Low carb,,Type 1

[Job76]

Is the low carb diet any good for type 1 diabetic,,if so what is the kind of things to eat,,obviously low carb food but what things as I’m not an expert on carbs,,thsnkyou

 

[plantae]

I think that low carb eating can be good (don't talk to me about keto though). I generally eat low carb to keep my insulin requirements as low as possible -- it's harder for me to make an error if I'm having a smaller amount of bolus. Plus I've lost weight, which is good I guess.

Have you checked out the low carb forums on here? They're really good and full of good ideas

 

[In Response]

Quite a few people with Type 1 eat a low carb diet. But the motivation is different to that for type 2.
Low carb is not a cure for Type 1 - it reduces the amount of insulin you need to take and with lower doses, the impact of a mistake should be less.
However, low carb for someone with Type 1 is not an easy option: in the absence of carbs, the body will break down protein into glucose. Therefore, you will need to understand the insulin to protein ratio and dosing which is different to insulin to carbs and needs to be taken at a different time.

What is your reason for investigating this diet?
Are you struggling with hypos?
Do you want to lose weight?

I tried low carb for a while but found it more complex than eating normally and getting my insulin dosing correct.

 

[plantae]

Quite a few people with Type 1 eat a low carb diet. But the motivation is different to that for type 2.
Low carb is not a cure for Type 1 - it reduces the amount of insulin you need to take and with lower doses, the impact of a mistake should be less.
However, low carb for someone with Type 1 is not an easy option: in the absence of carbs, the body will break down protein into glucose. Therefore, you will need to understand the insulin to protein ratio and dosing which is different to insulin to carbs and needs to be taken at a different time.

What is your reason for investigating this diet?
Are you struggling with hypos?
Do you want to lose weight?

I tried low carb for a while but found it more complex than eating normally and getting my insulin dosing correct.

I do struggle sometimes with low carb because, obviously, if I reduce carbs one of the other macronutrients necessarily has to go up: protein or fat. In my case I try to make sure that the foods I eat increase my protein rather than fat. That's a personal choice, not based on medical or even published advice. But you're spot on. Protein does increase my BSL (often by quite a lot) but no where near as fast as CHO and it also tends to stay higher longer. I also tend to eat high fibre and this makes my response even more complicated and dosing... tricky at times. But I worked it out thanks to my CGM and very close monitoring of what I eat. Some days I throw my hands up in the air and eat high carb and dose bolus for it. But the strange (maybe) thing is I don't enjoy those days because I don't like many high carb foods (although today was one of my high carb days and I had a ham sandwich). Still under 100g for the day though

 

[Job76]

Quite a few people with Type 1 eat a low carb diet. But the motivation is different to that for type 2.
Low carb is not a cure for Type 1 - it reduces the amount of insulin you need to take and with lower doses, the impact of a mistake should be less.
However, low carb for someone with Type 1 is not an easy option: in the absence of carbs, the body will break down protein into glucose. Therefore, you will need to understand the insulin to protein ratio and dosing which is different to insulin to carbs and needs to be taken at a different time.

What is your reason for investigating this diet?
Are you struggling with hypos?
Do you want to lose weight?

I tried low carb for a while but found it more complex than eating normally and getting my insulin dosing correct.

Only because I carb count with ratio 1 unit to 10g Which seam to be fine most of the time then sometimes for unknown to me after my glucose goes low below 3.5 and then whatever I do it dnt seam To go up,then through night it’s high then it’s a high most of following day after correction doses it’s a bit annoying

 

[Ian DP]

I have been a T1 for 10 years and on a very low carb diet for 9 1/2 years now. It works for me, healthier fitter and stronger now than 15 years ago. my breakfast always includes two eggs, maybe omelet with cheese, sometime with bacon. I use a lot of coconut oil in cooking, and a lot of butter. With a good breakfast I don’t need lunch or snacks, so when out and about during the day I have no need to carry insulin with me. my Carb intake is around 25g per day, 12 g per meal. The great thing about very low carb diet is that it is almost naturally process free. The only process food I eat is bacon and sausage, which I don’t have every day. my typical evening meal will be a steak, salmon or lamb or chicken. Very often with a salad or just vegetable. A curry with cauliflower rice is nice. If interested in this lifestyle I would highly recommend reading Dr Bernstein Diabetes solution. A T1 from early age, given 5 years to live when around 30 with diabetic issues when he started very low carbing and now nearly 90. A practising doctor who arguably is the most eminent dr in the world on diabetes, with thousands following on Facebook.

 

[Job76]

25g a day I’m having 75g+,,afternoon and evening meal,I’m not overweight I’m a fit 47 year old weighing 16 stone,I Dnt think I could survive tidy on that, but I will definately look into him,,thankyou

 

[Antje77]

I find dosing much easier with low carb meals, so I usually stick to low carb.

Is the low carb diet any good for type 1 diabetic,,if so what is the kind of things to eat,,obviously low carb food but what things as I’m not an expert on carbs,,thsnkyou

For ideas on food you could have a look through this thread in the low carb subforum where we share what we eat: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today-low-carb-forum.75781/page-2931