GRR. Why all this talk about special food and recipes for diabetics?!

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Cliff said:
As a T2 on diet control only, I know that if I eat a "standard healthy balanced diet", restricting nothing but eating everything in moderation, I can run my levels in the 5 to 7 range. I also know that if I avoid certain foods like pasta, rice, bread and potatoes and carefully control the carbs I eat, I can run in the 4 to 5 range.

We all have choices to make and it's a very individual decision. For me, the correct choice was obvious but not easy. I choose to run in the lower range because I believe it reduces my risk of complications and saves whatever pancreatic function I still have. I exercise because I believe it assists in reducing my insulin resistance.

I have no experience of T1 and can't say anything about it - but if I had a choice between my restricted diet and being able to cover foods with injections, I'd choose the restricted diet every time. For all of you who have to inject, I salute your courage and bravery in dealing with it - it's a place I don't want to be and I believe that my diet may put off that day for a good many years, if not for all time. That's why I control what I eat.
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As a type 2 diet control like yourself i agree with you 100%, you have explained this very well.
Sophie i understand what your saying too, yes newly diagnosed diabetics do get a lot of info piled on us, i have learnt so much from this forum & if i didn't come in here i would be a total reck.Since visiting this forum it has taught me to understand my condition more & guided me in the right direction. I too have to be careful with carbs these wednesday night test are a brilliant idea to put to the test i don't take part in all of them as i dislike some foods just like all of us do.
I recomend this forum to anyone with diabetes as i get more advice here than i do with my own dsn. Its all down to personal choice and what foods our bodies can tollerate.
 
I have recently reduced the amount of carbs I eat and have already noticed a big improvement in my BG's.

I believe you can eat anything within reason as long as you don't go overboard. But cutting out or reducing certain foods certainly works for a lot of people.
 
Hi

Just to set the record straight I don't think anyone was 'having a go' at Sophie, I believe my message and a couple of the others were just standing up for ourselves in response to Sophies first email, particularly where she says the following :

sophieee said:
I can't seem to understand why people on here are talking about restricting, and even denying themselves certain foods, and special diabetic recipes. None of this to me seems necessary. ..........

It seems to me that with all the restrictions being placed on you, you're bound to get angry, uptight, and confused, even worried. Especially newly diagnosed patients. .............
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Sophie definitely is speaking about people on this forum, that is very clear. Whilst none of it seems necessary to Sophie (her words, see above) her levels are not good at all and until she understands what food does to her levels she cannot presume to criticise or berate anyone on here who does know what they are doing or those who come here looking for help. I understand that Sophie has other issues but so do a hell of a lot of others on here including myself and my daughter, so to me, that doesn't come into it.

I hope that clears up why I posted my message and (I am now presuming) I imagine the other few. No malice was intended but I will stick up for myself for others.
 
Adrienne said:
Hi

Just to set the record straight I don't think anyone was 'having a go' at Sophie, I believe my message and a couple of the others were just standing up for ourselves in response to Sophies first email, particularly where she says the following :



Sophie definitely is speaking about people on this forum, that is very clear. Whilst none of it seems necessary to Sophie (her words, see above) her levels are not good at all and until she understands what food does to her levels she cannot presume to criticise or berate anyone on here who does know what they are doing or those who come here looking for help. I understand that Sophie has other issues but so do a hell of a lot of others on here including myself and my daughter, so to me, that doesn't come into it.

I hope that clears up why I posted my message and (I am now presuming) I imagine the other few. No malice was intended but I will stick up for myself for others.
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Like Adrienne has explained - nobody is trying to make Sophie feel bad about her comments at all. The simple fact is that if we were allowed to eat what we wanted when we wanted - nobody would get high levels would they?

There is only one thing (apart from stress and exercise and illness) that sends your levels high - and that is food! Some foods dont affect levels much - but lots of foods do - hence the 'big night in' experiments.

Because most type 1's on here do carb count and match insulin accordingly - it is slightly puzzling when someone says they dont carb count etc. It doesnt seem to make much sense to have a 'guess' of how much insulin to take for a plate of food - i dont understand what it is based on? Sophie - i am not critisising you - i am wondering why your team havent taught you carb counting. I do think it would help you to get your levels lower and therefore attain a better hba1c.

