Improved T1D daily management over the last five months since adopting the LCHF lifestyle

Hi everyone,

I've been a type 1 diabetic for 40 years (first diagnosed in 1976). During that time I have faithfully followed the NHS guidlines applicable at various times but, always found my daily type 1 diabetes management very difficult to control my HbA1c at the required levels. Over the years this has naturally effected my ongoing health resulting in the usual long term associated diabetic complications.
However, since retiring I have had the spare time to spend on updating my knowledge base on the management of my diabetic condition. My research started about eighteen months ago and after 12 months resulted in me adopting the Low Carb High Fat lifestyle as a permanent way of going forward.
I must admit I was sceptical at first but the more I read about the success stories the more confident I became of the possible diabetic related benefits to a type 1 diabetic like myself.

In the last four months purely by eating my daily energy intake kcal (calories) in the ratio's of Fat = 63%, Carbs = 10%, Protein = 27%. I believe for me that this was the magic key to better controlling my type 1 diabetic condition.

It should be noted that since reducing my carbs so much, I must now only count my Protein grams (NOT the Carb grams), and in my case I apply a factor of 0.38 to the total Protein count to allow for the much reduced conversion rate by the gut of Protein grams to glucose. I.e. If for example the total meal Protein count is 15.72g then x 0.38 = 5.97g. (rounding this to the nearest whole number) works out as 6g. This is this number of grams of the example meal which I then enter into my bolus insulin dose calculation:

Whilst on the permanent LCHF lifestyle I have noticed the following changes:
HbA1c reduced from 80 (Nov 2014) to 44 mmol/mol
Total Chorlesterol now 2.4 mmol/L
Blood Pressure reduced from 125/62 (23 March 2016) to 112/63 mmHg
Weight reduced from 70.7 (23 March 2016) to 63kg
Hips, Waist, Stomach, Chest measurements have all reduced
Energy reserves have increased
Satisfied for longer after eating meals
Need to snack has been removed
No hunger pangs

Are there any like-minded type 1 diabetics in the forum who whilst on a strict LCHF lifestyle have had similar outcomes, so to compare best practice?

Hi,

Its great to hear you've been a low carber for 30+ years T1.
However, sorry to hear of your other conditions. Like you I've got cancer (CLL) which has been at the wait and watch stage (no treatment given) for about eight years now. It's not linked to the LCHF lifestyle since I'm only a newbie low carber, and CLL is something that mainly comes with age, I'm 68.

However, as low carber's we are eating as our early ancestors ate, i.e. how the human body is designed to metabolise food with High Fat, Medium Protein, and Low Carbohydrate (based on total daily calorie intake).

I would suggest that the reason for your other conditions (which people who are not on LCHF diets get) is more to do with a genetic / hereditary reason. Also, with regards to cancers and being lean and mean I would think this is of concern only if and when the cancer becomes aggressive and quite quickly decimates a fatter persons fat reserves to become a shadow of their former fatter self - especially quite frightening to family members. However, I'm sure that's not going to happen to you.

You didn't mention your type 1 diabetic management - I hope all is well on that front with your higher carb regime and limitation on the food types which your colon can handle.

Hi,

Please find attached MS Excel spreadsheet titled 'LCHF Meal Calculator - for Protei-Fat-Carb-GI-GL-Calorie-Meal Fat%.xlsx’ which hopefully may assist you to calculate the total food ingredients Protein-Fat and Cab nutrients based on the amount in portion used (usually per 100g, or parts of). The spread sheet was originally developed in Apples ‘numbers’ format, so I hope this MS Excel version of the original has coverted OK. My apologies if it hasn’t. Post script The Forum blog for some reason refused to allow me to Upload a file ending in the extension '.xlxs'.
If you would like a working copy of the file please could you send me a private message with a suitably safe email address for me to send it to.

Once received It will be password protected so enter ‘-------' to open it up. I will send this with the above .xlxs file.

On the LHS are all the food stuffs I tend to use. This is scrollable down the page.

The column to the right of that give the Nutrition Values (Protein, Fat, Carbs, Energy) for each food type

To the right of those are three columns for LCHF Fat% (auto calculated), GI (manual input by user - currently data is hard to come by for some foods), GL (auto calculated - once previous GI values gets added)

Further to the right are four senate section for four meal - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Other these section are all auto calculated - when their most left hand ‘Portions’ column has a 0 or other number entered into the cell appropriate to the food ingredient on that line (far left - first column). I’ve already populated four meals by way of example. So to begin using these for you meal ingredients just over type than entries I put into the ‘Portions’ columns with ‘0’.

Once you have entered the number of food ingredient portions (based on a 100g serving, usually 1 for 100g, or 0.5 for 50g etc.) I suggest that you first check the food column just in case as the description gives how big the food portion size is based upon.

