Delaying the Progression of Type 1 Diabetes

Scott-C said:

Yawn, BB, there's many others.

I'm just starting my first proper 2 week holiday I've had this year, so I really can't be bothered with this thread anymore.

What's way more interesting at this point in time is that one of the barmaids who has finished her shift in the bar I'm currently in has sidled up to me to complain that I wasn't in earlier to see her doing her country and western song stuff a few hours ago, and then spun it out to tell me all about how she was married to the bloke behind the bar (who is currently giving me the evil eye) but he ran off with a model who is, according to her, flashing her t*ts in Italy.

There's obviously a bit of tension going on between the pair of them, so I'm going to hang around for a while to see how it pans out - DAFNE and Bernstein don't teach a T1 how to deal with this sort of stuff!

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Stay well clear of that barmaid!

Such an interesting thread. I am in the honeymoon period (so I am told) and have been for 15 months. I am on very low doses of insulin. I have always exercised and what I notice these days is that if I miss out a run on any given day, my glucose levels are always 1 to 1.5 points higher throughout the day (ie, they are in the 4's and 5s normally and they go up to the 6's). I'm guessing that this 'exercise extends the honeymoon period' means that it will help keep the levels low(er) thus the insulin required? I'm not really sure of the benefits of a honeymoon period because surely this theory applies to any diabetic?, keep the glucose levels within range and your health will benefit. As to how many carbs one eats, well I have to say I really do not understand why this is such an emotive subject. I say it matters not how many carbs you eat as long as you are keeping within your target and managing it without becoming ill (ie hypo's) and this goes for all types. Of course some type 1s benefit from low carb, others are fine on higher carbs. To me, I prefer not to go very low carb as I worry about going too low or my pancreas suddenly kicking in and throwing out my carefully balanced strategies. As my body changes, I will adapt where necessary. We do not need to stick to one regime all our life after all.

Alexandra100 said:

Do you remember your numbers at diagnosis?

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Fasting glucose 385 mg/dl .Cholesterol was high with 'opalescent' plasma which is appararently indicative of ketosis (and I wasn't eating low carb).I had ketones for the first couple of days in hospital but they went with insulin. I was very shocked to be diagnosed with T1 but they did test for antibodies. This wasn't the onset though...that was probably as much as three years earlier .(long story but had all the symptoms, dramatic weight loss and thirst but then seemed to stabilise so avoided going to doctor ) And certainly for that following three years I was also doing far more exercise than I was in the years before... just not formal.We were working on a house and extremely large jungle in France.

KK123 said:

Such an interesting thread. I am in the honeymoon period (so I am told) and have been for 15 months. I am on very low doses of insulin. I have always exercised and what I notice these days is that if I miss out a run on any given day, my glucose levels are always 1 to 1.5 points higher throughout the day (ie, they are in the 4's and 5s normally and they go up to the 6's). I'm guessing that this 'exercise extends the honeymoon period' means that it will help keep the levels low(er) thus the insulin required? I'm not really sure of the benefits of a honeymoon period because surely this theory applies to any diabetic?, .

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My levels usually rise on exercise rest days as far as it goes, I'd imagine as time goes by your insulin needs will increase, I've read that the younger one is, the more they'll see the effects, but how right that is I don't know

What this topic completely ignores is the other dietary approach to significantly improving management as put forward by "MangoMan", which pushes a vegan, mainly raw, low fat diet. And seems to be very successful too in managing T1D (and by all accounts T2D). That doesn't mean that low carb is wrong. It just demonstrates that there is more than one approach that seems to work effectively (although all at first appear to be relatively extreme).

As has been discussed many times on the forum before, food is not only a treatment. It's a social and mental paradigm and simply stating "Change it" is a great deal harder for most than words imply. If this wasn't the case, there wouldn't be the significantly higher prevalence of eating disorders amongst those with T1D than the normal population.

Hey @Scott-C
Whilst I would not say "there are many" type 1s who push low carb, I do agree there is more than one or two. I clearly remember a thread where someone said something along the lines that someone with type 1 is killing themselves if they eat pizza and anyone who says otherwise is lying. (I am not going to provide the URL because I do not believe there is any value in highlighting the person who wrote it) And there have been others beyond the one you mentioned.
I have continued to read and contribute to the forum because type 1 low carb fundamentalists are the minority of contributors and I learn a lot from the majority.
In my mind, the hardest thing about diabetes is balance. And to me, this balance includes how much I am willing to let diabetes control my life. I like food including carbs and I like exercise. I would rather find ways to enjoy these whilst impacting my diabetes as little as possible through timing of doses, temporary basals, etc. because they are part of who I am.
Compared to many on this forum, I am young whippersnapper in terms of years with type 1 and much of the technology, research, etc we read about and choose to use and/or follow are relatively recent so have not contributed to their long diabetes years.