Sophie and all newbies - your all invited to join us on a wednesday for the 'big night in' to test how certain foods send you high or not. This week is curry and rice and you check your levels every hour for 5 hours to see when you get a spike, then you can work out how to do your dose to avoid it in future.🙂Bev
 
Adrienne said:
Hi

Just to set the record straight I don't think anyone was 'having a go' at Sophie, I believe my message and a couple of the others were just standing up for ourselves in response to Sophies first email, particularly where she says the following :



Sophie definitely is speaking about people on this forum, that is very clear. Whilst none of it seems necessary to Sophie (her words, see above) her levels are not good at all and until she understands what food does to her levels she cannot presume to criticise or berate anyone on here who does know what they are doing or those who come here looking for help. I understand that Sophie has other issues but so do a hell of a lot of others on here including myself and my daughter, so to me, that doesn't come into it.

I hope that clears up why I posted my message and (I am now presuming) I imagine the other few. No malice was intended but I will stick up for myself for others.
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Hi Adrienne,

I honestly feel you have over-reacted to Sophie's observations - and they were just that; observations! She WASN'T criticising ANYONE, and made it quite clear that she understood that some of you have discovered for yourselves how some foods affect you INDIVIDUALLY. No, Sophie's levels are not brilliant of late, and that has been well explained in other areas of the forum, but it most definitely isn't because she doesn't care, can't be bothered, or because she doesn't know how some foods affect her; she does. I would say, however, that whilst I know you want the very best for your daughter, sometimes it does seem that the diabetes has taken over your lives. That isn't meant to offend, again, it just an observation, based on what I have seen you say previously. It is clear from some of the other posts that Sophie has been misunderstood, and maybe some prickles need to retract a little before responding lol? Thank you to those who have supported Sophie, she may only be 15, but she is entitled to have her say too, without being berated for it. 🙂
 
Hi Mel,

Sophie is more than welcome on this forum - it doesnt matter if she is 5 or 15 - she will be respected for her views either way. However, I think the original thread has come across as if Sophie thought we were making too much fuss of the sorts of foods we eat/give our children. We only avoid some foods because they do cause a spike - and until we find a way around the spike - then there is little point in having the food as we know what spikes do! This is why we have started having the experiment on a wednesday to help each other find a way to deal with those awful foods like pizza and pasta and rice etc...If Sophie is lucky enough to not have spikes after eating these foods - then thats great news - but some of us do struggle with certain foods.

Northerner very rarely gets a spike - after ANY foods and he is type 1 - so i do think it can be very personal and if Sophie is one of those people then I am jealous!🙂

I think you have misunderstood Adriennes post a little. I dont think she was trying to dismiss Sophies vews because she is young, I think like she said she was just responding to Sophies thread. Adrienne has had 9 years experience of dealing with her daughters condition and she has no option than to let it take over her life to a certain extent. Her daugher also has another condition which means that when she is hypo - her pancreas decides its a good idea to kick out some more insulin! Nightmare! So Adrienne is constantly on-call as her daughter has no hypo awareness and could actually be as low as 1mmol and then have more insulin on top - this would make any parent as keen as Adrienne to keep on top of things. Her daughter also has to take enzymes to digest her food - so what Adrienne doesnt know about the effects of foods you could put on a postage stamp!:DAdrienne is a top mum and she also teaches diabetes and foods to small groups and even to her local hospital - so if you think that makes her obsessed - then in my view - thats no bad thing. She is constantly helping people and will go out of her way to explain things to anyone who asks. Nobody is trying to make Sophie feel undervalued at all - so please refrain from being offensive about someone you know very little about and who does actually *know* what she is talking about.🙂Bev
 
Such a lot of posts...

From my view (parcially obscured by the sun on my monitor) Shophiee understands that food has an effect on her blood sugars.
I agree with you all regards that through trial and error you know what certain food does to your bloods.
But still (IF TYPE 1) why cut it out completely if you know what it does and can be fully accounted for?!

For 2 1/2 years my bloods were quite good. HBa1c of around 6- 7% and they only rocketed back up when the hospital stuck their nose back in and started dictating what i should and shouldnt do. 😡

Nobody know the body of a diabetic better then the diabetic.
 
