Overnight low battle - snacks?
One of the things my boyfriend is finding challenging lately is sleeping. He'll go to bed way too high (as an attempted preventative) and wake up low...sometimes he'll go to bed low (after a quick sweet snack to boost his BG) and wake up super-high.
I've been trying to figure out ways to prevent this, or help him manage that part of the day better, since it seems to be the hardest part for him, but without concrete suggestions/products it's tough.
So, I guess I'm asking what sort of snacks you guys have before bed to help keep you in the safe zone over night. What are you looking for in a snack if you're high? Low? is there certain grams of carbs/protein that I should be looking for?
*note* I'm still trying to get him to join...it's a work in progress. If I can get him on here I will, but in the interim I still need to find ways to help him deal with this. His current issues dealing with his BGs are having a pretty obvious effect on his motivation...as in he seems to have little to none currently (at least when it comes to learning/trying new things). I'm hoping If we can get him a bit more stable then his frustration level will go down and he'll be more receptive to trying new things.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sick of TYPE 1 on
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eat more protein and fat - this will help stabilize the BS - if you read one of my recent posts - i have gone no grains and that has helped sooooo much
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Permalink Reply by librarychick on
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I've been reading quite a bit about this the past week or so...I've even checked out 'the primal diet' from the library I work at.
However my bf is hesitant to do this. I guess when he looked into this sort of diet he found that there were a lot of risks and that diabetics who follow this routine tend to go into more, and worse, lows than someone eating a 'normal' diet. (whatever normal is these days, lol)
I've been hoping to discuss this with a nutritionist as part of the monitoring program I'm trying to get him to join (*fingers crossed!*), but on the other hand it seems like people here don't tend to agree with most diaticians/nutritionists? Maybe a CDE would have a clearer picture of this?
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Permalink Reply by smileandnod on -
Librarychick, I think you're doing an awesome job of wading through all the information out there that can seem so conflicting and overwhelming. Everyone is a little different and it takes time to work out what works for one person.
For myself, choosing to eat lower carb is something I came to after learning the hard way that what the dietician was telling me to do was not helping me. My dieticians don't have diabetes and have never lived what they're telling us to do; same goes for my CDE. She can tell me what should work in theory but living with diabetes is a different reality. My CDE actually says all the time "people with diabetes know more than most medical professionals because you live with it 24/7".
Eating fewer carbs keeps me steadier and keeps my lines on my cgm flatter - and that's the goal. Getting a continuous glucose monitor opened my eyes to what really happens in-between those finger sticks when you're eating carbs versus eating lower carb.
The other aspect of eating lower carb is that you use less bolus insulin with meals so you really have less chance of lows from that respect. I've learned the hard way that it's no fun to take a big dose of insulin for a high carb meal...only to crash 30 minutes later because the carb count was wrong or the I:C ratio was off.
It scares me to take a big dose of insulin at meals because that's where the really fast, scary lows can come into play for me if you've made any kind of mistake in your calculation. With lower carb and smaller doses of insulin, there's less chance of crashing.
Remember too that everything is relative. You don't have to eat true low carb to reap the benefits of eating low-er carb. It will lower your insulin needs but once you adjust, you won't see the wide swings that can come with high carb meals. At least thats been my experience.
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@librarychick I agree with smileandnod - a reduction in grains is still better than lots of grains ( some ppl think no grain is no carb, although ppl on here seem to have a good head on their shoulders, but don’t forget lots of fruit and high starch veggies like wht potatoes have a high carb count too) Like S&N said it makes your cgm flat line (where before eating high carb it looked like the Rockies) http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz1xtNpOvAj is a great site to look at - in his search bar look up insulin or diabetic it has lots of good answers also the other site i recommend is http://eatingacademy.com/ he taught me a lot about insulin also look for the book why we get fat by Gary Taubes as he has written a lot about insulin- overall i have learned like S&N the less insulin the better off you are
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Ok, so if we were to try and go lower carb what would be a few small things I could do when I'm cooking to do that?
I know that pasta (which we eat too much of 'cause I love it... *sheepish*) isn't a good choice, same as white bread.
