How many carbs?

I am type 1, diagnosed 47 years ago. I was TOLD ( in those days ) carbs were everything, and I needed 150 per day. I have stayed at the same
weight but lately weight has increased, so trying "less calories" I am finding it difficult to adjust after years of programming. Care and advice is
amazing now compared with when I started and up to about 20 years ago. Beware of nuts roasted in any type of fat ( calories!!! ). I never count
veg in my carbohydrates-I only know peas contain carbs as does cabbage but would need a pan full for 10g. Where I live advice is non existent!! lovesbling

 

Read Dr Bernstein. Follow his diet. It works for me at about 30g carbs a day. Feel free to ignore: I'm not T1 as my inability to produce sufficient insulin is genetic rather than auto-immune - but the resulting lack of insulin production is similar.

Kate

 

I would suggest you dont goto the extreme with the low carbing immediately. Change the white carbs to brown and cut your current carb intake by half and see how you get on. Then halve again etc. Carb counting can become obsessive. If you restrict too much too quickly you may have problems

 

Hi Indiana,

I have just written in another thread about carbs - the NHS program us to believe they are necessary, they are not.

Carbs raise our glucose levels, for a type 1 that is big trouble, so a quick acting insulin helps bring them down. However by eating carbs and taking insulin means we are forever up against getting ratios right and then if we take too much we suffer hypos. By trial and error over time I came to the realisation that it is far easier on both my body and brain to omit carbs from my diet, I also read Dr Bernsteins book and to be honest it's a logical approach to adopt a 0 carb or low carb diet. We can still function fine, our bodies are designed to convert fat/protein to energy. Cavemen lived happily on meat diets, carbs like breads, pasta and sugar are all modern adaptations to our diets.

I no longer suffer highs and lows, moods are better and I have more energy as well as losing half a stone, if eating very few carbs means I have less complications then it really is a no brainer.

It does take some getting used to as you'll find it's difficult to give up carbs as we become addicted to them, but once you're weaned off them it really does get easier.

 

I love carbs and I'm quite active, so generally in excess of 200g a day!!

 

Tom - I take my hat off to you, you are one of the lucky few who can do this ! I met a guy on my DAFNE course who ate carbs and had fabulous control, I never thought it was possible !

Sadly being a woman with many hormones means that I am insulin resistant for around 2 weeks a month which is a nightmare to control, going low carb has given me better control and if someone said to me that they have rubbish control then this is the first thing i'd suggest.

Remember diabetes is a personal thing and sharing our experiences of what works will hopefully help others who have similar problems.

 

No, it's Gary Scheiner and Barry Goldstein who think like a pancreas (also a useful book). Dr Bernstein wrote Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution http://www.diabetes-book.com/. Actually his website looks to me like the worst kind of US hard-sell hype, but his advice is sound. What I like is that he's a T1 himself and worked the whole low-carb thing out from his perspective as an engineer, experimenting on himself. He then re-qualified as a doctor when no-one would take his results seriously. For a T1 born before the war to be still alive today he must have got something amazingly right.

Kate

 

It's not easy! I test 7+ times a day, and bolus for anything more than 10-15g carbs. Which can mean 8-9 injections a day. Must be doing something right, as have not been in double figures for a few weeks now.

 

Dunno about that. For the first month after being diagnosed I never let it get to me. These last couple of weeks I have been getting increasingly depressed about the 24-7 job I have been given which I didn't f$%king ask for!

 

150 - 200g a day, I put my good control down to daily exercise and Think Like A Pancreas. I'd fire up the kindle and give it a read!

 

I have between 40-80g a day. More I'd I hypo.
It works for me but no two diabetics are the same.
I use cauliflower, swede, celeriac instead of pasta, rice and potatoes.
Celeriac Rosti are yum. We had them tonight
Good luck x

 

I am having about 50g carbs a day at the moment.

I use burgen bread which is lower carb, high fibre. Salads for dinner. Lots of veggies with my tea.