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diabetes type 1 diet

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Q: My wife is looking for 30 carb breakfast ideas for a type 1 diabetes diet. Can anyone give me some help?
She is not big on cooking in the morning. She is a teacher as well so she needs something portable if at all possible.

A: When I was gestational diabetic for breakfast I’d eat:

2 slices of whole wheat toast (about 13 carbs a piece) and 2 slices of turkey bacon.

2 corn tortillas with 2 or 3 scrambled eggs whites with a little cheese or ham.

1/2 large bagel w/cream cheese

2 Tablespoons of peanut butter with 2 slices of whole wheat toast

This is all I can think of at the moment. I hope it helps.

Q: How much does your diet affect your diabetes type 1?(if you have it of course)?
my cousin has diebetes and she heard that it’s different for each person. i just wanted to know.

A: People with type 1 always have to take insulin. How much they take depends on a lot of things, but there is no reason to have a limited diet. Like the previous poster said, you can use insulin to balance out anything you eat. So I could have a hot fudge sundae, I would just have to know how many carbs are in it, and take appropriate amounts of insulin to “cover” that.

Q: My daughters just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, diet advice and support group help?
She is 3 yrs old, been diagnosed a week, all the info in leaflets and on the web is about hypo’s, but her probs at the minute are high BS not low.
Any help or advice? Also anyone know of any good support networks out there, that you don’t have to pay for?!
She has a dietician who said her diet is fine, don’t change anything, they work her insulin level around her rather than vice versa. I am quite worried that after a week she is still having readings almost into the 30s mmol.
Morning readings are normal, then go up all day with bedtime ones being around 25-30 occasionally higher.
Her diabetic nurse is saying about getting her insulin levels right, and has been highering her morning dose all week, we are now on 10 units in a morning, and doing a little better, but not much.
I think I may be over-reacting a little!
I have to keep adding on here, not sure if I can add a reply, I can’t work it out!
Anyway, I am worrying myself stupid here, I know many people go through the same, I am a born worrier!! My worst fear, I have to leave her for at least 3 days and nights in only 10 weeks, I have to go into hospital to have my baby by c-sec. Terrified about leaving her isn’t the word for it!
Thankyou all for your replies, there is some fab info in there. x

A: We all over-react, so don’t worry about that. You have enough to worry about. My son was diagnosed at 2 and it was very hard to keep him in his goal range, as we weren’t comfortable with the carb counting, exercise, and making any changes ourselves (which we are now, though we still end to be cautious and it has been 3 years).
Give yourself a break first. After you have done that, contact the JDRF (www.jdrf.org) who are awesome, have support meetings which are really helpful, especially in the beginning, can put you in touch with someone who has been through it with their child, and let you know you aren’t alone. Plus everything there is free.
Then, we all worry more about the lows because they hold a more immediate danger. They can happen fast, and with a very young child are unpredictable. But the highs are scary when they aren’t controlled too. For the first few weeks (or months) don’t hesitate to call her endocrinologist for help and guidance. That is what they are there for, and they want your child (and her family) to be as healthy as possible. We faxed in a list of BG, insulin amounts given and what he ate and what exercise he did everyday for the first couple of weeks.
In the beginning, even the doctors are trying to figure out what works for the child, and the more info they have, the better assessment they can give. So make sure you are keeping track of everything. You will begin to see patterns and that will help you figure out when things need to change. And they will change. My son’s doc said that glucose control is an art, not a science because a child’s insulin requirements change all the time.
Did they explain the ‘honeymoon period’ to you? If not, ask them. It is the time (from 3 months to a year) where the body is still producing some insulin, but not enough and not predictably. That is why initially we are all worried about lows.
In your situation, I would suggest to take her blood sugar a lot, before meals, before snacks, before bed, even during the night. I am not a doc, and therefore can’t give you recommendations for insulin doses (for meals or for the sliding scale for highs). So you need to talk to the doc about her highs. Also, they should have given you a ketone tester (either blood test or urine test). For little ones, I much prefer the blood type. You should be testing her for ketones, because if she does have ketones, she will need more insulin than usual. The ketones basically ‘eat up’ the insulin that is there, leaving none for the carbs she eats with meals. So it becomes very difficult to get them back down to a healthy level, which then produces more ketones.
I wish you luck and hope you know that it does take time to understand it all, but you are doing well to reach out for help. The diabetes community is pretty tight and we are all trying to figure out how to keep our kids healthy and ourselves sane.
Email me if I can help with anything else, it was a lot to write and I might not have explained it all that well.

