Salads and BS

[Kristin251]

I am pretty sure I am noticing when I eat salads I get a larger rise than a meal without. I am only talking romaine lettuce, not other veggies mixed in.
I do fine with a lettuce wrap so wondering if it's the ' Chinese restaurant effect'
I was having a small hypos a few weeks ago and went to a nearby store and bought a Caesar salad. Only ate half the lettuce with no carb dressing and after an hour I went from 56 to 98. Crazy and most annoying.

I do think meal size makes a huge difference but I wa wondering if others have issues with salads
I adore them so this is sad for me

 

[tim2000s]

I am pretty sure I am noticing when I eat salads I get a larger rise than a meal without. I am only talking romaine lettuce, not other veggies mixed in.
I do fine with a lettuce wrap so wondering if it's the ' Chinese restaurant effect'
I was having a small hypos a few weeks ago and went to a nearby store and bought a Caesar salad. Only ate half the lettuce with no carb dressing and after an hour I went from 56 to 98. Crazy and most annoying.

I do think meal size makes a huge difference but I wa wondering if others have issues with salads
I adore them so this is sad for me

Why not take insulin if it is causing a BG rise? Equally, you can always eat a smaller portion? You are LADA, and unfortunately, that's something you eventually have to do with T1 in any form...

 

[Kristin251]

Why not take insulin if it is causing a BG rise? Equally, you can always eat a smaller portion? You are LADA, and unfortunately, that's something you eventually have to do with T1 in any form...

I do take insulin with all meals. That one time I didn't because I was hypoing. It sure showed me how much lettuce raises me. It just seems if I have a salad instead of some steamed veggies I go higher even though the carb count is lower. Which makes me think it's more in the size of the meal
Technically I am LADA but I think of it more as T1 because I produce very little insulin and never see any random lows from random squirts. The honey moon is over. I don't think I really ever had one. The docs were way late in Dx and I believe amaryl burned out my pancreas completely

 

[tim2000s]

That one time I didn't because I was hypoing. It sure showed me how much lettuce raises me.

I think you'd be better testing this theory from a normal starting glucose level. Given where your BG was when you ate the lettuce, it's also possible it was your body releasing glucagon to help pull you out of the hypo. While you might get a slight raise from eating lettuce, it may not all be attributable to it.

 

[Kristin251]

I think you'd be better testing this theory from a normal starting glucose level. Given where your BG was when you ate the lettuce, it's also possible it was your body releasing glucagon to help pull you out of the hypo. While you might get a slight raise from eating lettuce, it may not all be attributable to it.

Good point

 

[tpaz]

While I haven't eaten lettuce alone, I definitely still bolus for salad alone. Today I had a salad for lunch that was romaine, cucumber, a few cherry tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, a tiny amount of cheese and ranch dressing, which has very little carb for a dressing. I think 1gr per tbsp. I bloused 4 units and my post meal level was in target, even a bit higher than I expected, believe it or not.

 

[Kristin251]

While I haven't eaten lettuce alone, I definitely still bolus for salad alone. Today I had a salad for lunch that was romaine, cucumber, a few cherry tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, a tiny amount of cheese and ranch dressing, which has very little carb for a dressing. I think 1gr per tbsp. I bloused 4 units and my post meal level was in target, even a bit higher than I expected, believe it or not.

Wow. Was it a large salad? That seems like a lot of insulin for salad but you obviously know what you are doing.
Sometimes I have a hard time moderating salad portions because I love them but then I get bloated and I'm sure that pushes me up too
Thanks for replying. That makes me feel better.

 

[tpaz]

Wow. Was it a large salad? That seems like a lot of insulin for salad but you obviously know what you are doing.
Sometimes I have a hard time moderating salad portions because I love them but then I get bloated and I'm sure that pushes me up too
Thanks for replying. That makes me feel better.

It was probably about 2.5 or 3 cups of chopped romaine, and then just a few of the other veggies. 2 1/2 hard boiled eggs and maybe 3 tbsp of dressing.

I have good days and bad, I think. I've had a similar salad another day and not bolused at all, and have been fine. I know how my day is going at breakfast, because I'll generally have the same thing everyday at that time and always bolus 4 units. If my post meal is around 5, I ease up on my bolus amounts for the rest of the day.

Don't feel bad at all. From what I've gathered you're doing amazing at managing. I have never been able to have the discipline you have.

 

[Kristin251]

Thank you! I would need to bolus for the protein That's worse than the carbs. So I would think 2 units would be good for me. I messed up too many times and paid too many consequences for days after hence the disabling. Stinks....