• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Am I doing the right thing?? Type1.

arrabella

arrabella

Member
Messages
8
Location
Gloucestershire
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Being diabetic!!!!
Hi all,
I am after some advice.
I was diagnosed as type 1 last March and so have been injecting since then. I have not been to any courses or have I had any real guidance about carb counting & have pretty much been winging it (quite successfully).

About three weeks ago I went on holiday to Greece & decided I wasn't going to eat any starchy carbs. So no bread, rice pasta etc. consequently I haven't injected any of my Apidra but have continued with my Lantus as normal. While away, my BG sat consistently between 6 & 8. Now I am home I have continued along the same path. I guess because it's not quite so hot here my BG are higher (8 - 9) but I feel really well & healthy.

Am I doing the right thing? I did mention it to the Diabetic Nurse but she gave me the NHS guidance of 'you should eat a balanced diet'.

Is this right or can I continue to not eat carbs (starchy) & not inject? I can't begin to put into words how good it is not injecting all the time!!
 
No, you are not doing the right thing... 8-9 is too high.
Yes, however for reducing unnecessary carbs. A very well done on this! Spot on! As you are finding.. The less carbs, the less insulin.... However at levels of 8-9 they are too high.

You need to look at the whole picture... And the basics are:-

Are your levels changing 2-3 hours after a bolus for your food. If so this is your short acting bolus.

At other times, this will basically be your basal rate that needs adjusting...

That's the basics....

Providing you are getting a balance of vitamins and minerals from your diet you need to ensure that carbs are from minimal sources of proper food.. Ie fruit n veg.....I do not eat bread, pasta n rice etc. I'm T1 30+ years and thanks to this forum I eat a Mediterranean diet and have bone cover been this healthy since my diagnosis. I have no complications.

You need a little more insulin to cover lower your rates a little but you do not need carbs...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Your main aim is to maintain good glucose levels. If you can do it without much insulin thats even better. Your insulin requirements will probably increase with time but low carbing will help you maintain good levels anyway. Its againt NHS advice but we all know it works
 
Don't starve yourself for the results you are getting! ( which are great) You are probably still in the honeymoon period where your body is still producing some insulin, you will find a way to balance your diet to insulin quite easily and don't be afraid to inject, it will become second nature and a necessity if you want to live a normal life as a type 1, you will not avoid this I am afraid! You seem to be quite on the ball for a newly diagnosed diabetic where diet is concerned, but of course your have to be able to sustain this which is not always easy. There will be times I am sure when you will be tempted to eat more carbs again but I think you will be able to deal with it, use the resources available to you and the carbs and cals book available on amazon will be an invaluable asset to you and if you want to keep your carbs low, so be it but research a little first so you don't make yourself unwell.
Good luck!
 
NinaB73 said:
Don't starve yourself for the results you are getting! ( which are great) You are probably still in the honeymoon period where your body is still producing some insulin, you will find a way to balance your diet to insulin quite easily and don't be afraid to inject, it will become second nature and a necessity if you want to live a normal life as a type 1, you will not avoid this I am afraid! You seem to be quite on the ball for a newly diagnosed diabetic where diet is concerned, but of course your have to be able to sustain this which is not always easy. There will be times I am sure when you will be tempted to eat more carbs again but I think you will be able to deal with it, use the resources available to you and the carbs and cals book available on amazon will be an invaluable asset to you and if you want to keep your carbs low, so be it but research a little first so you don't make yourself unwell.
Good luck!
Click to expand...

You do NOT have to have starchy carb laden foods to keep healthy and get all the vitamins and minerals needed. Carbs are empty fuel such as bread etc are just not necessary....

Oily fish, olives, avocado etc in a non americanised Mediterranean diet provide you with far better minerals, fats and vitamins than the carbs from starchy foods.

You just need to be able to calculate and adjust your insulin correctly.



Edited by Moderator.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
NinaB73 said:
Don't starve yourself for the results you are getting! ( which are great) You are probably still in the honeymoon period where your body is still producing some insulin, you will find a way to balance your diet to insulin quite easily and don't be afraid to inject, it will become second nature and a necessity if you want to live a normal life as a type 1, you will not avoid this I am afraid! You seem to be quite on the ball for a newly diagnosed diabetic where diet is concerned, but of course your have to be able to sustain this which is not always easy. There will be times I am sure when you will be tempted to eat more carbs again but I think you will be able to deal with it, use the resources available to you and the carbs and cals book available on amazon will be an invaluable asset to you and if you want to keep your carbs low, so be it but research a little first so you don't make yourself unwell.
Good luck!
Click to expand...

Levels of 8-9 are not great... They need fine tuning a little... Not enormously and the OP is doing fantastic... But they are too high and just need tweaking a little.
 
donnellysdogs said:
You do NOT have to have starchy carb laden foods to keep healthy and get all the vitamins and minerals needed. Carbs are empty fuel such as bread etc are just not necessary....

Oily fish, olives, avocado etc in a non americanised Mediterranean diet provide you with far better minerals, fats and vitamins than the carbs from starchy foods.

You just need to be able to calculate and adjust your insulin correctly.
Click to expand...
Yes I agree whole heartedly and follow this way... but arrabella is newly diagnosed and learning the ropes so lets not overload her!! It sounds to me like she is working it out for herself anyway! My point was that she should research low carbing before following it long term, it is no good to just cut out the carbs without knowing what to substitute it with! Which I realise you are trying to do, she can follow the low carb forum if she pleases, but I think she is doing great as a newly diagnosed type 1 and just by being 'here' on this forum is encouraging! I am sure you will continue to encourage her along the way and lets face it she has found an alternative source of information to the nhs!;)
 
Hi, thank you so much for your prompt & informative replies. The diet I have been on is very much of the Mediterranean style with lots of fruit, veg, fish, Greek yoghurt & eggs etc. I've actually found it really easy & like I said earlier, I feel really well on it. It's not so much that injecting scares me, I just find it a pain in the backside!! Maybe it will be easier if/when I finally get around to doing the carb counting course. I do use the cals & carbs app & it's great, I guess there is still a small part of me in denial so not having to inject with my meals makes me feel more 'normal'.
I will increase my Lantus (I think that is the bolus??) to try to bring it under 8 but it does seem that low carb is the way to go!!
Thanks again for your support.
Emma
 
Back
Top