What is the best diet a diabetic should be on?

geekypants

Member
Messages
11
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I gave myself a version of what is known as 'orthorexia' when trying to find the 'best' diabetic diet; I became really super stressed out about carbs and all the 'rules' of all the supposed best diets. I tried them all: bernstein, low carb, keto, vegan but the effect on my mental health really did take its toll on my blood sugar.

Over the last few months (I stressed my way into DKA just before Christmas), I have relaxed every single one of my food rules, simply covering the carbs with insulin, and trying not to overthink it. I do exercise a reasonable amount, but I always have done. My time in range has increased phenomenally, and my hba1c is showing similar signs of improvement.

I'm not saying it will happen to everyone, and I'm not denying the stories of people who successfully follow these diets, but i really don't think there is one 'best' one.
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I can only recommend low carb as that is the way of eating which makes me feel well, alive, energized and even helps me stay cheerful. I started to realize in my early 20s that high carb foods - no matter how strongly recommended, made me feel less than 100 percent.
That was long before diagnosis of diabetes, even long before I heard of Dr Atkins. I was already eating a low carb diet when I started work for Lyons Tetley - they mixed and packed the sachets Dr Howard used for what eventually became the Cambridge diet, back in the 1970s. I have probably been really unlucky, but I have had so many arguments with GPs, nurses and dieticians who believed that low carb was the Devil's own work and their printouts of high carb diets were the panacea for all ills - along with weightloss of course.