What To Eat When You Have Type 1 Diabetes
It's important to eat a healthy diet when you have type 1 diabetes. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy tasty food, including some of your favorites. With type 1 diabetes, your body stops making insulin. So you take insulin every day either through shots or a pump. It’s also key to track your blood sugar levels. Insulin is only part of the picture. Diet and exercise also play important roles in helping keep your blood sugar levels stable. When you make healthy food choices and eat consistent amounts through the day, it can help control your sugars. It can also lower your chance of diabetes-related problems like heart disease, kidney disease, and nerve damage. Some experts used to think there was a "diabetes diet." They thought people with diabetes had to avoid all foods with sugars or stop eating certain other foods. But when you have type 1, you can eat the same healthy diet as everyone else. Follow some general guidelines: Eat less unhealthy fat. Cut back on the saturated fats you find in high-fat meats like bacon and regular ground beef, as well as full-fat dairy like whole milk and butter. Unhealthy fats raise your chance of heart disease. With diabetes, you face higher-than-average odds of getting heart disease. Make smart food choices to lower that risk. Get enough fiber. It may help control your blood sugar. You can get fiber from whole grains, beans, and fruits and vegetables. Try to get 25-30 grams a day. Those high-fiber foods are always better choices than low-fiber carbs such as refined 'white' grains and processed sugary foods. Carbohydrates are your body's main source of energy. You get them from many foods, like grains (pasta, bread, crackers, and cookies), fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and sugars. Carbs raise your blood sugar levels faster than Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes Nutrition
If you have type 1 diabetes , it is important to know how manycarbohydratesyou 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 havetype 1 diabetesand take a fixed dose of insulin, thecarbohydratecontent of your meals and snacks should be consistent from day to day. 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 sweets. You may allow your ch Continue reading >>
Meal Planning For Children With Type 1 Diabetes
When you have a child with type 1 diabetes, it's easy to get carried away with the notion of a diabetic diet. But in reality, your child's dietary needs are no different from a child who doesn't have diabetes. Of course, there are certain considerations you need to be aware of, and understanding the carbohydrate content in food is arguably the most important. In this article, you will learn about the importance of carb counting, with a special emphasis on how fiber and sugar alcohols may also affect your child's blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. Nutrition Basics There's really no such thing as a diabetic diet. That's why you should focus instead on providing your child with balanced nutrition. A good nutritional resource to consult is the Food Pyramid. In recent years, the United States Department of Agriculture has made some updates to the standard Food Pyramid that most of us grew up knowing. Instead of being a set-in-stone guideline, now you can create personalized eating plans that are flexible and balanced. To refresh your memory on healthy eating, visit ChooseMyPlate.gov. There are 3 main nutrients in foods—fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. These essential nutrients affect blood glucose in different ways. Fats: Fat typically doesn't break down into sugar in your blood, and in small amounts, it doesn't affect your blood glucose levels. But fat does slow down digestion, and this can cause your blood glucose to rise slower than it normally would. After a high-fat meal, your child's blood glucose may be elevated up to 12 hours after the meal. Proteins: Protein doesn't affect blood glucose unless you eat more than your body needs. In most cases, you need only about 6 ounces or less (which is about the size of 2 decks of cards) at each meal. Carbohydrates: Carbohyd 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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
Diabetic Meal Plan For Type 1 Diabetes
Diabetes, or as it's fully called Diabetes Mellitus, is in fact two completely different diseases type 1 and type 2, and from a nutritional point of view each should be treated differently, therefore we have a plan for both. Blood sugar (glucose) levels are controlled by a hormone called insulin, produced by the pancreas. Glucose comes from the digestion of starchy foods, such as bread and potatoes, from sugar and naturally sweet foods, and the liver where it is made and passed into the blood. In diabetes glucose cannot be used effectively as a fuel by the body, leading to increased levels in the blood, and the excess glucose passes over into urine making the patient pass more urine and feel thirsty. Other symptoms include tiredness, blurred vision and disorientation. Type 2 diabetes is a disease caused by the inability of insulin to act properly on tissues, see our meal plan (coming soon). In type 1 diabetes the pancreas produces no insulin at all, so the patient has to be treated with injections of insulin as well as a suitable diet. There are a number of different types of insulin which your doctor will put you on. Older insulin regimens were a lot stricter and diabetics had to follow very strict eating times. Newer regimens encourage the patients themselves to take more control over their own nutrition and they can do this by having one injection of long acting insulin per day and an appropriate dose of super-fast acting insulin prior to a meal. However, regular meals and snacks are still encouraged, especially in respect of carbohydrate foods. Diabetics should aim for slow-released low glycaemic carbs as the basis of each meal and snack. See our Glycaemic Index Tables for GI values of foods. It's important that diabetics follow a suitable diet because: What you eat Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes And The Ketogenic Diet
