hi guys so i have two insulin's to take everyday abasaglar and humalog. if i make a sweet chilli chicken and tomato 3 egg omelette with cheese do i need to take humalog as i am unsure if this is a carb heavy meal. I was told to take 4 units of humalog 15 mins, before meals with carbs or would you just take humalog regardless? thanks.
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humalog carbs meals
- Thread starter James B
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Robin
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You might find you need some insulin for this meal, the clue is in the 'sweet chilli' Is this a prepared sauce, and does it contain sugar?
Having said that, you may not need the full 4 units, it may be a question of testing before you eat, testing 2 hours after, and seeing what’s happened. Make a note of your results so you know for next time.
Eventually you should be taught how to carb count, so you can adjust your insulin to suit what you are eating. In the meantime, cut back on the amount of insulin you need for this meal, and work upwards if it didn’t seem enough. Have some form of hypo treatment ready in case you drop too low (you should have something available at all times anyway, as you know).
Another thing you may find, is that in a protein heavy meal, some of the protein is converted to glucose in the digestion process, so you may need more insulin than you think, only later on. So if you test again at four hours and find you’ve gone up, this is what might be happening.
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Hi, its cooked sweet chilli chicken pieces from morrisons the traffic light is green which means not bad sugar
Inka
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@James B If you’ve been prescribed fixed doses of insulin, then it’s easiest to stick to the same amount of carbs per meal to start with. When I was diagnosed, I was put on fixed doses but also told how many carbs to have per meal (and given a really useful leaflet showing how to do this).
Personally I’d ‘eat to your insulin’ to start with because a) you want to avoid hypos, and b) it gives you and your team a better idea of what your insulin to carbs ratio is.
Brief answer, I’d add some carbs to that meal and test before eating and 2 hours after. The eggs and chicken likely have very few carbs and you do not want a hypo.
Personally I’d ‘eat to your insulin’ to start with because a) you want to avoid hypos, and b) it gives you and your team a better idea of what your insulin to carbs ratio is.
Brief answer, I’d add some carbs to that meal and test before eating and 2 hours after. The eggs and chicken likely have very few carbs and you do not want a hypo.
Drummer
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The traffic light system is about as much use as a chocolate teapot when assessing the carb content - you need to look for the small print nutritional information hidden round the back or at the side of the packet - you might require a magnifying glass and a small bright torch to be able to read it.
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Have you been offered ‘carb counting’ support @James B ?
This helps you to match the doses you are taking with the food you are eating in a more calculated and flexible way, which means you can eat a much wider variety of foods, and be more confident that your doses and foods should balance.
There‘s a useful starting point on the DUK website here:
www.diabetes.org.uk
And if you want to dig a bit deeper as a ‘lockdown project’ you could sign up for the BERTIE online diabetes course here:
www.bertieonline.org.uk
This helps you to match the doses you are taking with the food you are eating in a more calculated and flexible way, which means you can eat a much wider variety of foods, and be more confident that your doses and foods should balance.
There‘s a useful starting point on the DUK website here:
The nuts and bolts of carb counting
When you live with type 1 diabetes, carb counting is a great way of managing your blood sugar or glucose levels. It can give you more freedom and flexibility in what you eat when you're preparing meals at home, grabbing food on the go or eating out. Carb counting does take some time and effort...
And if you want to dig a bit deeper as a ‘lockdown project’ you could sign up for the BERTIE online diabetes course here:
Bertie Diabetes
www.bertieonline.org.uk
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