on long days.

If you have diabetes or ostomy nutrition questions, please feel free to send me an email!