For thousands of years, something has been sneaking up on children and robbing them of their ability to control their blood sugar levels. The culprit is an autoimmune condition called Type 1 Diabetes, and its incidence has been increasing in both the United States and in other western countries. But there is no need to worry. This sneaky disease has left us with enough clues to diagnose it, manage it, and potentially reverse it. How to Know If It Is Type 1 Diabetes Type 1 diabetes is most commonly diagnosed in children between the ages of 10 and 14, although many children can present with symptoms at ages as young as two years old. The incidence is approximately 1.5 times higher in American non-Hispanic white people compared with African American or Hispanic individuals. Risk Factors for Type 1 Diabetes The three most well-researched risk factors for type 1 diabetes include: Family history. Anyone with a parent or sibling with type 1 diabetes has a slightly increased risk of developing the condition. Genetics. Specific genes can increase the risk of developing type 1 diabetes. Age. Although type 1 diabetes can appear at any age, it is diagnosed in two prominent peaks. The first peak occurs in children between 4 and 7 years old, and the second is in children between 10 and 14 years old. However, these aren’t the only three risk factors. Recent research has found that type 1 diabetics tend to have a different balance of bacteria in their microbiome then non-susceptible individuals. Vitamin D deficiency, gut health issues, and dairy intolerance are also linked to a greater risk of type 1 diabetes as well. Having all of these risk factors, however, does not mean that you will have type 1 diabetes. Its symptoms will provide us with a clearer picture. Symptoms of Type 1 Dia Continue reading >>
Real Life Testimonial: Controlling Type 1 Diabetes With The Paleo Diet
Real Life Testimonial: Controlling Type 1 Diabetes with the Paleo diet This is part of an ongoing series of real life success stories from people all over the world who have been impacted by the Paleo lifestyle and The Paleo Solution. Read Kyp’s story below. My name is Kyp and I am a type 1 diabetic born on the 5th of May 1990 and diagnosed early August 2009. I wanted to contact you in regards to how eating a low carb paleo diet has helped me with my type 1 diabetes. Late 2008-August 2009. Over the course of the past nine months I had changed from a chubby 102 kilogram teenager who plays too many video games and ate too many Big Macs to several months later becoming a muscular and active (6 gym sessions per week) 92 kilogram young man. I thought that by adhering to the nutritional recommendations I was doing everything in my power to achieve an enlightened state of health. I simultaneously continued to lean out, six months later becoming a frail and disturbingly lean 70 kilogram male who looked like he needed to be sat down, force fed and watched to ensure he did not try to regurgitate what he had just swallowed. I had been losing weight at a steady pace, somewhere in the vicinity of none at all to half a kilo per week until June. Once June hit my weight began to drop at an alarming rate, anywhere from 1 to 2 and a half kilos per week. Me being me I put this down to my increased effort with my highly intensive physical labour in the mornings, eating a ‘healthy’ diet full of whole grains, milk for calcium and protein, lots of potatoes and pasta in the evenings with some red or white meat, and an increased frequency of cardio vascular exercise. I was drinking gallons of water per day which I thought was due to the amount of exercise I was doing and I had began to Continue reading >>
Basic Meal Planning
Diabetes is a condition in which your body cannot properly use and store food for energy. The fuel that your body needs is called glucose, a form of sugar. Glucose comes from foods such as fruit, milk, some vegetables, starchy foods and sugar. To control your blood glucose (sugar), you will need to eat healthy foods, be active and you may need to take pills and/or insulin. In the following table, you will find some tips to help you until you see a registered dietitian. Tips for Healthy Eating, Diabetes Prevention and Management Tips Reasons Eat three meals per day at regular times and space meals no more than six hours apart. You may benefit from a healthy snack. Eating at regular times helps your body control blood glucose (sugar) levels. Limit sugars and sweets such as sugar, regular pop, desserts, candies, jam and honey. The more sugar you eat, the higher your blood glucose will be. Artificial sweeteners can be useful. Limit the amount of high-fat food you eat such as fried foods, chips and pastries. High-fat foods may cause you to gain weight. A healthy weight helps with blood glucose (sugar) control and is healthier for your heart. Eat more high-fibre foods such as whole grain breads and cereals, lentils, dried beans and peas, brown rice, vegetables and fruits. Foods high in fibre may help you feel full and may lower blood glucose (sugar) and cholesterol levels. If you are thirsty, drink water. Drinking regular pop and fruit juice will raise your blood glucose (sugar). Add physical activity to your life. Regular physical activity will improve your blood glucose (sugar) control. Plan for healthy eating Using a standard dinner plate, follow the Plate Method in the image below to control your portion sizes. Alcohol can affect blood glucose (sugar) levels and cause you Continue reading >>
Diabetes Diet, Eating, & Physical Activity