MelanieW said:
Hi Adrienne,

I honestly feel you have over-reacted to Sophie's observations - and they were just that; observations! She WASN'T criticising ANYONE, and made it quite clear that she understood that some of you have discovered for yourselves how some foods affect you INDIVIDUALLY. No, Sophie's levels are not brilliant of late, and that has been well explained in other areas of the forum, but it most definitely isn't because she doesn't care, can't be bothered, or because she doesn't know how some foods affect her; she does. I would say, however, that whilst I know you want the very best for your daughter, sometimes it does seem that the diabetes has taken over your lives. That isn't meant to offend, again, it just an observation, based on what I have seen you say previously. It is clear from some of the other posts that Sophie has been misunderstood, and maybe some prickles need to retract a little before responding lol? Thank you to those who have supported Sophie, she may only be 15, but she is entitled to have her say too, without being berated for it. 🙂
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Not sure I like your 'observations', wrong word I think. My messages have not personally attacked Sophie or you. Attacked may be the wrong word too actually, may be a bit strong but can't think of another at the moment.

You are now personally criticizing my life with my daughter and for that and that alone I take huge offence. Do you know me? I know you could learn a lot from me (big headed probably but right).

Yes diabetes has probably taken over my life but if you lived my life or knew me from the day my daughter was born and nearly died over and over and over again, you may think differently. So before you carry on with your 'observations' please think before you message. I have not commented on your life with Sophie (although believe me I would like to) and I won't, I am not that sort of person. I do not presume and I do not make presumptions about other's lives as you have seen fit to do.

I fully expect to get told off for this message and I had been told to count to 10 before I replied to you. I apologise in advance, not to you, but to anyone else who I may have offended for this message, I will not post again about this. I imagine you will want to and will want the last word, sobeit, but I won't respond again. This forum is not for things like this. It is not to criticise others as Sophie (whether she is 15 or not, I would not have spoken to adults like that when I was 15) and yourself have and not be critical of their personal lives as you have of mine and my daughter's.
 
I don't believe that Sophiee set out of offend or critisise anyones ways of managing their diabetes. Hopefully from this thread has shown how people approach things differently, and maybe avoid different foods or limit them due to experiences.

Discussion and debate is good but we need to avoid getting personal on the threads and being critical of each other, this forum is above all for support.
 
I've been thinking about this a lot. Special food and special diets because we are special people!

I know we have to be carefull, but we are no the only ones. Hubby has a dairy intolerance, big boy is alergic to sea food, one brother in law allergic to nuts, the other alergic to strawberries, sister in law allergic to artificial sweetners, the chap I work with has a gluten intolerance, so there are lots of people who need special diets and special food for different reasons, and we are just one group of many.
 
Akasha said:
Nobody know the body of a diabetic better then the diabetic.
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May I modify that?

"Nobody knows the body of a diabetic better than the well-informed diabetic".

I am well known for my pedantry! :D

Andy
 
sofaraway said:
I don't believe that Sophiee set out of offend or critisise anyones ways of managing their diabetes. Hopefully from this thread has shown how people approach things differently, and maybe avoid different foods or limit them due to experiences.

Discussion and debate is good but we need to avoid getting personal on the threads and being critical of each other, this forum is above all for support.
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i have found this thread very interesting i am a T2 well controlled by MODERATION in everything.
We all are different,different ages, different experiences. we have different life stresses, different access to health care, accesses to decent housing, even access types of food. One thing we all have in common is Diabetes whether personally or as a parent carer or relative. We have found ourselves here in this forum because we have a need to have support from fellow diabetics, parents,carers or relatives.
One thing i like about this place is we are all in it together, and share from each others experiences.
and....we can be very passionate powerful voice...together which includes respecting all our differences
 
