Healthy Snacks For People With Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes
Share: Snack is not a “four-letter” word. Snacks are important in the daily life of a person with diabetes, particularly those with type 1 diabetes and insulin-requiring type 2 diabetes. If there are more than four or five hours between meals, the person runs the risk of low blood sugar, and getting so hungry that he overeats at the next meal. Between-meal and bedtime snacks are essential to keep glucose tablets, wherever they go, particularly when driving or exercising. The best snacks are healthy, convenient and carbohydrate-controlled. Healthy means higher in fiber, low fat, less salt, and no or very little sugar. Convenient snacks do not have to be refrigerated, like snack bars and packaged snacks. Most important is the amount of carbohydrate the snack offers - a serving, or choice, is about 15 grams of carbohydrate. Your meal plan may designate the amount of carbohydrate for snacks. To slow the rise of blood sugar, and keep you full longer, you can include some healthy protein with your snack. Here are some tips in selecting your snacks: · Do not eat right out of the bag - count out your allowed serving, put the food items on a plate, and enjoy. There are single serving raisins, pretzels and other snack foods to help us with portion control. · Look for fresh snacks in the produce department - baby carrots, fresh fruit. · All crackers, bread and English muffins should be whole grain. · Watch the calories while you control the carbs. A snack should be about 150-200 calories. · Select nutrition bars carefully. Granola type bars are high in sugar and low in protein. Find bars that are more balanced - with 7 or more grams of protein. There are handy nutrition bars designed for diabetes that slow the rise of blood sugar with special formulations. (Extend Bars, G Continue reading >>
Making A Diabetic Meal Plan Work For You
How a Diabetes Meal Plan Can Help You Knowing how to plan heart healthy meals is important for managing all types of diabetes diets. Food can raise blood sugar levels. The type and amount of foods that are eaten will affect how high and how fast blood sugar levels will rise. It is important to make healthy eating choices about when to eat, what to eat and how much to eat. When should a diabetic eat? Eat your meals and snacks at about the same time each day. By doing this, your blood sugar levels may stay under control. Space your meals 4-5 hours apart. Eat in-between snacks as needed. If you take insulin or diabetes pills, keep the right balance between food and these medicines. You should understand how long your pills or insulin take to work to lower blood glucose levels. Find out when they work the best you plan when to eat. Snacks between meals are very important if you go more than five hours from meal to meal. What should a diabetic eat? Eat about the same size meals and snacks every day. Most people eat a small breakfast, a medium sized lunch and a larger dinner. This forces the body to process most of the day's food at the end of the day. A better idea is to eat all meals that are about the same size. You will be eating balanced meals throughout the day. Make healthy food choices rich in vitamins, minerals, lean protein like white chicken and fiber such as brown rice. The fiber takes longer to break down. Blood sugars rise slower. This will keep blood sugar levels better controlled. It will help your body better process the sugar coming from your food. Do not skip meals. If you take insulin or diabetes pills, do not skip meals. This can cause your blood sugars to drop too low. Skipping one meal could cause you to overeat at the next meal. Even if you do not take Continue reading >>
Ask Joslin: Should You Snack?
Are bedtime snacks, or, for that matter, any snacks required if you have diabetes? Let’s tackle the question of the bedtime snack first. If you have diabetes and have ever been hospitalized, you are probably familiar with the often unrequested delivery of the ubiquitous bedtime snack consisting of graham crackers and milk, or some equally uninspiring repast. The genesis of this tradition has to do with the use of peaked intermediate and long-acting basal insulin. Until the year 2000, there weren’t any insulins that provided a consistent level of medicine throughout their duration of action. Meals and snacks were scheduled around the times the insulin was peaking. Many people used NPH, an insulin that peaks anywhere from four to eight hours after it is injected, as their basal insulin. Bedtime snacks were given to prevent patients from having low blood glucose reactions overnight. Today, our basal insulins have the advantage of being peakless or flat. They provide the same amount of insulin every hour for the duration of their physiological life. This is a big advantage over some of the early intermediate- or long-acting insulins since it is no longer necessary to stick to a rigid schedule for meal times and a bedtime snack isn’t usually required. Some people still use NPH insulin and, as many hospital food service departments are not privy to the medication inventory of their patients, they take a safety approach of providing bedtime snacks to all their patients with carbohydrate controlled therapeutic diets. There are times when bedtime snacks are important. People who experience a lag effect from exercise may benefit from consuming a bedtime snack to avoid overnight hypoglycemia. In addition, blood glucose can drop precipitously overnight in some elderly patient Continue reading >>