Take care

Q: whats the best diet for diabetes type 1?

A: I agree with others that have responded already. There really shouldn’t be anything that you deprive yourself of … assuming that it’s you that’s diabetic.

The idea with type 1 diabetes is that you need to balance the amount of carbohydrate you eat with the insulin you inject. Do bear in mind, though, that different types of insulin have different times of duration (how long they work for).

There are foods that you should be careful of eating a lot of. Things that are full of sugar (sometimes labelled as glucose, dextrose, fructose, etc.) which may well ’spike’ your blood sugar levels. That means that your blood sugar will rise rapidly. The problem tends to be that if you inject too much insulin to cover this amount of carbohydrate, your blood sugar level will fall rather rapidly, and may actually cause you to have a ‘hypo’ (hypoglycaemic attack). In light of this, it makes sense to eat foods that have a low glycemic load (do a search on foods that relate to this by typing ‘glycemic load’ or ‘glycemic index’ (without the inverted commas) in the search bar of your web browser). This will take longer for the food to ‘break down’ into useable glucose, meaning that you won’t get the sugar ’spikes’, which will, in turn, keep your blood glucose levels on a more even keel. It also helps if you have more, but smaller, meals. i.e., 6 meals a day instead of 3 meals.

As I’m sure you’re already aware, there are certain complications that can develop with diabetes. One of these is that you tend to develop hypercholesterolaemia (high cholesterol levels). I won’t go into detail about the different types of cholesterol there are, but you would ideally eat a diet that is lower in fat as some of the complications that can befall a diabetes sufferer encourage you to. (Take a look at the following page for guidance on this.)

If you’ve not been shown how to make adjustments to your insulin dosage, please don’t do it until you have been. As I’m sure you’re already aware, too much, or too little insulin can lead to placing you in great danger. Speak with your doctor or diabetes nurse about this.

I wish you the very best of luck for a long, happy, healthy, complication-free life.

Q: Is having to much diet soft drink bad for people with diabetes type 1?

A: Diet coke is a “free” drink for diabetics (as we like to call carb free foods in my house). Regular diet coke is not a good choice for hot days or for any hydrating purposes. Choose caffeine free diet coke, as regular diet coke negates hydration.

Don’t drink soda all the time. Diet or otherwise – they have a lot of crap in them.

Q: Is there a diet a type 1 diabetic can survive on without insulin?
Since I was young I have been interested in wilderness survival, unfortunately my diagnoses of type 1 diabetes has somewhat limited my capacity for such activities because of my reliance on the production methods in society. I want to know of any known remedy or diet that could possibly be used to control ketosis and high blood sugar in the hopes of experimentation and research to help me achieve the required level of self sufficiency and also to help others like me.

A: No, it is impossible for a type 1 person to survive without insulin injections.

However I see no reason why you cannot do a wilderness survival camp thing. All you need is sufficient supplies.

You can eat a very low carb food plan and take less bolus insulin. But then again, most of us would be much better off not eating all those grains and cereals and starchy veggies and soft sweet fruits all the time.

Meats and salads are the most that are necessary for survival. Salads can be any green food plant you can eat. Meats don’t have to be Haut Cuisine either. Nuts, seeds and berries are plentiful and not harmful to your glucose control either.