bev said:
Because most type 1's on here do carb count and match insulin accordingly - it is slightly puzzling when someone says they dont carb count etc. It doesnt seem to make much sense to have a 'guess' of how much insulin to take for a plate of food - i dont understand what it is based on? Sophie - i am not critisising you - i am wondering why your team havent taught you carb counting. I do think it would help you to get your levels lower and therefore attain a better hba1c.
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Thanks for this Bev. When Sophie was first daignosed, there was no mention of carb counting, and was put on set doses of mixed insulins, as seems to be the almost common practice with most newbies. However, it wasn't long before it was clear this wasn't working, hence going on to MDIs. Again, no carb counting, just recommended doses for each meal, based on her age, height, weight etc., and of course, what she was eating. We were advised that there are some foods that cause 'highs', eg.pizza and to increase, or decrease accordingly. Over the years we have learned which foods affect Sophie like this, and which may need slighly lower doses etc. Sophie's levels have not been brilliant of late, but this isn't because she doesn't care, or can't be bothered, rather we hit the teenage phase aswell as had the CFS/ME diagnosis, which has been a nightmare combination! However, that doesn't mean she doesn't know or understand it, because she does. We changed hospitals just after the ME diagnosis, and all they said was that Sophie had enough on her plate so carb counting may not be appropriate at that time. Unfortunately, as her ME has deteriorated, so has her insulin intake and HBA1c results (as detailed in my OP under 'care proceedings'). She gets frustrated though when anyone, usually non-diabetics, tells her she shouldn't eat/drink certain things, because she knows what she was told about not letting the condition rule her life. She was very surprised to find on here, that diabetics themselves seem to be saying the same thing about restricting what they eat, and she feels they are doing so maybe unnecessarily due to inadequate advice. We both understand that it is different for T1s and 2s, and Sophie did say that in her OP. She also acknowledges that many people have found for themselves what foods they need to restrict or avoid, and as some others have said - it IS a very personal thing, so there isn't a 'one size fits all'. I do think some people have over re-acted, and need to re-read what Sophie said to begin with; she has not been offensive, and neither have I, and I haven't been personal either, except in direct response to others' comments, and that has only been to correct an assumption that was wrong. I know from some other posts that there are those of you who actually agree with Sophie, and understood from the beginning what she was saying. Neither of us have intended to cause any offense to anyone, and think all of this has been blow way, way, WAY OTT! 🙂
 
Hello,

I do understand what Sohpieee is saying - I was definitely scared off of eating certain things by the docs when I was first diagnosed.

When I was first diagnosed as a Type 1 there was a lot of things that were totally off limits. I remember the horror of thinking I'd never taste Cherry Coke again! (There was no diet cherry back then and it still doesn't taste as good - wher's the Cherry Coke Zero? 😉)

If I look at the differences between what I do now, and when I was first diagnosed they are huge! If I could go back in time, I'm sure my newly diagnosed self would be shocked at the things I eat now, but a lot of this has come with experience, education and of course trial and error.

Nowadays I can choose to have these things that were 'banned' and take an extra bolus for them. Sometimes I get it right, sometimes I get it wrong. But if I get it wrong, I know to take more or less insulin the next time.

I know this isn't the same for Type 2's and Sophiee did acknowledge this in her original post. I've said before I sometimes think it's harder for Type 2's as they don't have the flexibility of just taking an extra injection if they fancy something they know will raise their blood glucose.

But this is the way I choose to do things (and probably why I post in the 'Forgive me I have sinned' thread so much!). If I fancy indulging in some chocolate (well there are lots of Easter Eggs around 😛) I do, but I also fully respect those that choose to do things differently, ie low carb, etc. At the end of the day I think you should do what works for you.

I'm not sure what advice newly diagnosed Type 1's get these days, but I'd hate to think they get the same fear put into them and off limits list that I got.

NiVZ
 
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Adrienne said:
This forum is not for things like this. It is not to criticise others as Sophie (whether she is 15 or not, I would not have spoken to adults like that when I was 15) and yourself have and not be critical of their personal lives as you have of mine and my daughter's.
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Please could you just inform me as to where I, or mum, have been critical? And also where I have spoken out of turn..
If ever I say anything out of line to anyone, my mum is the first person to tell me. And she has checked everything I've said.
And I did NOT post the thread intending for a big argument like this. I agree with my mum it has gone OTT. Honestly, it has all been Mis-read and mis-understood. I didn't want, or intend this. I was just confused as to why so many T1s are restricting. Thank you for your opinions and shared experiences.
 
i think this thread is going round in circles now ...so lets all as rossi would say ...chill

Mel and sophie have you ever heard of education otherwise ? I have had lots of probs with EWO and school due to son with asthma ...he's not on meds all the time cos we manage his condition ie know his triggers ...any way i found about ed otherwise and it helped to know about providing education at home its not about following curiculum but providing education

http://www.education-otherwise.org/
 
Hi Moderaters

Any chance we can close this thread now, it seems to be continuing in the wrong vein and am feeling rather vindicated now.

A new thread with this topic would be great if people want it but without all this other stuff.

Thanks
 
Haha thank you for that, but my mum's already a member and has been for 16 years 😛. And yes, they've been fantastic re educational issues
 
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