For 26 Years, I’ve Managed Type 1 Diabetes With A Plant-based Diet
Until age 35, my health was very typical for an American. Then in November of 1988, all that changed: my immune system suddenly decided that my insulin-producing pancreas beta cells were foreign and attacked and annihilated them, leaving me with type 1 diabetes. In less than 30 days, I lost 45 pounds and grew deathly weak. Eventually, I was found barely conscious at my work desk and rushed to the hospital, where I immediately received my first shot of insulin. My doctor’s grim prognosis hit like a ton of bricks: even with the best possible diabetic control, I would still suffer many debilitating, chronic complications of the disease. I envisioned myself disabled, blind, amputated, and living in a wheelchair. More on that later… A few days into my hospital stay, a fill-in doctor literally saved my life with a very simple short statement. He said, “No doctor can manage your diabetes.” He explained that the insulin doses are dependent on metabolism which changes from minute to minute, and so are too variable to be predetermined or managed by any other person. He recommended that I keep a log and learn the effects of everything I ate and did, and adjust my diabetes control and lifestyle accordingly. The geek in me took that advice to heart. Back home, I immediately bought a glucometer, a kitchen scale, a nutrition facts book, and a notebook in which to begin logging my new life. I began to learn how to match up the food I ate, my activity levels, and my insulin intake to keep everything in sync. My Doctors Prescribed a Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet All of the nutritional information from my doctor, diabetes magazines and books, and even diabetes management classes strongly promoted a low-carb, high-fat diet. Confusion started to set in, however, as all my test-and-measure Continue reading >>
7 Healthy Snacks To Manage Blood Sugar
High blood sugar levels are bad news for your body. So you have to choose carefully when it comes to choosing snacks. You want to keep hunger and hypoglycemia at bay without increasing your blood sugar. High-fiber, slowly digested, healthy snacks will curb your hunger while producing a steady release of blood sugar to help control diabetes. Just remember to balance those… more from this guide Continue reading >>
The Best 7-day Diabetes Meal Plan
This 1,200-calorie meal plan makes it easy to follow a diabetes diet with healthy and delicious foods that help to balance blood sugar. The simple meals and snacks in this 7-day plan feature complex carbohydrates (think whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables), lean protein and healthy fats. We limited refined carbohydrates (like white bread, white pasta and white rice) as well as added sugars, which can spike your blood sugar quickly. We've also cut back on saturated fats and sodium, as they can negatively impact your health if you eat too much. The carbohydrates are balanced throughout the day with each meal containing 2-3 carb servings (30-45 grams of carbohydrates) and each snack containing around 1 carb serving (15 grams of carbohydrates). The calorie and carbohydrate totals are listed next to each meal and snack so you can swap foods with similar nutrition in and out as you like. Eating with diabetes doesn't need to be difficult—choose a variety of nutritious foods, as we do in this meal plan, and add in daily exercise for a healthy and sustainable approach to managing diabetes. Day 1 Breakfast (294 calories, 41 g carbohydrates) • 1/2 cup oats cooked in 1/2 cup each 2% milk and water • 1 medium plum, chopped • 4 walnut halves, chopped Top oats with plum and walnuts. A.M. Snack (96 calories, 18 g carbohydrates) • 3/4 cup blueberries • 1/4 nonfat plain Greek yogurt Top blueberries with yogurt. Lunch (319 calories, 37 g carbohydrates) Turkey & Apple Cheddar Melt • 2 slices whole-wheat bread • 2 tsp. whole-grain mustard, divided • 1/2 medium apple, sliced • 2 oz. low-sodium deli turkey • 2 Tbsp. shredded Cheddar cheese, divided • 1 cup mixed greens Top one slice of bread with 1 tsp. mustard, apple, turkey and 1 Tbsp. cheese. Top the other Continue reading >>
11 Low Carb Quick-grab Snacks For People With Diabetes