I guess I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around what we would eat. Neither of us has allergies, which helps, but we are used to eating a certain way...
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as far as food goes- lots of meat, healthy fats, and low carb veggies (think broccoli, NOT peas) - dairy is an iffy one - for me straight milk is not the best so for eggs and coffee i use heavy whipping cream- I love plain avocado and enjoy summer sausage with cream cheese (right now I am running and working out a lot so i need about 3500-4500 cals a day, that’s why i super up the fat)
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Permalink Reply by smileandnod on
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Eating lower carb meant a change in the way we had been eating too. The funny thing is that you won't feel hungry. My husband jumped on the plan with me - it's a change in lifestyle and just the way we eat now.
Not having kids in the house any longer helps because we just don't buy the foods that cause me problems. My husband has learned to check the carb counts on all packages before we buy and he'll be the one now to say "too many carbs" and move on.
We eliminated all processed foods, potatoes, rice, pasta, starchy vegetables, white bread and most other high carb breads. I also avoid most fruits (except berries and the occasional very small apple) and some dairy.
Part of it is trial and error. If a food spikes me, I eliminate it. If it works, I keep it.
We eat mostly fish, meat, chicken, low carb veggies, salad, cheese, and nuts. I also use heavy whipping cream in my coffee because it has less of an impact on my bg. I will still sometimes eat a sandwich with low carb whole wheat bread or a hamburger with a low carb bun.
I have talked to many people (non-diabetics) in my work circle who have eliminated all processed foods and "white" foods from their diets as an approach to eating healthier. This would be a good place for anyone to start.
I looked at it like this: Eating high carb was not working for me with managing my bg. So I needed to try something different, right?
If high carb works for you, that's awesome. But if it's not working, try something else.
That's just my two cents.
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Permalink Reply by Clare on -
My husband and I have certainly changed the way we eat, now that the kid is away at college. My husband is gluten sensitive so I have to read every package and make sure it doesn't have anything in it that could give him GI distress, and now he has started looking carefully at the carb count on things to make sure it won't cause a spike. We don't necessarily eat the same foods because I just can't stand some of his gluten free crap, but I have gotten more in to salads, fish, veggies. I use fat free 1/2 and 1/2 in my coffee, but a calculation of the carbs shows I consume 27 grams of carbs just in my 3 cups of coffee. I might think about the heavy cream instead. I would most likely use a lot less. I can't give up fruit though, especially in the summer. I love the cherries this year, and the blueberries have been great. Watermelon, peaches. Yum
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get full fat cream for your coffee - going fat free is a lie that will hurt you- it started in the US in the 60's and needs to be stopped http://eatingacademy.com/ and Gary Taubes will help give more on that though
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wow - i am glad other diabetics are eating this way too- good job - i wish someone had told me all this years ago- (T1 middle of 9th grd and my educator said eat what you want just use enough insulin- Thankx a lot lady, you screwed me over… now that i am an adult and able to learn and search, primal is what works for me.)
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Permalink Reply by smileandnod on
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Similar experience here and I feel the same way. I was diagnosed at the age of 27 about 25 years ago. Started out on the old exchange system with old insulins. When the new insulins came along and I started MDI I remember it was like a celebration at the dietician's office because, just as you said, you eat what you want and "just" use enough insulin to cover.
I was required to go for a refresher with the dietician as a requirement for going on a pump a few months ago. When I told the dietician that I tend not to eat when I'm high, her response was "Why not? You're going to cover it with insulin." She also told me that she had worn a saline pump for a day as a requirement for helping with diabetes camp.... I guess that means she knows what she's talking about.
I just wish that our medical professionals were educated and trained to at least give us options and let us make informed decisions, instead of leading us down a path that doesn't work for many people.
People who are newly diagnosed these days at least have the benefit of information through the internet and online communities. I wish I had that back in the day when I was diagnosed.
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Ok, eliminating 'white' foods I can sure try...but how do you tell ahigh carb veggie from one that's a low carb veggie? General sweetness I guess?
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