Are cleanses okay for a type 1?

[GeishaGirl]

So my eating habits are ****, I feel like ****, and I really feel like I need to take some drastic measures. A friend of mine is on a cleanse (for her, she's also trying to discover allergies by adding foods back) and doing really really well on it. I understand that the weight loss associated with a cleanse is mostly water weight and severe loss of calories. I also know that several of my colleagues have done some, and they feel fantastic for them. However, NONE of these people are diabetic.

So, here's the basic question: Is there any kind of cleanse/fast/whatever that would be okay for me? Obviously, juice fasts are out. I AM on a pump, so I would be able to to take good care of my sugars and very rarely have to take care of a low. I'm also on Met, not sure if that would be allowed anyway.

So.... any ideas? :)

[e||ement]

hmm...that's a good question. i've been wondering that myself. before dx i did two cleanses a year: in the spring and in the fall.

this year i skipped my spring cleanse...i was just getting a handle on the T1 and didn't want to mess things up.

i do an elimination cleanse (which, like your friend, exposes food allergies and sensitivities). i don't imagine it would be unsafe for a T1, and i plan to pick it up again this fall. the only trouble, like you say, is treating lows. but perhaps you could be a bit conservative with your current ratios. and if you have to treat, you have to treat! perhaps you could treat with a fruit that brings you up fast, like grapes or melon?

what i do is eliminate all meat (except fresh water fish), all grains (except quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat), all dairy, all citrus fruits, all legumes and corn...all sugar (which i do most of the time now anyway), all alcohol, all caffiene .

i do this for 2 weeks, then i reintroduce one group at a time (usually grains, diary, citrus fruits, meat) for two weeks each.

i'll be honest. the first two weeks are difficult, and i always feel terrible the first week. lots of headaches, fatigue...but it's like a form of withdrawl mixed with intense detoxification.

after the eight-week stretch, i feel amazing and have so much energy. each time i learn something new.

the last cleanse i did, last fall, was a brown rice diet cleanse. i wanted to try something different. i wasn't a huge fan of it though, but did learn that brown rice syrup is a nice substitute for sugar...not that i ever use it now! LOL.

let us know what you decide to do!