Low carb snacks are wins all around because they satisfy your hunger without making you take a tackle on your blood sugars. They can be delicious, and are often the freshest and healthiest snacks around. Best of all, they require very little in diabetes math department. There’s a lot of talk about the benefits of a low-carb diet, alongside plenty of critique and criticism. (Welcome to diabetes, eh?) But after 31 years of type 1 diabetes, I can anecdotally say that when I’m keeping my carb consumption on the lower side, my blood sugars have fewer swings. There’s plenty of scientific evidence that touts the benefits of low-carb diets, as well. And you might be thinking, “Yeah! Great! Thanks for the links to intense reading material, but I’m here for the snacks!” Let’s get to that. I talked with people from the diabetes online community about their favorite quick-grab low-carb snacks. Here are some tasty and satisfying options: Cheese Cheese, glorious cheese! Whether you’re mad about a mild cheddar or have a hankering for Havarti with horseradish, cheese is a great snack that fills your belly without bumping your blood sugars. Nuts Embrace your inner squirrel and reach into your stash of almonds next time you’re feeling snacky. A handful of nuts can bring some healthy fats and protein into your diet, without a load of carbs. Almonds and walnuts in particular are a great choice! Vegetables and hummus While hummus is certainly not as low carb as cheese, it’s still a fairly low carb choice. And there’s nothing quite like the satisfying crunch of fresh vegetables, except maybe if you pair them with some garlic hummus, in which case, you’re set on the snack front in terms of taste and texture. Hard-boiled eggs A low-carb snack that can be prepared in bul Continue reading >>
Top 23 Snacks For People With Diabetes
NEW! Download our free grocery shopping companions: Free Foods – a guide to foods that won’t impact your blood sugar 15 Carbs Snack List – a mega-list of great snack ideas What’s the best snack for someone with diabetes? A snack with few carbs! (There are some exceptions. If you are planning on working out or have low blood sugar, than some carbohydrates may be beneficial.) Here are our top 23 favorite low-carb snacks in no particular order: Peanut butter Cheddar cheese String cheese Cottage cheese Broccoli with melted cheese Salad with free veggies and low-carb dressing Tomato and mozzarella salad Celery with peanut butter Fresh strawberries or blueberries with low-fat plain yogurt Veggies with hummus Cucumbers with olive-oil and rice vinegar Carrot sticks Snap peas with Caesar dressing Green beans cooked and cooled with lemon juice Nuts Sauteed Spinach Pickles Rotisserie chicken Deli meat Pepperoni and cheese Beef jerky Hard boiled eggs What are your favorites? You can get more snack ideas in our recipes forum, diabetes cookbook, and the Simply Cooking blog. Further reading on diabetes diet: Read more about low blood glucose/sugar (hypoglycemia), low-carb diet, snacks. Continue reading >>
Post-hockey Nutrition Tips For Type 1 Diabetes
share: Post-Hockey Nutrition Tips for Type 1 Diabetes by Lisa Miadovnik, MSc. Refueling after exercise is a hot topic in the health & fitness industry. From chocolate milk to protein bars and supplements, billions of dollars go into creating and marketing these products for post-workout nutrition. A widely-accepted recommendation is to consume a snack rich in simple carbohydrates and protein within 30 minutes of finishing a hockey game, practice, or workout, followed by a nutritious, slow-digesting protein- and carbohydrate-rich meal between 1-2 hours after1. When you factor in the time that hockey games are played at, that could mean eating a meal at 11:00 pm or later! In this article, we will discuss post exercise nutrition and late-night eating for athletes with type 1 diabetes. Parents and athletes wonder about eating late at night, because it sounds so counterintuitive based on advice for the general population. What needs to be considered is that nutrition for athletes and nutrition for the general population are two very different things. Very little research has been conducted on post-workout nutrition for athletes with type 1 diabetes, in specific. However, the same basic principles should apply for all athletes, whether they have diabetes or not. Let’s look into this a little further; In the average 60-minute game (3 periods of 20 minutes), a hockey player will only play for a total of about 20 minutes. Each shift lasts about 30-80 seconds, with heart rates reaching or exceeding 90% of their maximum each time2. Just to give some perspective, a 15 year-old would have a maximum heart rate of roughly 205 beats per minute (formula: 220 – age). Their heart rate would likely reach or exceed 185 beats per minute during each shift – that is some hard work being Continue reading >>
Swimming With Type 1 Diabetes Checklist
As we begin the swimming season, common sense advice is useful in all instances for parents; however, there are situations where children have additional challenges making plans for swim trips and water safety even more important. In my field, children with Type 1 diabetes are one group where awareness and planning are needed to ensure a safe fun time whether at the pool, beach or lake. Planning and gear is necessary when setting off for a day of water fun, but for kids with diabetes it can sometimes feel like an Everest expedition. Their checklist can include any or all of the items below: ●Blood glucose meter ●Supplies to check blood sugar ●A cooler or ice packs to keep insulin cool ●Insulin ●Insulin injection supplies ●Insulin pump supplies ●Snacks for low blood sugars Children