Do you really say "no" to the cake?!
This is a question that I have been thinking about a lot lately: Do you really always say no to the warm homemade roll fresh out of the oven, the gourmet chocolate chip cookie your co worker picked up from the bakery down the street, a few of the garlic truffle oil fries your friend orders at the bar?
I was diagnosed with type 1 just before last Christmas, and only know a couple other type 1 diabetics. I am grateful and lucky that I went into the diagnoses with a more or less stellar diet. I have always enjoyed whole foods, vegetables, etc. I already ate sprouted grain bread (11 grams of carbs as opposed to sometimes up to 30 for white bread) and quinoa ( 35 grams per cup as opposed to 45 or so for white rice), etc. I never drank soda and have always tended towards large salads for lunch and maple syrup and date palm sugar as a form of sweetener. In other words, I didn't feel that I needed to make drastic dietary changes to control this disease (such as cutting out soda, cookies, white bread, processed foods, cereal, hamburgers, etc).
BUT....I love food! I was raised eating gourmet and homemade meals and baked goods. I used to work as a baker, and I appreciate good food. I love to taste everything. I also love to celebrate. I have discovered that for me, white foods such as rice, flour, sugar, milk, and potatoes are terrible for controlling my blood sugar. I am sure many other have the same problem. However, I don't say "no" to the homemade dark chocolate lavender brownie someone offers me, or the lemon chiffon pie with tayberry compote that my mom makes for Christmas! I don't say no to a sample from Trader Joes, even if it has over 5 grams of carbs. I don't say "no", but I eat a lot less than I would if I didn't have diabetes.
I have read from several people on here, and through my research, I get this idea that the majority of diabetics out there just "don't risk it" or "feel too guilty" about these "indulgences". I want to be empowered and feel strong in my health, even with this disease but I am also wondering if there are others out there who are "imperfect" diabetics at times, so I don't feel so alone when I eat cake on my birthday!
Thanks!
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Frankie Sloane on -
Oh yes! I love my "carb assistants". Most people in my life recognize that I can't have a full portion, so they happily give me a bite of their ice cream or a nibble of their cookie, they get it!
It is definitely about portion. I can eat a square of dark chocolate and not have to take extra insulin (that's just me, of course, I realize we are all different) but if I eat 2 squares of milk chocolate, forget about it.
-
Permalink Reply by Super_sally on -
Hi,
If the food looks really good (and my sugars are running stable) I won't say no , but I will usually limit myself to a very small bite / or a taste.....
I like to remember that the first bite or 2 is what tastes best and that way I don't feel deprived.
You may also want to experiment with low carb sweets if that is your weakness. I do fine with things like cheesecake (in moderation), and you can cook with stevia and nut flours which can give lower carb options.
Once in a whilee I do just indulge. Then I tend to adjust agressively and test frequently until I make sure things are stabilised again.
-
Permalink Reply by Frankie Sloane on
-
Yes, there is a part of me that has wanted to experiment with almond flour and low carb sweeteners. But, I am such a purist-I have found myself choosing to bake/cook certain recipes and simply watch my friends and family enjoy them.
-
Permalink Reply by Natalie ._c- on -
Well, this is a REALLY bad time to ask me. Yesterday, I went out to eat with friends, and had a small serving of potatoes, and decided to order dessert, chocolate cake, NOT expecting a large, foot-high slice with ice cream to boot! So I ate about a third of it, and took a bolus to cover, and still peaked at 333. And then, foolish child, who was taught not to waste food, because children are starving in China (or wherever you want to mention), I took the remainder home and ate it for breakfast at ten this morning today, and peaked at 395, and in spite of eating nothing else all day long, and bolusing and bolusing and then bolusing some more, I have only just gotten below 300 now, at 5:30 PM. And I've been nauseated and dizzy all day long.