Don’t try to do it without sufficient supply of insulins tho. That and the necessary testing equipment are an absolute must. And have some way of contacting the modern world for medical rescue are all I know of that you absolutely need.

Q: Is there a difference in dietary requirements between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes sufferers?
There seem to be cookbooks that are specific to Type 2 diabetes. Does this mean there’s a difference in the kind of diet that Type 1 and Type 2 sufferers need to follow?

A: There is a lot of difference between the diet of all diabetics.

We have different tolerances to certain carb / protein / fat combo’s.

Type 2’s can vary so much. Some people can control it with a very strict diet, others can have a less strict one with tablets.

Type 1’s can have a lot less of a strict diet, we learn to adjust our insulin to our carbs, just like a normal pancreas would work.
Insulin is given either via injections or a pump.

I’ve been type 1 since i was 9. I have very good control, and i self-medicate, like most type 1’s learn to.
I can eat mostly anything, apart from the obvious, like a load of sweets, 3 pizza’s etc.

Any ’specific’ cookbooks are usually rubbish.
Type 2 diabetics can vary a huge amount with their medications, their dietary requirements.
There is no ‘diet’ that works for everyone.

Q: Whats the difference between type 1 diabetes and type 2?
Hi everyone.
My boss just found out her 16 year old daughter has type 1 diabetes. We were all very sad to hear the news. Apparently she will be taking medication everyday for the rest of her life and she has a strict diet to follow. What’s the difference between type 1 and type 2? Also, do people with diabetes have a tendency to be thin and lose a lot of weight because of their diet? Apparently before she was diagnosed, she lost 10 pounds within a month.

Thanks!

A: Type one is usually diagnosed early in life, from birth to around the age of 30. There are many theories on why and what happens to the pancreas in type 1. It is thought to be a viruse that attacks it at some point. There are more cases of type 1 in states that have cold weather. These people are always insulin dependent and must inject insulin sometimes up to 6 times a day. The pancreas does not make any (or very little) insulin. In type 2, it is usually diagnosed after the age of 35, but can develop earlier. With this type there are 2 things that can happen. The pancreas can be making lots of insulin but the body is not using it correctly (this is insulin resistance) or the pancreas is not making enough insulin. People with type 2 usually have to take some type or oral meds, but some take insulin, and some take both. There are some type 2’s that can control their disease with diet and exercise for many years. Both types of diabetes can be genetic. Both types are caused by malfunctions of the pancreas and are not caused by the wrong diet, or being overweight. Both types of diabetics need to get daily exercise and watch their diets.

Q: can people with type 1 diabetes go on the wu-yi tea diet?
if no why?

A: having diabetes means you have polyluria, which means you urinate frequently. Wu yu tea is a diuretic and may tend to cause more urination, but it may act as cleansing also. In your case in my opinion, it will be more harmful than helpful. And dont go for opinions lol, ask your doctor about it. I know some of this as Im a nurse, but doctors are the best to ask for this.

Q: how does diet soda effect my blood sugar in type 1 diabetes?

A: Sugar Free doesn’t necessarily mean Carbohydrate Free but in the case of all the diet sodas I am familiar with Sugar Free is Carb Free. I have never eaten anything with Zero Carbs that effect my sugar levels in any way. On the contrary my doctor and dietitian both tell me I can have as much diet soda as I want because it has no effect on my sugar levels..

Q: I am doing a survey on gestational diabetes and type 1 diabetes?
I would like to know if you suffer from diabetes type 1 was it caused by gestational diabetes or genetic? Do you have a controlled diet, take insulin and exercise? I am doing a research on gestational diabetes and would like to know if affects the child as they grow. Please, Please, i need your responses and honesty. I need about 50 responses. Thank you all…

A: I am one:(

Q: Type 1 Diabetic Diet? Any Help?
I have type 1 diabetes.
Could anyone tell me if this is a good healthy diet.
Breakfast- Weetbix and piece of fruit.
Morning Tea- Piece of fruit and museli bar.
Lunch- Crackers With Vegemite and carrots.
Afternoon Tea- Biscuits.
Dinner- Usually Serving of meat with rice or noodles.
At breakfast I take:
4 Acrapid & 18 Lantus
At dinner I take:
5 NovoRapid & 18 Lantus
10 easy points!
Thankyou.