But as you say, holidays are much more interesting.
I hesitate to ask the outcome of your night. Partly because I am not sure I want to know but mostly because I would like to think you are too busy having fun to tell us.

kev-w said:

My levels usually rise on exercise rest days as far as it goes, I'd imagine as time goes by your insulin needs will increase, I've read that the younger one is, the more they'll see the effects, but how right that is I don't know

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Thanks Kev, I'm 57 but still young of course!

helensaramay said:

Hey @Scott-C
Whilst I would not say "there are many" type 1s who push low carb, I do agree there is more than one or two. I clearly remember a thread where someone said something along the lines that someone with type 1 is killing themselves if they eat pizza and anyone who says otherwise is lying. (I am not going to provide the URL because I do not believe there is any value in highlighting the person who wrote it) And there have been others beyond the one you highlighted.
I have continued to read and contribute to the forum because type 1 low carb fundamentalists are the minority of contributors and I learn a lot from the majority.
In my mind, the hardest thing about diabetes is balance. And to me, this balance includes how much I am willing to let diabetes control my life. I like food including carbs and I like exercise. I would rather find ways to enjoy these whilst impacting my diabetes as little as possible through timing of doses, temporary basals, etc. because they are part of who I am.
Compared to many on this forum, I am young whippersnapper in terms of years with type 1 and much of the technology, research, etc we read about and choose to use and/or follow are relatively recent so have not contributed to their long diabetes years.

But as you say, holidays are much more interesting.
I hesitate to ask the outcome of your night. Partly because I am not sure I want to know but mostly because I would like to think you are too busy having fun to tell us.

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Well I want to know!

KK123 said:

Thanks Kev, I'm 57 but still young of course!

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Also, as an aside, if I run for over 40 minutes at a faster speed, mine rise too. If I run under 40 minutes a bit slower, they don't. Overall though, once the run is finished the levels throughout the rest of the day are ALWAYS lower. x

tim2000s said:

What this topic completely ignores is the other dietary approach to significantly improving management as put forward by "MangoMan", which pushes a vegan, mainly raw, low fat diet. And seems to be very successful too in managing T1D (and by all accounts T2D). That doesn't mean that low carb is wrong. It just demonstrates that there is more than one approach that seems to work effectively (although all at first appear to be relatively extreme).

As has been discussed many times on the forum before, food is not only a treatment. It's a social and mental paradigm and simply stating "Change it" is a great deal harder for most than words imply. If this wasn't the case, there wouldn't be the significantly higher prevalence of eating disorders amongst those with T1D than the normal population.

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The topic is exercise perhaps prolonging the honey moon period perhaps that's why some diets haven't been mentioned? (Yes, I know I mentioned low carbing myself but that was as a question to someone who described the pancreas spewing out insulin whenever it felt like it.)
Re the higher prevalence of eating disorders amongst those with T1...surely that's because T1s have an extra tool they can use (or not use!) to lose weight?
Re "Change it", that's what T2s have to do, yet folk generally think that T2s love their food too much.

KK123 said:

Also, as an aside, if I run for over 40 minutes at a faster speed, mine rise too. If I run under 40 minutes a bit slower, they don't. Overall though, once the run is finished the levels throughout the rest of the day are ALWAYS lower. x

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Stress hormones perhaps, cortisol and or adrenalin raise bloods and can happen during exercise when you push past your 'comfort zone'.

Alexandra100 said:

Do a search for "pizza" and maybe "killing"?

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No, I mean I want to know about Scott's barmaid not a deadly pizza!

Speaking from experience..

I attended DAFNE around a year after my diagnosis, it was around that point that I was struggling to keep stable blood glucose levels and had recently started doing low carb. I was the only female on my course with 6 men, which was spread over a month. I learned from sharing my weekly results with the group that there were 3 guys who ate normally and in my opinion a decent amount of carbs who kept excellent control, the other guys needed insulin adjustments but only because the course identified that they needed help changing insulin and adjusting ratios to suit their lifestyles, they all ate 'normal' diets. No one was using a CGM so all results we shared were from BG meters and testing was done upon waking, before meals/driving/exercise and before bed so we were unable to see spikes. However it was perfectly clear to me that whilst some could eat normally and manage their insulin to suit, I alone, was the exception within that group as I couldn't manage 'normal' carbs and the nurses giving the training understood my approach perfectly and although told me I wasn't eating enough carbs could see my method worked for me.

So even now I consider it unwise to give any type 1 dietary advice unless their individual circumstances suggest that limiting carb intake will be beneficial for their blood glucose control. Type 1 is unique to the individual, so one size fits all is never going to work.

Also to note that the honeymoon phase tends to follow a type 1 diagnosis, it comes after insulin therapy has started and the once 'stressed' pancreas starts getting some respite and produces insulin again. It is generally more problematic than helpful as it means instability with control, have you been diagnosed type 1 @Alexandra100 as you've mentioned you're in the honeymoon phase ?

just like death, no matter how much you exercise, it's gonna get you sooner or later.