My daughter has just been diagnosed as type one diabetic, but she is vegetarian, and eats carbohydrates, is there a good place to look for vegetarian meals for diabetics?
Newly diagnosed T1 vegetarian daughter - meals
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A newly diagnosed T1 is usually advised to keep eating as normal ( but cutting out the very sweet stuff) and learn to adjust their insulin doses to the amount of carbs they eat.
So there are no meals for T1s, they can just eat what they always did.
That said, many T1s find it easier to not go all out on the high carb stuff, but that's personal preference and something she can work out in time.
For now, I'd concentrate on learning to count the carbs and work on finding the right amount of insulin with her diabetes nurse, type 2 is a completely different condition than T1.
She only found out today after a DKA episode so early days, I am trying to find some positive information to share with her as she’s only in her mid teens
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Hi @BoDBoy10 and welcome to the forums.
I agree with @Antje77 that T1s have much more dietary freedom than T2s, as the problem isn't that they are carb intolerant, but that they lack the insulin to process those carbs.
No reason why she can't keep eating the stuff she normally likes, but if that is carby she'll have to learn how to inject for it. T1 and T2 are completely differnt diseases albeit with the same symptoms of high blood sugar. As 90% of diabetics are T2, you need to make the distinction, because mostly when people talk about "diabetes", they'll be referring to T2 (though there are other types as well).
She'll probably want to learn to carb count as soon as possible - much easier in your teens than when you are in your older years.
As it's early days you've probably got information overload but the situation for new T1s is pretty bright these days, and modern technology is fantastic (continuous glucose monitors, pumps etc).
Three pieces of advice
1) always carry something sugary for hypos (low blood sugar)
2) be patient, T1 is a marathon not a sprint and it will tale time to get it right, specially when you have teenage hormones in the mix. (I'mm still learning after 53 years).
3) There are very few options that are closed to her because of her T1 (though astronaut is out).
Good luck.
I agree with @Antje77 that T1s have much more dietary freedom than T2s, as the problem isn't that they are carb intolerant, but that they lack the insulin to process those carbs.
No reason why she can't keep eating the stuff she normally likes, but if that is carby she'll have to learn how to inject for it. T1 and T2 are completely differnt diseases albeit with the same symptoms of high blood sugar. As 90% of diabetics are T2, you need to make the distinction, because mostly when people talk about "diabetes", they'll be referring to T2 (though there are other types as well).
She'll probably want to learn to carb count as soon as possible - much easier in your teens than when you are in your older years.
As it's early days you've probably got information overload but the situation for new T1s is pretty bright these days, and modern technology is fantastic (continuous glucose monitors, pumps etc).
Three pieces of advice
1) always carry something sugary for hypos (low blood sugar)
2) be patient, T1 is a marathon not a sprint and it will tale time to get it right, specially when you have teenage hormones in the mix. (I'mm still learning after 53 years).
3) There are very few options that are closed to her because of her T1 (though astronaut is out).
Good luck.
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In that case, one of the most important pieces of advice I can give you to look very closely if what you're reading is from a type 1 perspective ot a type 2 perspective! They're both called diabetes but are very different conditions.
Take it easy, this is a marathon, not a sprint, and for starters I'd simply go with what the hospital recommends, that will be complicated enough.
I wish your daughter a speedy recovery from her DKA, and I hope you'll both ease into this new normal without too many bumps on the road.
I think you might like to have a read of this thread: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/5-things-any-newly-diagnosed-type-1-should-know.175425/
What is likely going to happen after she's safely recovered from her DKA and out of hospital is that she'll be put on two types of insulin:
A basal - long acting insulin she'll have to take once a day. This one will keep her steady when not eating, but it will take time for her, you, and her endo/diabetes nurse to work out the dose she'll need.
And a bolus - short/quick acting mealtime insulin.
This one she'll have to take before meals. At first, she might be told how many units to take before each meal, but gradually this will change to calculating the carbs in the meal and adjusting the dose to that, which will give her the freedom to eat what suits her when it suits her again.
It'll take time, there's a lot to learn but there is no need to learn it all at once!
Again, this is a marathon, not a sprint!
Don't forget to take care of yourself.
Yes, read to learn about diabetes, but take a break as well, you'll be useless to her if you stay up until 5AM to read. Lots of things will become clear while you're doing it, it takes practice.
And don't forget that being in her mid teens means that she'll be her own main carer. By all means support her, and help her where you can, but let her own her T1 if she wishes.
Good luck!
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Who knows, she's only in her mid teens so this too may change before she's too old to become an astronaut!
Thank you all for the support and information, she is in A & E trying to reduce her acid levels and now build up her potassium level as it dropped through the floor.
She will definitely need the help and guidance from this group, and I am sure she will just cross off astronaut now and focus on the next top artist!
She will definitely need the help and guidance from this group, and I am sure she will just cross off astronaut now and focus on the next top artist!
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Assuming you're in the UK it's not quite 5AM, but it looks like you've been staying up late regardless.
(I'm worse, I'm an hour ahead of you and don't even have a decent excuse to be awake.)I guess sleep is pretty much impossible with a teenage daughter in A&E.
You'll both no doubt going to have some hard times juggling puberty and diabetes, but if she resembles you in attitude you're going to nail this!
Marie 2
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I am a T1 and a vegan. I eat what I want as long as it's vegan. You just have to learn to dose for it. That is the trick at the beginning. It's a big learning curve at first but it does get much easier. They have a tendency to start out with low dosing at first and then increasing it so she doesn't go to low. And sometimes they start you out with set doses for your meals, just because it's easier. But have her start to learn to carb count and it opens the world to eat what she wants.
Given that, sometimes it's easiest to have some lower carb snacks or meals she likes as they can be easier to dose for especially if she is running high already. Think of broccoli or cauliflower in a dip, peanut butter on celery. Cheese slices on a few crackers (most crackers 2 carbs each). One of my go to snacks when I haven't prebolused properly is some tofurky wrapped with a slice of fake cheese for me (5 carbs). A couple spoonfuls of peanut butter ( 4carbs) or something like HU chocolate covered almonds ( 1/2 carb each). Nuts are pretty low carb. There are some tricks along the way that help with control, but it's best to learn the basics first and then refine it as you know more.
As @EllieM has said........ always have her carry a hypo treatment with her and keep something by the bed. Even us veterans get it wrong sometimes, many things can just influence how our blood sugars respond.
Given that, sometimes it's easiest to have some lower carb snacks or meals she likes as they can be easier to dose for especially if she is running high already. Think of broccoli or cauliflower in a dip, peanut butter on celery. Cheese slices on a few crackers (most crackers 2 carbs each). One of my go to snacks when I haven't prebolused properly is some tofurky wrapped with a slice of fake cheese for me (5 carbs). A couple spoonfuls of peanut butter ( 4carbs) or something like HU chocolate covered almonds ( 1/2 carb each). Nuts are pretty low carb. There are some tricks along the way that help with control, but it's best to learn the basics first and then refine it as you know more.
As @EllieM has said........ always have her carry a hypo treatment with her and keep something by the bed. Even us veterans get it wrong sometimes, many things can just influence how our blood sugars respond.
Thank you for the advice, I will show this to her when she’s home, I am hoping it’s soon!
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Fast acting carbs are needed everywhere someone with Type 1 goes. It is useful to have it in the house but also in bags and coat pockets. I find glucose tablets like Lift easier to carry than drink. Jelly babies are common but they are not usually vegetarian.
