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| Categories: Tips for travelling |
| Tips for travelling |
Universal tips for diabetics on travals |
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France was my first destination after my illness. I had known this country from preceding visits and knew very well, for example, how difficult it is to find mixed-grain bread or even whole-meal bread. In the quiet hope of finding a suitable meal for a diabetic, anyway, - I would like to move to France later on. - I went to the South of France over Easter holiday in 1999.
Here I present a summary of my experiences, which I gained in several conversations with pharmacists and doctors.
- An association for diabetes does not exists. Instead, many small centers for diabetes exist (Centre diabete). These are open around the clock throughout the country. They can be contacted by phone, by dialing the number: 0800342238.
- A BE (KHE-) system, is only available in form of a table of substitutions, exchange, replacements, as is also the case in Germany. An indication (or label) of the amounts of BE that French (semi-luxury) foods contain, does not exist. The only "diabetic" nutrition, which is formally indicated (nourriture diabetique), is available in a few stores (magasin diabetiques) that are mainly located in the larger cities (Paris, Lyon, Lille, Bordeaux etc.) only. These foods are then labeled merely "sans sucre", which is supposed to mean "without sugar".
In contrast, relatively many health food shops (magasin diatitique) exist, where people that are specifically concerned about their health shop at, and where as a diabetic, one simply cannot buy "wrong" things. A list of these health food shops can be found in the book titled Annaire Vert, published by Echviller.
- In case you should run out of Insulin in France, and should be in need of new Insulin from the "pharmacie", then you should ask for Humaninsulin (not to be mixed up with Humalog (lispro)) ie. for "insulin humaine biogenetique". In larger centers it is better to give the name of the product / producing company... as well. Pens are usually named "penfill" in France. Most of the firms of diabetic products, existing in Germany are also represented in French pharmacies.
- The two measuring units in France as well as in Germany are mmol / l and mg / dl.
Finally, I would like to mention that in despite of all these rather negative facts I personally did not have problems with my diabetes during my stay in France.
Translated by Maria Sinnecker, student on the university of Rostock |
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