Nutrition and physical activity are important parts of a healthy lifestyle when you have diabetes. Along with other benefits, following a healthy meal plan and being active can help you keep your blood glucose level, also called blood sugar, in your target range. To manage your blood glucose, you need to balance what you eat and drink with physical activity and diabetes medicine, if you take any. What you choose to eat, how much you eat, and when you eat are all important in keeping your blood glucose level in the range that your health care team recommends. Becoming more active and making changes in what you eat and drink can seem challenging at first. You may find it easier to start with small changes and get help from your family, friends, and health care team. Eating well and being physically active most days of the week can help you keep your blood glucose level, blood pressure, and cholesterol in your target ranges prevent or delay diabetes problems feel good and have more energy What foods can I eat if I have diabetes? You may worry that having diabetes means going without foods you enjoy. The good news is that you can still eat your favorite foods, but you might need to eat smaller portions or enjoy them less often. Your health care team will help create a diabetes meal plan for you that meets your needs and likes. The key to eating with diabetes is to eat a variety of healthy foods from all food groups, in the amounts your meal plan outlines. The food groups are vegetables nonstarchy: includes broccoli, carrots, greens, peppers, and tomatoes starchy: includes potatoes, corn, and green peas fruits—includes oranges, melon, berries, apples, bananas, and grapes grains—at least half of your grains for the day should be whole grains includes wheat, rice, oats, co Continue reading >>
There’s No Such Thing As A ‘diabetic Diet’
For years, people with type 1 diabetes were told they needed to eat three meals and three snacks a day to keep their blood glucose levels from swinging too high or too low. Thankfully, with modern insulin analogues and regimens, you no longer need such a regimented diet. You can eat a little or a lot depending on what you feel like doing. Your diabetes care team can help you tailor your insulin treatment around your lifestyle. To make sure you’re getting the correct amount of insulin, you will need to consider what and how much you eat, so you can match the glucose entering your bloodstream with the insulin dose you take. Beginning to think about what is in your food and drink is often confusing at first, but your diabetes care team are there to help and it will become easier over time. It’s often recommended that you get tailored advice for your diet from a registered dietician. If you don’t have one already, ask your diabetes team to refer you. You can eat sugar Like anyone, it’s important to ensure you’re eating a healthy diet, but living with type 1 diabetes doesn’t mean you need to cut sugar out of your diet completely. In fact, sugar can often be your friend when you’re having a hypo and need to boost your blood glucose levels. Carb counting Carb counting is an important part of managing your type 1 diabetes. When you eat carbohydrates (both starches such as potatoes, rice and pasta and sugars such as fruit, milk, honey and table salt), it’s broken down into glucose and absorbed into your bloodstream where it can be used for energy. It’s important to have a good understanding of how much, and what type, of carbohydrate is in the foods you eat as this will help you work out how much insulin you need to give with meals and snacks. There are structu Continue reading >>
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Lose Weight With Type 1 Diabetes
WRITTEN BY: Cliff Scherb Editor’s Note: Cliff Scherb, Founder of Glucose Advisors and TriStar Athletes LLC, is a nutrition and fitness expert. He consults through virtually teaching his decision support system – Engine1 the app and its methodologies to aspiring T1 individuals and athletes. Cliff also creates custom training programs and insulin plans for endurance athletes, using Training Stress Modeling and real-time coaching. To inquire about coaching openings, FB LIVE sessions, and general questions please email [email protected] Losing weight can be difficult — add Type 1 diabetes to the mix with its daily management demands — and it’s even more of a challenge. I know, because I’ve been a Type 1 diabetic for 29 years and I’m also an endurance athlete. The internet is saturated in advice on how to lose weight with or without Type 1, so it’s hard to know what is worth while and what will just waste your time — or worse, can negatively impact your health. I’m not going to declare all out war on carbohydrates, or tell you can or can’t drink your calories in the form of olive oil, or feast and fast with cayenne peppers and maple syrup. No, the real distilled learning from my years of consulting and data analysis shows that a balanced, low-insulin diet with nutrient timing and activity is the best way to lose weight with Type 1 diabetes. It also helps you maintain brain and body function as well as energy levels. If you are reading this you’ve probably already given this some thought and know why it’s important to lose weight and/or lean out, but I maintain it’s all about performance! Performing means living a longer or healthier life or if you’re an athlete, it can also translate to beating out your competition. Things that Impact w Continue reading >>
3-day Diabetes Meal Plan: 1,200 Calories
Eating with diabetes doesn't need to be restrictive or complicated. Healthy eating is the cornerstone of managing diabetes, yet it can be a challenge figuring out what to eat to balance your blood sugar. Here we've created a delicious 3-day meal plan that makes it easier to follow a diabetes diet. In this plan you'll find a mix of nutritious foods including fiber-rich complex carbohydrates, like whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein sources, healthy fats and dairy. This plan limits the amount of foods with refined carbohydrates (think white bread, white rice and sugar), added sugars and saturated fats, which 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 restrictive or complicated. Incorporating a variety of foods, as we do in this meal plan, is a healthy and sustainable approach to managing diabetes. Not sure if this is the right plan for you? Calculate your calorie level and find the diet meal plan that will work best for you. Day 1 Meal Prep Tip: Cook or set aside an extra 1/2 cup of black beans tonight at dinner to have for lunch on Day 2. Be sure to rinse canned beans to get rid of excess salt. Breakfast (298 calories, 32 grams carbohydrates) • 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt • 1/2 cup blueberries • 1 1/2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts • 2 tsp. honey Top yogurt with blueberries, walnuts and honey. Note: We use a small amount of added sweetener, in this case h Continue reading >>
