What can I eat with type 1?

[bmw100]

In one word... anything. It may come as a surprise, but all kinds of food are fine for people with type 1 diabetes to eat.

With more flexible insulin regimens and the use of insulin pumps, the days of “do's and don'ts” are long gone. The way to go nowadays is to try and fit your diabetes treatment around your current lifestyle. But the same healthy, balanced diet is recommended for everyone, which includes food from all the main food groups.

It is a good idea to include some carbs with your meals as, without carbohydrate, your insulin may cause blood glucose levels to drop too low. Choose healthier carbs such as wholegrains, starchy foods, fruit and veg, pulses, unsweetened yogurt and milk, nut and seeds.

There is no strong evidence that a low carb diet is safe or beneficial for people with type 1 diabetes.

 

[Goonergal]

It is a good idea to include some carbs with your meals as, without carbohydrate, your insulin may cause blood glucose levels to drop too low.

Surely only if too much insulin is taken for the meal?

There is no strong evidence that a low carb diet is safe or beneficial for people with type 1 diabetes.

Methinks Dr Bernstein, Type 1 Grit members and Dr Ian Lake (type 1 himself) may beg to differ: https://type1keto.com/

I’m all for people eating what works for them (and indeed those using exogenous insulin can ‘cover’ most foods), but definitely not for spreading misinformation.

 

[zand]

Meat?
Fish?

T1s don't need to be vegetarian unless they want to be.

 

[Deleted member 527103]

Surely only if too much insulin is taken for the meal?

Nope!
As a Forum "Master" I thought you'd be aware that there are many things which can affect our blood sugars not just the food we eat.
For example, many of us with Type 1 (and probably type 2 treated with insulin) find that exercise can have a significant affect on our levels and cause them to drop for up to 48 hours afterwards.

In simplistic terms (which, annoyingly, I am often having to defend), of course hypos are down to having too much insulin but doing the job of a human organ 24x7 whilst living a full life is not easy. Calculating the amount of insulin to take is very complex unless you want to do exactly the same thing, eat the same thing, wrap yourself up in a zero stress world and never get ill. In my experience, eating low carb does not make this any easier.

Methinks Dr Bernstein, Type 1 Grit members and Dr Ian Lake (type 1 himself) may beg to differ:

As for Dr Bernstein, I give little credence to a guy who suggest the way to deal with being a woman is to turn off their hormones with the pill.

 

[Goonergal]

As for Dr Bernstein, I give little credence to a guy who suggest the way to deal with being a woman is to turn off our hormones with the pill

But your profile says you’re male?

As a Forum "Master" I thought you'd be aware that there are many things which can affect our blood sugars not just the food we eat.

Indeed I am. I was responding to the OP’s somewhat definitive view (with no evidence) with an alternative view with rather more evidence.

My point was simply that it’s down to personal choice.

 

[Deleted member 527103]

But your profile says you’re male?

So?
That doesn't make any difference to the confidence I have in a doctor who ignores half of the population.

 

[Oldvatr]

Surely only if too much insulin is taken for the meal?

Methinks Dr Bernstein, Type 1 Grit members and Dr Ian Lake (type 1 himself) may beg to differ: https://type1keto.com/

I’m all for people eating what works for them (and indeed those using exogenous insulin can ‘cover’ most foods), but definitely not for spreading misinformation.

Your list of 'healthy carbs' is actually poisonous for me and probably the majority of forum members who are not T1D. I also know T1D who are struggling to maintain control (even a couple on a pump regime). The use of LC diets will not lead to remission for insulin users, but many find it allows them to reduce the dosage, and as a direct result, lead to fewer hypo events and hospital admissions. That is a benefit of LC diet for insulin users.

The other benefit that may be felt is better weight control. When you eat a high carb meal, and bolus acccordingly, then yes you can get the bgl levels reasonablly controlled, but where is the extra glucose and lipid and protein going as a result? You are turning it into fat and glycogen stores, which will remain stored until you use them up. So magic bgl results is not the complete picture. Many diabetics are not physically active or have other handicaps such as old age that reduce the capacity to reduce the fat stores easily.

 

[Goonergal]

Your list of 'healthy carbs'

Agree, but I think it was the OP’s list!

 

[Oldvatr]

Actually it is virtually Eatwell. Starchy foods, whole grains, low fat this and that......

 

[Oldvatr]

This may b of interest here
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16454166/
https://www.endocrinology.org/endoc...w-carb-diet-shows-promise-in-type-1-diabetes/

The statement in the OP that LC does not benefit T1D is quoted from the DUK.org website.

 

[Jaylee]

Actually it is virtually Eatwell. Starchy foods, whole grains, low fat this and that......

My hard cash is down on being word for word from here.. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/eating-with-diabetes/i-have-type-1-diabetes

 

[Antje77]

In one word... anything. It may come as a surprise, but all kinds of food are fine for people with type 1 diabetes to eat.

With more flexible insulin regimens and the use of insulin pumps, the days of “do's and don'ts” are long gone. The way to go nowadays is to try and fit your diabetes treatment around your current lifestyle. But the same healthy, balanced diet is recommended for everyone, which includes food from all the main food groups.

