Type 1 Diabetes - ideas for snacks and raising blood levels please :)

[MrsOrehawa]

Hi all,

I was diagnosed with Type 1 at the beginning of November after a DKA. I've got a libre 2 fitted and have now been carb counting for about a month with a ratio of 1unit:20g.

What does everyone use to raise their levels when they are having a low? I'm currently having 5 jelly babies or some orange juice. And what do you eat when you need when you need a snack - I've been having apples or a couple of chocolate biscuits, but I'd really like ideas of other things?

I lost over a stone as I went into DKA, but have now put that all back on (which I'm fine with!!) but am also finding that I've put more on top too - are there any healthier snacks I could be using?

Thanks everyone 🙂

 

[Lily123]

For hypos I use the small 150ml cans of coke or lift glucose drinks (lift drinks are fairly expensive though).

 

[rebrascora]

If you are talking hypos, I use 1, 2 or very rarely 3 jelly babies (3 JBs would be the recommended 15g of carbs to treat a hypo but often I need much less) or Lift glucose tablets (again 4 would be near enough the recommended 15g) but I might only need 2 .... or recently I have been using Fizzy worm sweets from Lidl just for some variation but sometimes one is too much (2 are probably near enough equivalent to 15g carbs)

If I am just in the mid to low 4s or I am doing exercise and need a bit of a top up, then I usually carry a bag of mixed dried fruit (prunes, apricots, figs and occasionally a half a pear) and use that. I prefer to reduce my consumption of grains which biscuits or flapjack would include, so the dried fruit works for me and I enjoy it and I am getting fibre from the fruit. I generally consider 1 apricot or prune as 5g carbs, a fig as about 8g and the half a pear as nearer 10g carbs.

 

[helli]

To treat hypos, you need something that works fast. “Fixing” hypos takes priority over anything else like eating healthy or losing weight. In addition to jelly babies and juice, alternatives are cola, dextrose, Lift tablets and dried fruit. Avoid anything like chocolate or biscuits as they contain fat which slows down the carb absorption.

If you need a snack, are you looking for something post hypo? If so, the advice is something slower acting with 15g carbs such as fruit, biscuits, crackers or crisps.
If you are looking for something to fill a gap between meals, the usual advice is you can eat about 12g without taking a bolus. You could be something like a handful of nuts or an apple or small orange or muesli bar or …

 

[rebrascora]

“Fixing” hypos takes priority over anything else like eating healthy or losing weight. In addition to jelly babies and juice, alternatives are cola, dextrose, Lift tablets and dried fruit.

I'm sure on my DAFNE course I was advised that dried fruit wasn't fast acting due to the fibre content as well as the nature of it being dried ie the sugar is trapped by the dehydration and fibre. I certainly find that it doesn't release very quickly when I use it as a snack and much as I like choosing a healthy option at all other times, I do not use dried fruit to treat hypos. Maybe sultanas would work a bit quicker because grapes are higher carb than apricots and plums but I find the larger fruits easier to assess my carb intake and regulate as snacks.

 

[Inka]

Dextro tablets or a 150ml can of Coke for hypos. I used to use Lucozade but it’s been ruined by the formula. Still annoyed about that 😡

For after-hypo snacks, a slice of bread with a smear of jam is good, or a digestive biscuit or two. Anything like that.

If I want a snack between meals, I just inject to cover it unless it’s tiny or I’m about to exercise. I like fruit, flapjacks, crackers and oatcakes, cheese and biscuits, cheesecake, anything really.

Don’t worry about going slightly over now you’ve put the weight back on. Your body was basically starving so will often add on a bit extra as a protection against another ‘famine’. It will gradually settle down and you’ll be at your normal weight.