A: You’re on the right track with some things, but it needs a little tweaking. Check out some of the books on glycaemic index, they’re an excellent guide with great recipes.
For breakfast weetbix and fruit is a fairly good option, make sure you’re having it with skim or low fat milk.
Morning tea – a piece of fruit is great but watch the muesli bars, they’re often high in carbs, sugar and sometimes fat. If you’re not satisfied enough with just the fruit, then try a couple of crackers with low fat cheese or maybe some low fat yoghurt.
Lunch – Try some multigrain bread with lean meat (eg roast beef, ham, chicken) and salad. Then have a piece of fruit or a yoghurt.
Afternoon Tea – I’d be avoiding the biscuits. Go for some nuts with dried fruit (but not too much fruit), crackers with cream cheese or cheese and tomato, an apple, pear or other small piece of fruit. If you’re really hungry then have a light sandwich.
Dinner – Lean meat is great, but remember your vegies! Rice is generally ok as long as its not fried or a huge portion but noodles can be high in fat. Ideally for dinner, half of your plate should be vegetables (or salad), one quarter should be meat and the other quarter should be carbs, such as potato, rice, pasta etc.
Supper – You’ll need to check your BSLs to guage wether you need supper or not, but milo with skim milk is a good low GI option for supper.
Make sure you drink plenty of water too.

And remember that if you change your diet, then check your sugars more frequently and change your insulin doses accordingly, so check with your doctor before you change your diet drastically.

That’s just my opinion, but hope I’ve helped.

Q: My dad has type 1 diabetes and does not follow hes diet. What can i do to help him?
He injects insulin, and i don’t know what else, but he don’t follow a diabetic diet nor does he exercise. Plus not only our diet has lots of beef and pork. During the week he goes to work and comes home around 4:00 p.m we eat and he goes to the couch watch tv and next thing you know hes snoring. And this is an every day routine. No exercise what so ever. I won’t blame him for the most part cause he has one leg that he can not or has little strength to move. So he can not run or walk straight. Since he was a teen. What things can i say to him about diabetes that might scare him to get him to care more about hes health. So im asking please i really need help on this one you guys, hes my dad, he might not be the best dad but i do love him and i care about him!

A: Sorry to say, there’s very little you can do. Just be there, show concern, but don’t get too pushy. Scaring him isn’t likely to help. The choice is up to him.

Q: Is there any chance that I have diabetes type 1?
I am slightly overweight and I don’t eat healthy at all. I am 18 and I refuse to weigh myself. I am scared that I have or can get diabetes type 1. I don’t want to have it. I am fearing that I must change my diet or eat pills everyday. I love the food I am eating. I don’t want to change it……

A: First you need to do some more research and realize that type one diabetes is NOT a result of poor diet, being overweight, or a sedentary lifestyle. You are at more risk for having type TWO diabetes instead. Also, had you untreated type one diabetes you would be deathly ill and almost unable to function. Don’t court trouble. Work on your weight and lifestyle so that you can lesson your predisposition to type TWO diabetes.

Q: I want to know if there is a connection between PKU and Diabetes Type 1.?
My 38 year old sister has PKU and was on a strict diet until 18. She went back on the diet last year following positive research from the internet. My 18 year old daughter has recently been diagnosed with diabetes type 1. She is unusual. She has negative antibodies and had hypos for 2 weeks off insulin. She has been off insulin for 7 weeks and her blood is just starting to rise in the evening although has had a few hypos recently. She was tested for addisons disease and this was negative. I am curious as to whether there is a medical connection between diabetes and PKU.

A: no, not really, type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder, while pku is a metabolic problem

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