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Type 1: Low Carb Or Low GI Diet; Tips?

HarryCarter

HarryCarter

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
My blood glucose has been somewhat out of control recently, despite how much I have tried to keep them within range. I am prepared to try and experiment with a diet change, but I am unsure as to what I should go for, a low carb or a diet consisting of low Glycaemic Index foods; could anyone provide some tips or advice? Thanks!
 
Welcome @HarryCarter :)

Can you tell us a little more? Do you count carbs and adjust your insulin to match?

What insulins do you take and when? What are your blood sugar results?

Edited to add that I see you're on a pump. Have you done a basal test recently? Basals often need tweaking eg at times of growth, stress, illness, or just because. The same with ratios. They need checking periodically.

And my top tip is to bolus more in advance of your meals to stop spikes :)
 
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It depends really.. Are you happy with changing your basal and bolus rates (assuming you use this regime).
If you are happy changing ratio's etc for me I would do that first.
Then reduce carbs would be my thinking. Less carbs, less insulin. GI does not have that effect on my insulin usage..

It would normally be the ratio's/ basal etc that need tweaking for a T1 rather than having to change foods..

Levels can be more difficult to manage with things like fast foods/takeaways etc.
 
A carb is a carb to my meter. Low GI or not. I just count carbs. As far as fiber you can only deduct insoluble as soluble still converts to bs.
 
Just to stress that if you're in the UK @HarryCarter fibre has already been deducted from the carb count on packaging so use Total Carbs for carb counting and don't worry about the fibre :)

Do tell us a little more about your diabetes and your day to day blood sugar results, diet, etc :)
 
I have been keeping a close eye recently, and I have been changing my bolus and basal rates when I have seen fit. I had the idea of a low GI diet yesterday, when I ate a bowl of corn flakes and my sugars spiked to 20.4. I take a novo-rapid insulin, I am always active; running, swimming and going to the gym. My sugar levels vary from day to day, depending on my activities, I eat a lot of food, as I am 6ft7 and am very active, but it is all healthy, I never eat takeaway foods, and cook health meals from scratch always. Is it just a method of trial and error with the bolus and basal rates?
 
Its recommended to occasionally do basal rate tests. Ie skip breakfast. Have your normal basal injection if you have one, and don't eat for 5 or 6 hours.
Then basal test for afternoon and then for evening.

This starts you off knowing that at least one thing is right!! Your basal. You need really to test hourly whilst basal testing and be confident with changing your basal injection if they need tweaking.

Then do a bolus test.. Eat one normal meal.. Say breakfast and again wheck to see what happens with bloods on an hourly test for 5 hours... Do not have anything else to eat in that 5 hours unless you need to treat a hypo.

If you go high during 2-3 hours.. It would be up to you whether you leave to see how low it drops or to treat it with a correction bolus. Me, I correct and then wait a further 5 hours before eating to see whether my correction level is right. However, if you are going up into the 20's your correction bolus's may not work efficiently at tjose levels.

I was also advised not to exercise if over 12.0.... But I know some people do.

Cornflakes sending levels to that high makes it sound as if your bolus needs attention.... However if you were high in the first place, or had earlier food etc working as well then it could be a number of things.

I have to cut out certain foods like rice crispies as they spike me too much compared to yogurt.

What I would jyst ask though... Are you accurately weighing your cornflakes?
 
Activities should not vary your levels too much if you manage them with the insulin.. Ie I used to garden for a job 5 days a week. Somedays, all day. Sometimes not. Some curting down trees and some pushing a lawn mower. Then days off would be diferent again...

Its understanding insulin and changes on top of food that will let you reduce the variations you are getting.
 
@HarryCarter I always have cereal for breakfast but I've found cornflakes spike me too. I just don't eat them now and stick to other cereals, but if you like them you can experiment carefully with moving your bolus more in advance of your meal to try to stop the spike. Or you could mix them with a slower acting cereal.

I don't purposely concentrate on low GI foods but I do think about the contents of my meal eg fat to estimate how far in advance I need to bolus.

I kmos it sounds a trivial thing, but getting your bolus timed right can make a huge difference. My two hour after breakfast BS used to be around 11, but my having my bolus more in advance its now around 6. I've also been able to reduce my bolus very slightly too. I wouldn't have believed the effect if I hadn't seen it. It's a really useful tool :)

Ideally, you should do a basal test before looking at ratios. Once you've checked your basal is ok, you can then move to ratios. An easy way to sort individual meals like cornflakes is to simply have the same thing, same amount, same time, and experiment with bolus timing and amounts.
 
Yes, I think that I will test my basal rates tomorrow, and I will definitely try and bolus in advance!
Thank you so much for your help guys!
 
Keep at it @HarryCarter...
You'll win!!
I have to wake at 4am every morningto give a bolus shot to stop rises at 6am... Then another bolus shot double the size an hour before U get up.. This is only from closely watching what my levels do from 3am to midday. (I don't normally have breakfast)....
Theres thankfully few of us that have to do this but without basal testing, bolus testing, correction testing you'll have variations and most can be avoided somehow.

Timing food bolys's may well be a factor too, but you will have to play this one by ear.. Some foods may need 15 mins, some 30 mins. That does depend on fat/protein/carbs etc.

You will get there... Let us know how you get on with your basal testing....

You may find that the different temperature / weather can affect things too. I know within a week of clock changes my basals/bolus ratios will need to be changed. I know every July I need to keep extra vigilence as my worst hypo's are always then.

You'll find out what specifically affects you and you will master it...
 
HarryCarter said:
Yes, I think that I will test my basal rates tomorrow, and I will definitely try and bolus in advance!
Thank you so much for your help guys!
Click to expand...

Hi @HarryCarter

Basal testing is a must and it never pays to become complacent and think they don't change, so yes do start some test to see if your rates need adjusting.

Regards to bolus timing, so many of us have benefited from getting the bolus timing right which reduces postprandial spikes, the book Think like a Pancreas has a good chapter on this but if you don't have a copy then have a read of the following:

http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.c...blood-glucose-management/strike-the-spike-ii/

Regards to your breakfast, you could go both lower carb and lower gi, I eat traditional porridge oats most mornings but add seeds, natural yogurt and some blueberries, it keeps my postprandial bg levels controllable and keep me full to lunch (I do have to bolus around 20-25mins before eating)
 
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