and their families with Type 1 diabetes deal with additional risks on top of the typical worries that all families deal with. Some diabetes specific risks include: ●Low blood sugar ●Dehydration ●High blood sugars ●Ketones The wisdom and experience of a parent of a child with Type 1 diabetes adds more practical value. I discovered this article on swimming with Type 1 diabetes. I reached out via Twitter to the mom and author of the article. As the mother of two girls with Type 1 diabetes, she had a lot of good, practical advice, which I endorse and would give to my own patients. I know it helps to here from other moms. Here are some of the thoughts and tips that she shared about her now older girls. Importance of swim lessons My girls passed all of their swim lessons and have reached the level that will safely take them into adulthood ... I still tend to hold the book and scan the water until both are safely drying off on my blanket. Once a mom, well, always a mom. “Manag Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes Nutrition
If you have type 1 diabetes, it is important to know how many carbohydrates you eat at a meal. This information helps you determine how much insulin you should take with your meal to maintain blood sugar (glucose) control. Carbohydrates are the main type of food that raises blood sugar. The starch, fruit and milk groups of the Food Group Pyramid for Diabetes are high in carbs. Foods in the Other Carbohydrates and Combination Food groups are also high in carbs. The vegetable group has a small amount of carbohydrates. The meat and fat groups have few or no carbs. The amount of carbohydrates you eat at each meal will determine how high your blood sugar rises after the meal. The other two major nutrients, protein and fat ,also have an effect on blood glucose levels, though it is not as rapid or great as carbohydrates. Most people with diabetes can control their blood sugar by limiting carbohydrate servings to 2-4 per meal and 1-2 per snack. A delicate balance of carbohydrate intake, insulin, and physical activity is necessary for the best blood sugar (glucose) levels. Eating carbohydrates increases your blood sugar (glucose) level. Exercise tends to decrease it (although not always). If the three factors are not in balance, you can have wide swings in blood sugar (glucose) levels. If you have type 1 diabetes and take a fixed dose of insulin, the carbohydrate content of your meals and snacks should be consistent from day to day. CHILDREN AND DIABETES Weight and growth patterns can help determine if a child with type 1 diabetes is getting enough nutrition. Changes in eating habits and more physical activity help improve blood sugar (glucose) control. For children with diabetes, special occasions (like birthdays or Halloween) require additional planning because of the extra sw Continue reading >>
Patient Education: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus And Diet (beyond The Basics)
TYPE 1 DIABETES OVERVIEW Diet and physical activity are critically important in the management of the ABCs (A1C, Blood pressure, and Cholesterol) of type 1 diabetes. To effectively manage glycated hemoglobin (A1C) and achieve stable blood sugar control, it is important to understand how to balance food intake, physical activity, and insulin. Making healthy food choices every day has both immediate and long-term effects. With education, practice, and assistance from a dietitian and/or a diabetes educator, it is possible to eat well and control diabetes. This topic discusses how to manage diet in people with type 1 diabetes. The role of diet and activity in managing blood pressure and cholesterol is reviewed separately. (See "Patient education: High blood pressure, diet, and weight (Beyond the Basics)" and "Patient education: High cholesterol and lipids (hyperlipidemia) (Beyond the Basics)".) WHY IS DIET IMPORTANT? Many factors affect how well diabetes is controlled. Many of these factors are controlled by the person with diabetes, including how much and what is eaten, how frequently the blood sugar is monitored, physical activity levels, and accuracy and consistency of medication dosing. Even small changes can affect blood sugar control. Eating a consistent amount of food every day and taking medications as directed can greatly improve blood sugar control and decrease the risk of diabetes-related complications, such as coronary artery disease, kidney disease, and nerve damage. In addition, these measures impact weight control. A dietitian can help to create a food plan that is tailored to your medical needs, lifestyle, and personal preferences. TYPE 1 DIABETES AND MEAL TIMING Consistently eating at the same times every day is important for some people, especially those w Continue reading >>
Healthy Snack Ideas For People With Type 2 Diabetes – Small Snacks