So if I were SMART, and would listen to my wise friends like Gerri, I would have said no, but I have a problem with food -- if it's offered to me, or in front of me I EAT it. I'm usually pretty good about keeping unhealthy foods out of the house, and don't eat large portions, but restaurants are like wicked witches -- they ensorcel me, and make me think I can eat like everyone else, when I really can't.
Since you are fairly newly diagnosed, it's probably not as hard as it's going to be, and the best I can say is do your best to develop good habits NOW, and don't have anything to do with witches, especially ones who have gingerbread houses!
-
Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on -
"no" or maybe take a lot more insulin? Some of those dessertzillas are > 100G of carbs I think? When I worked in restaurants, a lot of those were sort of "unregulated", "throw on some more chocolate sauce" sort of things?
-
Permalink Reply by Natalie ._c- on
-
A LOT more insulin would probably have been the right answer if I was going to be so stupid as to eat the damn thing!! It WAS good, just obscenely huge. I took 10 units; should probably have taken 20. And for the amount I ate this morning, I should probably have taken 30 or more. It's just that I get scared by huge amounts of insulin, because my normal daily dosage is around 25u a day, and I haven't managed to make it a science the way you do. Have you ever thought of publishing a book about your experiments and techniques?
-
Permalink Reply by christy on -
mmmm Natalie that cake sounds like a deliciously wicked carby delight, lol I would have had no self control either.
-
Permalink Reply by Lila on -
Pregnancy cured me of the fear of large boluses. In the last few months one unit of insulin only covered one gram of carbs at lunch and dinner, so even a low carb meal needed more insulin than I used to take in an entire day. And mornings were even worse; one particularly bad morning, it was 18 units of insulin for some zero-carb bratwurst!
-
Permalink Reply by Natalie ._c- on
-
Well, that's ONE way to do it, but at age 63, I just sorta don't think it's gonna work for me, LOL!! But I'm still waiting on tenterhooks to find out about YOUR little squirming bundle of joy (and other things) when he or she arrives! :-)
-
Permalink Reply by Lila on
-
Natalie, she arrived 5 1/2 weeks early on the 4th of December. Still somewhat shell-shocked!
-
Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on
-
I dont take notes and it's a very small sample size, of one person so a book wouldn't have that much credibility.I guess I could stop being so lazy and start?
-
Permalink Reply by Deborah on -
Frankie--
Your approach & priorities seem reasonable to me. I eat balanced, small healthy meals most days, with treats like 1-2 squares of dark chocolate or half a biscotti mixed in. There are certain foods that I simply avoid: white rice, potatoes, store-bought sweets, alcohol. Part of my "diet" is a daily dose of exercise.
But, like you, I also appreciate good-quality pastry, gelato, etc--and maybe 2-3 times per month I enjoy a small serving. I try to select healthier choices from the treats. I enjoy these exceptions & it seldom leads me to go overboard or to binge.Finally, I think most diabetics are very unlike the participants on tudiabetes. Most are noncompliant in a variety of ways.
Advertisement
REsources
Groups
From the Diabetes Hands Foundation blog...
Together, We Can Get Diabetes Co-Stars to 10,000 Views!
Above is a photo of Diabetes Hands Foundation’s own Manny Hernandez with the stars of the Diabetes Co-Stars Video, “Strength in Numbers.” In case you haven’t heard the news yet, there is a new video making it’s way through the …Continue Reading
Congratulations Diabetes Advocates Scholarship Recipients!
The Diabetes Hands Foundation and Diabetes Advocates Program is proud to announce and congratulate the members of DA who were granted scholarships to attend diabetes conferences in 2013! Thanks to a generous grant from Novo Nordisk, in 2013 we were …Continue Reading
TuDiabetes Team
DHF STAFF
 Manny Hernandez(Co-Founder, Editor, has LADA)
|
DHF VOLUNTEERS
Lead Administrator
 Bradford (has type 1) |
Administrators
 Lorraine (mother of type 1) |
 Marie B (has type 1) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIKE us on Facebook
Spread the word
This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.
© 2013 A community of people touched by diabetes, run by the Diabetes Hands Foundation.