The relevant totals for each of the four meals is shown at the bottom of each of the four meal section (scroll down the page if not immediately visible). Since I originally designed this spreadsheet for my own use i.e Type 1 Diabetic on LCHF diet I have only based the bolus BGM entry based on Protein Counting and not carb counting and have also added a 0.38 reduction factor to compensate for the reduced conversion rate of Protein to blood glucose by the gut. For me it works well at 0.38 but can be altered to suit different user. (but essentially around the 0.4 area - according to Dr Bernstein - who himself is a T1D.

Final point is to remember to reset at the end of the day (by entering enter ‘0’), all meal portion figures you’ve previously entered, in readiness for the next day.

I truly hope this is of assistance to you in calculating your 'smoothies total ingredient carb count'.

sud5nala said:

What do you think of the accuracy of this ketogenic diet calculator? http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
Since this algorithm is specifically intended to support a ketogenic diet, could it maybe not be quite comparable to the program you chose?

This "keto calculator" was linked to by the Webpage,, https://nutritionalketosisforhealth.com/what-is-nutritional-ketosis/

Click to expand...

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Hi,
Thank you for your comment.
The output from the Keto-Calculator output was based on the my personal data with regards to my gender, my age my current body measurements including weight (then - May 2016), my activity level.

In return the Keto-Calculator gave me my personalised kcal (Calorie) Base Metabolic Rate (Mifflin-St.Jeor-Formula), and my Optimal Macronutrient Ratio based on the target weight I wished to achieve (since, reducing weight as a n over-weight type 1 diabetic was also very important in order to reduce any associated health risks).

1. The end result of the calculation was (for my criteria - possibly not yours) was a recommended minimum food intake of 1144 kcal per day.
2. Also, based on the criteria I had entered the Keto-calculator was able to confirm the % of each of the three nutrients making up the total kcal (Calories) consumed. i.e. 63% Fat, 9% Carbs, 28% Protein.

In retrospect I view the initial advice of 1144 kcal as a good starting point for me, back at the start. However as my weight came down in a slow controlled way towards my goal I find that I am recently 400 - 600 kcal above the initially advised minimum of 1144 kcal.

More important to me though was the need to keep as close to the 63-9-28 % ratio's of the three macronutrients for my overall daily average. resulting in more of my body's energy needs being supplied mainly from the Fat and partially through the protein (with its lower conversion rate to glucose by the gut).

Coupled to this was the lowering of the quantity of carbs (grams) together with the lower Glycemic Load presented by those foods advocated by the LCHF lifestyle which resulted for the type 1 diabetic: Lower Basal dose, Lower Bolus doses, very little glucose spikes at meal time, recovery of the pre-meal BG levels 2 hr post meal.

In conclusion with regards to the accuracy of the Keto-calculator I can only say that it worked at the beginning as a guide and still works for me now and has not caused me any ill effects, but instead has given confidence in taking to the LCHF lifestyle and the benefits for the type 1 diabetic.

PS/ The Keto-calculator site does recommend re-running the calculation as and when the original criteria (input data) ever changes.

I hope this helps you in some way.

Hi,
Sounds like a good initial plan.
The whole process of what is fit for you and your condition, and is an 'iterative' one i.e 'trial and error'.
Also try to keep a record of times and dates of meal content and pre-meal and post-meal blood glucose levels so you can see how one relates to the other.
On a LCHF lifestyle the small amount of carbs are a necessary evil in that they are required for proper functioning of the brain and eyes. they should not be reduced further.
The success of the LCHF lifestyle is to stick with it for life (its not to be a fad). At the end of the day to maintain weight its all about a healthy eating lifestyle (good natural foods with good fats) with some exercise thrown in (such as 30 minutes walk or equivalent each day). Eat sufficient Kcal (Calories) to roughly balance the bodies expenditure. But do remember to keep the body in Fat burning mode by eating to the ratio of 63% Fat, 28% Protein, and 9% Carb.

With regards to those cabs its best to only eat food with a low Glycemic Index i.e. GI <55.

Coupled to this, the low quantities of carb eaten in the LCHF meal then results in the meal having a low Glycemic Load (i.e GL is measured in 'units of glucose' where 1 unit = i teaspoon of glucose). i.e. Low GL = Lower glucose spikes after eating.

Typical low GI foods are 'above ground' type vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, runner beans, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, and as it happens mushrooms.
However, no potatoes, no starch, no wheat based items such as bread, cakes etc., go. No processed foods (which add sugar). Be guarded about too much fruit especially with naturally high GI such as bananas or processed with added sugar.
Berries and nuts are a good choice, but again in moderation.

Note only the carb part of the food has a GI rating., so Fat and Protein are not a concern with regards to the natural sugar content since this is zero (unless of course the product has been processed and sugar has been subsequently added).

All the best.