If you have type 2 diabetes, a snack can help you manage your blood glucose levels. If your Registered Dietitian suggests that a small snack fits into your diabetes meal plan, you’ll find many healthy ideas below. What is a healthy snack? Your snack choices should be based on the four food groups in Canada’s Food Guide. The amount of carbohydrate in your snack is very important since carbohydrate-rich foods make the biggest difference to blood glucose levels. Smaller snacks should have about 15 grams of carbohydrate. This is the amount found in one slice of bread or one small apple. Carbohydrates are also found in sugary sweets like pastries, chocolate bars and candy. Because they are not very nutritious, they should be chosen less often, if at all. Here’s a good rule to remember when choosing carbohydrate-rich foods: Choose more vegetables, fruit, legumes and whole grains like oats, barley, brown rice and whole wheat. Choose fewer products that are made from sugar, white flour and white rice. The smaller snacks listed below have about 15 grams of carbohydrate each. They each have 85-150 calories. Mid-day snacks Your eating plan may include a snack in the morning or the mid-afternoon. Here are some delicious options. 1 slice whole grain bread with 10 mL (2 tsp) peanut butter 1 small orange and 175 mL (¾ cup) edamame (green soybeans in the pod) 250 mL (1 cup) latte, cappuccino, unsweetened cocoa or chai tea made with skim milk 250 mL (1 cup) cantaloupe with 125 mL (½ cup) low fat cottage cheese 15 baby carrots with 30 mL (2 tbsp) hummus On-the-go snacks These snacks can be left in your briefcase, knapsack, car or your desk drawer. They will come in handy when you have a very busy day and need to grab a quick snack. 2 whole grain rye crispbread crackers 1 single-s Continue reading >>
Swimming With Type 1 Diabetes
A mom of a newly diagnosed daughter with type 1 diabetes reached out to discuss the effects of swimming while trying to stay in good blood sugar range. First, I just wanted to give her a big, huge hug and then, I wanted to do my best to help. That first year is full of new challenges and if I can do anything, it is to share what I have learned. Immediately, I thought back to my own early days and remembered how summer vacation, while easier in many ways, is also much harder. Especially when it comes to swimming. While I do not profess to have all of the answers (we learn something new every single day!!!), I do have a few tricks that our family uses. A lot of it revolves around food. For us, it seems to be the number one way to stay in range while swimming. A loose schedule during pool or lake time for our family is something like this: 12:00 p.m.. Test blood sugar, eat a light lunch (lunch meat or peanut butter sandwich and water), dose full amount of the bolus for food. Disconnect insulin pump and kids allowed into the water. 1:30 - 2:00 p.m.. Reconnect insulin pump. Test blood sugar. Eat a small snack (cheese, small piece of fruit or crackers plus more water) and dose 1/2 of the amount for bolus for food. Disconnect pump and swim. 4:00 p.m. Reconnect insulin pump. Test blood sugar. Eat a small snack like above or drink a chocolate milk, dose full amount of the bolus for food. 6:00 p.m. Dinner as usual. Blood glucose check, dose insulin as needed and more water. 8:00 p.m. Bedtime blood glucose check, snack, dose insulin as needed. 2:00 - 3:00 a.m. Check in the middle of the night just to make sure blood sugar is in range after a day at the beach or pool. I do this anyway, but especially when the kids have spent a day in the water. Swimming works every single muscle an Continue reading >>
How To Manage Type 1 Diabetes In A Healthy Way
Hiya Gorgeous, One of my biggest priorities is to help readers with chronic health issues thrive. And, a challenge that many of my readers (or the people they love) face is diabetes. So, last week we focused on type 2 diabetes and this week we’re shining a light on type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is something my team and I often talk about behind-the-scenes. That’s because our Crazy Sexy Dietitian, Jen Reilly, is mom to a very special young man with this health challenge. Her son, Jake, was diagnosed at age two. Whereas type 2 diabetes is often the result of insulin resistance and can sometimes be reversed with weight loss, exercise and a healthy diet, type 1 diabetes is the result of an autoimmune response where the body attacks and kills the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Unfortunately, it can’t be reversed. Learn how technology, planning, prepping & high-protein plant foods can help you manage type 1 #diabetes. @Kris_Carr Even though there’s nothing that can prevent type 1 diabetes, Jen has made use of the amazing technology available and found some incredible plant-powered tricks to help her son thrive. And in honor of November being Diabetes Awareness Month, she’s here to share her nutrition and mama bear expertise with all of you. Although, these tips apply to adults, as well. Take it away, Jen! Thanks, Kris. While finding out that you or your child has a chronic health issue like diabetes is scary at first, it quickly becomes part of your daily routine. We’ve found a way to make sure Jake has a normal, healthy and happy life regardless of his diagnosis. And, the same goes for anyone with type 1. But before we get to the tips that’ll help you manage this health challenge, let’s cover some basics. The symptoms of type 1 are very subt Continue reading >>
