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Nuts about nuts

Penfold_Dad

Penfold_Dad

Well-Known Member
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55
Type of diabetes
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my daughter who was five yesterday was diagnosed T1 three weeks ago. We are starting to see some control n her blood sugars and feel we are getting somewhere. We have enormous morning spikes but seem to be able to level the rest of the day out if she eats everything we give her. Fortunately for us she likes home cooked food and is a good eater. Where we struggle is snacks. I have been thinking about nuts as she does like them, especially cashews and I know they are a slow release carb.

I've seen a couple of posts where people have suggested a few nuts before meals to slow the spike? Does this work? How are they as a bedtime snack? We have been giving her crackers and cheese but they send her bloods high for the night. What do you guys eat at bedtime?

So much to figure out

Thanks
 
If you are on Facebook try the TYPEONEGRIT page. They are mostly parents of t1s with a few of us t1 adults. There are lots of recipe ideas to give a very small spike.
 
Had a look at the typeonegrit page. Seems like a big following, do you follow the GRIT regime?
 
I am a typeonegritter and proud. I don't ear as much protein as they do though but I am seriously low carb. Dr Bernstein us a goodun. Small amounts mean small mistakes.
Going low carb meant better blood sugars. I went from 6.5% to 5.8%. I've been in the 5% club for the past 18 months. My highs are in the 8s and my lows the top end of 3s. I've got off the roller coaster. I don't eat pasta, bread, cereal, rice..... I do eat low carb green veg, protein and fat.
I don't follow the advice of my dietitian as she still promotes 30-40g of carbs with every meal.
I'm good at maths but I still found matching insulin spikes with blood sugar spikes difficult.
I was confident at changing my insulin to match low carb though. I tested past myself to stay safe. I do make mistakes but they are no longer 'dangerous' and can be sorted with 4g sugar sweet or 2 to 3 units.
If you go high protein the liver uses it to produce sugar. It us called gluconeogenisis. It does take practice to sort but the spike is slower and lower.
You may find that you can sort a 'normal' carb diet but I've left that behind for stability.
Oh, and you will get to grips with it - it takes time but these websites and the Facebook page do help. Good Luck - and see you soon if you decide to become a gritter!
 
Have you spoken to your daughter's team about bedtime snacks? They may be able to recommend an appropriate carb amount - or tell you that a snack is only necessary if her blood sugar is below a certain target (these targets could be individual to your daughter and depend in her age, etc).

Nuts are fine, but I don't find they slow the spike. What does is injecting slightly ahead of food for meals that spike her. If I was to inject Humalog and then eat my cereal breakfast straightaway, I'd spike to 11 but if I inject 30 mins before my spike is 5 or 6. The timing of injections may not be appropriate for a young child - always check with your team if at all unsure.

I eat cereal, bread, pasta, etc,but not excessive amounts. My last HbA1C was 33 - that is 5.2.

Gradually, over time you'll find the diet and insulin regime that works for your daughter :) You're obviously very pro-active and that's the best way to be. :cool:
 
Penfold_Dad said:
my daughter who was five yesterday was diagnosed T1 three weeks ago. We are starting to see some control n her blood sugars and feel we are getting somewhere. We have enormous morning spikes but seem to be able to level the rest of the day out if she eats everything we give her. Fortunately for us she likes home cooked food and is a good eater. Where we struggle is snacks. I have been thinking about nuts as she does like them, especially cashews and I know they are a slow release carb.

I've seen a couple of posts where people have suggested a few nuts before meals to slow the spike? Does this work? How are they as a bedtime snack? We have been giving her crackers and cheese but they send her bloods high for the night. What do you guys eat at bedtime?

So much to figure out

Thanks
Click to expand...
What do you mean by morning spikes? Dawn phenomenon or post-breakfast.
And is she on MDI or a pump? Delaying a spike can work if you're using a pump, if it occurs consistently at the same time, and if you plan to bolus later or for when it occurs.
But if, for example you "delay" a post-prandial spike by an hour or two, and she's on MDI, what are you going to do? Go to school and give her a shot at 11.30 am?
The best thing is to accept the timing of the spike and do something to lower it or prevent it entirely.
Carbs for breakfast can be good for T1s precisely because the timing of the spike is so predictable. High protein and fat can give spikes four, five, six, even eight hours later. Can you be sure she has bolus on board then? Can you arrange it?
If you are talking about Dawn Phenomenon or Waking Phenomenon, more precisely, because at 3am she's still level, your options are either to adjust her basal an hour or so before it occurs if she's on a pump, or to give a correction dose as soon as she gets up.
I don't know how old she is or how much basal she's on but some adults split their basal into two doses to give more flexibility to deal with these early morning rises. Kids tend to rebel at yet another needle.
Finally, if you go the food route, I find half a cup of full fat (no sugar) yogurt keeps my blood sugar right most nights. But I tend to be worried about it dropping not rising. So giving her more to eat may actually raise her BS, no matter that it's fatty.
The idea you expressed is more typically a solution for T2s than T1s. But, it's one of those conditions where you learn all your options and try them all out one by one, till you find what works for you or your child.
 
Lots have changed since I wrote this already. We are now more worried about how night time lows. We have had drop her basal. She still has post breakfast spikes but is running pretty level the rest of the day
 
And we are injecting, we have been offered an Omnipod but haven't decided yet. She isn't phased at all my needles seven tho she is only 5
 
Penfold_Dad said:
Lots have changed since I wrote this already. We are now more worried about how night time lows. We have had drop her basal. She still has post breakfast spikes but is running pretty level the rest of the day
Click to expand...

Yes, night time lows are worrying enough for an adult so must be horrible if it's a child. Setting alarms to check and test and treat any low is an immediate answer. You could also talk to your daughter's team about trying a different basal or splitting the basal dose.

Long term, a pump would allow you to drop the basal overnight for those hours where she goes low.
 
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