Carbs/Protein Reassurance

[pawprint91]

So after a tentative start to being diagnosed with Type 1, I now eat pretty much eat what I want, and as I mentioned before in another thread, generally my TIR is 96% - on the whole I try and exercise portion control (I have let that slip a bit over Easter when eating chocolate ) and will generally try and choose desserts that aren't going to send my bg through the ceiling - e.g. when eating out I almost always choose ice cream as opposed to chocolate fudge cake or cheesecake, and I always have regular portions of things rather than 'large' (wasn't always the case in the past!!). However, is eating carbs 'normal' for Type 1? The only other Type 1 I know IRL follows the keto diet, but I do remember my dsn on diagnosis telling me I could eat 'a huge bar of dairy milk if I wanted to' and to eat 'sticky toffee pudding' if I wanted to!! I feel therefore I have no reference point from which I know whether or not my carb consumption is 'normal' - I carb count and bolus for everything I eat. My dad is a retired nurse, and he says in the past it was considered that diabetics should perhaps be careful with what they eat, but that it does not seem to be the case now, probably thanks to the advent of the fantastic technology that we have to help us!

I have found however, that protein does my levels the world of good - at work, I can't eat carbs without protein too, else no matter what I do, my levels soar, then plummet (something which doesn't happen on such a grand scheme when I am not at work unless I am stuck in the cycle of rage bolusing to correct and then eating to sort the upcoming hypo - so I often have a salad, a protein yogurt and some fruit for lunch when working - but is eating too much protein bad in other ways (google says maybe more chance of kidney stones and too much can cause some gut unpleasantry) - I don't mean that I'm downing protein shakes on top of the protein yogurts by any means, but I definitely consume more 'protein' products on top of chicken/salad that I used to pre-diagnosis.

Basically, I think I am concerned that by eating how I do I am going to end up doing some damage in the future which I am obviously keen to avoid, whether that be by consuming too many carbs or protein, but maybe I should just stop overthinking everything!

 

[Inka]

I eat what I like @pawprint91 but I do make choices. Like you, I’d probably go for the less sugary dessert, eg I’d have cheesecake rather than toffee pudding with caramel sauce most of the time. Carbs are fine. Most Type 1s eat carbs - potatoes, pasta, cereal, rice, quinoa, cake, fruit, whatever. I eat a normal diet pretty much as I would have done if I didn’t have Type 1. I do avoid eating more than approx. 120g carbs in one meal because I’ve found that my body processes more carbs than that in a different way and over a longer period of time.

Protein is fine. I eat balanced meals with carbs, protein, fat plus a nice lot of green veg. As you say, a balanced meal helps slow the rise from carbs only. I find it’s a good combination eg oily fish, potatoes, veg has the protein and fat to slow the carbs, and the carbs to help stop the protein turning to glucose.

I eat desserts, cakes, biscuits, etc, and the only limit I put on them is my general health. That is, I’m not going to have cake for three meals a day whether I’m diabetic or not. I aim to eat a normal diet, vaguely Mediterranean-based, and I’ve found that works well. Most Type 1s I know eat similarly.

 

[pawprint91]

I eat what I like @pawprint91 but I do make choices. Like you, I’d probably go for the less sugary dessert, eg I’d have cheesecake rather than toffee pudding with caramel sauce most of the time. Carbs are fine. Most Type 1s eat carbs - potatoes, pasta, cereal, rice, quinoa, cake, fruit, whatever. I eat a normal diet pretty much as I would have done if I didn’t have Type 1. I do avoid eating more than approx. 120g carbs in one meal because I’ve found that my body processes more carbs than that in a different way and over a longer period of time.

Protein is fine. I eat balanced meals with carbs, protein, fat plus a nice lot of green veg. As you say, a balanced meal helps slow the rise from carbs only. I find it’s a good combination eg oily fish, potatoes, veg has the protein and fat to slow the carbs, and the carbs to help stop the protein turning to glucose.

I eat desserts, cakes, biscuits, etc, and the only limit I put on them is my general health. That is, I’m not going to have cake for three meals a day whether I’m diabetic or not. I aim to eat a normal diet, vaguely Mediterranean-based, and I’ve found that works well. Most Type 1s I know eat similarly.

Thank you - the point about limiting desserts etc for general health is the one I'm always telling people - should anybody be eating more than one chocolate bar in one sitting? Then the reason I'm not is not because I've got diabetes, it's because it's just not healthy.

Thank you again - it's good to have a reference point from another carb consuming T1!

 

[nonethewiser]

Another who eats balanced meals mostly, with right skills & knowledge nothing is off limits within reason.

 

[bulkbiker]

Thank you - the point about limiting desserts etc for general health is the one I'm always telling people - should anybody be eating more than one chocolate bar in one sitting? Then the reason I'm not is not because I've got diabetes, it's because it's just not healthy.

Thank you again - it's good to have a reference point from another carb consuming T1!

This guy is quite clued up on T1 and keto

About Dr Ian Lake – Type 1 Keto

type1keto.com

 

[Robin]

I’m another one who tries to eat a healthy diet for the good of my general health, but not because of my diabetes. Sometimes when we are out I’ll go for a salad because I know I want a pudding, and I just can’t eat a hefty main with chips etc followed by another course of anything.
At home, where I can eat just what I want, if I had, say, a risotto followed by a piece of cake, I'd find the carb count and insulin timing difficult. So I probably wouldn’t eat them at the same meal. But so equally would be a piece of steak with a salad followed by cheese. So I tend to balance up protein, carbs and fat over the whole meal, just to make balancing the insulin easier.
If there was something I really wanted to eat, though, it’s worth doing the extra maths to work out insulin timings and dose, so I’d do it, and enjoy what I wanted,

 

[Tdm]

I started on keto but then learned i could control my bs just as well on normal carbs. Plus, well, bread. And potatos. Especially chip butties!

 

[helli]

I too eat a "balanced diet" and do not limit my carb in take.
I assume the fact that the common Type 1 course, DAFNE is Dose Adjustment For NORMAL Eating is key to understanding that most of us do so.

 

[pawprint91]

I too eat a "balanced diet" and do not limit my carb in take.
I assume the fact that the common Type 1 course, DAFNE is Dose Adjustment For NORMAL Eating is key to understanding that most of us do so.

I have heard of and spoken with my DSN nurse about DAFNE but when I wrote the OP it clearly wasn’t on my mind. When I wrote the OP I had had a week of eating quite unhealthily and requiring more insulin etc so think I panicked by self that I made a “bad” choice for my diabetes by doing so. However, I have been healthier this past week, but I suppose that in itself is a reflection of ‘normal’ eating - I am sure most of us go through different phases with our diet (or have so in the past!).