Hi
This is my first time on the forum although have been diagnosed as Type 1 since December 2012. I Honeymooned for a year so didn't really need to alter my diet that much but am really struggling now the honeymoon period is over. I have always had a sweet tooth but seems to be now that's all I crave. HBA1C Been up at 9 and 10 % recently and I would appreciate any advise at all to kill the cravings.
Rossi
x
I've heard that sugar craving is very much a part of pre-diabetes / pre-diagnosis and can also occur for quite some time thereafter owing to the fact your body is adjusting to its inability to digest any carbohydrates without the manual intervention of a foreign hormone. Your honeymoon period is likely to have included periods where your body's own insulin was still being created, etc., which will have delayed the full reality.
I spent years yo-yo-ing my BG's (diet, lack of excercise, stress, etc. all contributory factors) and almost inevitably going through sugar cravings as both the consequence and the contribution to erratic BG's (and high HbA1c's).
It is difficult - sugar is highly addictive, especially when delivered in fatty foods, and will make your BG's bounce around until your readings look like the Himalayan mountains. These high's and low's make you crave sugar even more, which then just adds to the worsening control and so on.
Believe me, I've been there (36 years worth of it, before finally kicking the habit last year).
So, how can you break the cycle? Make a plan of where you want to be in a year's time and then change your diet so that you reduce your high-sugar foods by 50% by three months and 75% by month 5. Find some really tasty, yet healthy, alternatives to the things that you eat - for example:
- replace sweet biscuits with nutty/maltywholemeal versions (e.g. Fox's Wholemeal Crackers or Scottish Oatcakes) and add cheese if desired,
- eat a bowl of Jordans Organic Porridge and milk for breakfast (I have a sprinkling of about 1/2 teaspoon of dark mollasses for taste) as this will fill you up and keep your BG's on a more even keel throughout the morning, thereby reducing (and eventually eliminating those morning craves;
- Buy plenty of packs of GlucoTabs or Dextrose for dealing with hypo's and only treat hypos with such things - you'll hate the taste so much by the end of the first week, you'll want to review your medication to cut out the hypos!!!
- If you have sugar in tea or coffee then reduce the amount in stages;
- Try dark chocolate instead of milk (Aldi and Lidl sell blocks of reasonable quality and taste for around £1)
I could go on (and on...
),
but don't try to do it all at once or within a ridiculously short period of time because all that happens is that your body (and taste-buds) will go into a form of 'Cold Turkey' and then you'll find yourself tucking into another donut / sweet biscuit without even realising it.
You should find that after three months of alternatives and a greatly reduced sugar intake that your taste-buds will have changed and your BG levels should have evened sufficiently to cut the strength and frequency of cravings. This will enable you to accelerate the process (should you need to) without too many 'occasional treats'.
Oh, and don't keep it to yourself! Tell your family, your friends and colleagues so that they understand the medical reason for doing it - their support will keep you going whenever it gets tough.
Best wishes,
C.