It is a good idea to include some carbs with your meals as, without carbohydrate, your insulin may cause blood glucose levels to drop too low. Choose healthier carbs such as wholegrains, starchy foods, fruit and veg, pulses, unsweetened yogurt and milk, nut and seeds.

There is no strong evidence that a low carb diet is safe or beneficial for people with type 1 diabetes.

Do you have a particular reason to copy and paste an article from a website, and without citing your source too?

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/eating-with-diabetes/i-have-type-1-diabetes

 

[Antje77]

This may b of interest here
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16454166/
https://www.endocrinology.org/endoc...w-carb-diet-shows-promise-in-type-1-diabetes/

The statement in the OP that LC does not benefit T1D is quoted from the DUK.org website.

My hard cash is down on being word for word from here.. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/eating-with-diabetes/i-have-type-1-diabetes

Do you have a particular reason to copy and paste an article from a website, and without citing your source too?

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/eating-with-diabetes/i-have-type-1-diabetes

Oh, snap!

 

[Deleted member 527103]

Your list of 'healthy carbs' is actually poisonous for me and probably the majority of forum members who are not T1D. I also know T1D who are struggling to maintain control (even a couple on a pump regime). The use of LC diets will not lead to remission for insulin users, but many find it allows them to reduce the dosage, and as a direct result, lead to fewer hypo events and hospital admissions. That is a benefit of LC diet for insulin users.

The other benefit that may be felt is better weight control. When you eat a high carb meal, and bolus acccordingly, then yes you can get the bgl levels reasonablly controlled, but where is the extra glucose and lipid and protein going as a result? You are turning it into fat and glycogen stores, which will remain stored until you use them up. So magic bgl results is not the complete picture. Many diabetics are not physically active or have other handicaps such as old age that reduce the capacity to reduce the fat stores easily.

I think you missed the title of this thread - “What can I eat with type 1”

As someone with Type 1 and experience of “normal” carbs and low carbs, I feel confident commenting on this thread about Type 1.
If you had Type 1 and tried calculating your insulin dose for protein as well as carbs in practice, you may find that LC is not so easy.
With Type 1, typically, carbs have the same impact as someone without diabetes. We are no more likely to gain weight through eating carbs due to injecting insulin.
Likewise, as Type 1 can be diagnosed at any age, old age is not relevant in this discussion. At least, no more so than with a general non diabetic population.

 

[Oldvatr]

I think you missed the title of this thread - “What can I eat with type 1”

As someone with Type 1 and experience of “normal” carbs and low carbs, I feel confident commenting on this thread but have learnt to avoid doing so with type 2.
If you had Type 1 and tried calculating your insulin dose for protein as well as carbs in practice, you may find that LC is not so easy.
With Type 1, typically, carbs have the same impact as someone without diabetes. We are no more likely to gain weight through eating carbs due to injecting insulin.
Likewise, as Type 1 can be diagnosed at any age, old age is not relevant in this discussion. At least, no more so than with a general non diabetic population.

Does your Doctor or Consultant have T1D?

 

[Antje77]

Nope!
As a Forum "Master" I thought you'd be aware that there are many things which can affect our blood sugars not just the food we eat.
For example, many of us with Type 1 (and probably type 2 treated with insulin) find that exercise can have a significant affect on our levels and cause them to drop for up to 48 hours afterwards.

In simplistic terms (which, annoyingly, I am often having to defend), of course hypos are down to having too much insulin but doing the job of a human organ 24x7 whilst living a full life is not easy. Calculating the amount of insulin to take is very complex unless you want to do exactly the same thing, eat the same thing, wrap yourself up in a zero stress world and never get ill. In my experience, eating low carb does not make this any easier.

None of this has anything to do with this statement:

It is a good idea to include some carbs with your meals as, without carbohydrate, your insulin may cause blood glucose levels to drop too low.

If your insulin causes you to go low when you do not eat carbs, your dose isn't right. Or it happens for any of the other possible reasons of course, but if you need to eat carbs with every meal to prevent hypo's it's time to look at your basal dose.
There shouldn't be a need to feed the insulin as a rule, although it does happen sometimes.

 

[Oldvatr]

It seems others agree with me
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5569154/#Sec2title
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325328

 

[Ushthetaff]

Having been through the regime of eating to the insulin you take rather than the other way round, I eat anything and everything I like and long may it continue , there are
many who are in favour of low carb some not , if it works for you and your sugars and Hb1ac are within range most of the time then so be it . I love mash potato and eat it regularly I adjust for it , I’m not really bothered how much insulin I take as we’re all individual, my hb1ac is good my consultant is happy that’s good enough for me

 

[MrsA2]

It's only the OPs first post. His second describes what he prescribes.
Usually when a newbie comes in with sweeping statements they already have an agenda or a soapbox.
I wonder what this one will be?

 

[Antje77]

It's only the OPs first post. His second describes what he prescribes.

And both his posts are straight copy and paste jobs from the diabetes uk website (the other one), without any personal note.

Usually when a newbie comes in with sweeping statements they already have an agenda or a soapbox.
I wonder what this one will be?

Let us know if you find out, we're as puzzled as you are!