What to eat?

[BJC411]

Since I've only been diagnosed since wed, I dont see the dietrician till the 28th, and was wondering what I should be eating or watching for. I'm 5'8 and 166lbs if that helps, and 25years old.

[Erin]

Wow... that's a broad question! Where could I even start.

First off, welcome to the boards. Everybody here's great, and there's so much information, it's astounding really. I hope you find a "home" here.

so, what to eat, well I guess that depends on what you want your blood sugar to do, how much you've exercised, how much insulin you're taking, etc.

Basically, carbohydrates make blood sugar go up, vegetables and protein have next to no effect. High amounts of fat have this strange keep you high forever effect (at least for me... I don't fully understand the science behind it, so i won't try to explain)

It's all very complex, but the basic principle is simple, carbohydrates including simple sugars make your blood sugar go up. Insulin (and exercise) makes it go down. Match the carbs to the insulin and you're golden. If you don't eat enough carbs for the insulin, you'll go low (and that's NOT fun, not fun at all) don't take enough insulin, then you go high.

The one thing I'd advise you to watch out for are hidden carbs, things that you wouldn't think have sugar in them. Salad dressing, different sauces, drinks, stuff like that that you don't even necessarily notice yourself eating. Those are the killers, mostly because they blind side you.

I hope that I answered at least part of what you were asking. Take care!

-Erin

[BJC411]

That gives a good start, I just have no clue and have been trying to read about everything, its just a big overload on my brain. Is there a ratio they go by for age, weight and height that I should go for, fornow? I take 15 units of 70/30 in the morning and 10 at night, then I have the humalog (4 units)to take if Im over 200 before meals. Like I said I dont see the dietrician until the 28 so Im alittle lost. Thanks for the help. :)

[MarkMunday]

.... Is there a ratio they go by for age, weight and height that I should go for, for now? ....
Here is an insulin dosage calculator to look at.

http://diabetesnet.com/diabetes_tools/tools_tdd.php

The ratios probably won't work for you because you are in the honeymoon stage. Your pancreas is still producing some insulin. And you will have to figure out how much you need to supplement by trial and error.... You are at the beginning of a never ending learning curve!

Punch your numbers into the calculator anyway. It will estimate your total insulin requirement. But you won't have to inject all of it.

Cheers,

Mark

[ksa01]

Did they tell you anything about how many carbohydrates you should be eating every day? Without this general knowledge, my concern would be not eating enough carbs and therefore having too much insulin. Too much insulin would cause you bs to go too low which could be very dangerous. It doesn't sound like you are having this problem, but be careful and check you bs regularly. Make sure you have glucose tabs or sugary softdrinks with you to treat any sudden lows.

If I were you, I wouldn't make any changes to you routine. Stick to the insulin amount you were given until you learn more about the disease and how you personally react to the insulin doses. In the meantime, make a fuss with your doctor's office and demand that you get more help and education as soon as possible. Perhaps the is a diabetes educators that could see you sooner than the dietician or even the doctor.

Are you under the care of an endocrinologist or just a primary care physician? An endocrinologist has a more indepth understanding of diabetes and could most likely offer more information and instruction to you.

There is a lot to learn when you are first diagnosed and it is overwhelming. It takes quite a while to learn and understand how to make changes to insulin doses in accordance to what you eat or how high your bs is. If you have access to a good doctor or diabetes educator, it will be easier to learn the important stuff.

Good luck and feel free to ask any questions. There is always someone here that can offer advise.

[Amanda_Jo22]

BJC, just wanted to chime in and welcome you to the boards! I'm glad you found us. :thumbsup:

Will you be seeing a doc (and endocrinologist) before your appointment w/the RD? If so, I would question the doc. I would try to eat a small or moderate amount of carbohydrates, preferably complex carbs, mixed with lots of veggies and proteins. Try to stay away from high fatty things like pasta and pizza (the good stuff in life ;) ). These foods will raise your blood sugars for a longer period of time.

Again BJC welcome to the clan! The door's always open so come by often.

[BJC411]

I have been sticking to the dosages the doc gave me and my numbers are good so far, I was just wondering about how many carbs and such should I have? What I eat now just doesnt seem to fill me up and am always hungry. I probably just have to get used to eating better since I really didnt worry about it before.

[Erin]

If you're hungry all the time, then you need to be eating more (unless you're trying to lose weight?) Talk to your doctor, it could be that you need to take more insulin (and then eat more). Check out the food pyramid http://www.mypyramid.gov/ for a good estimate of what a healthy diet looks like. Also if you're really hungry, try adding some meat to your diet, protein's a good stomach filler!

Some diabetics choose to go on very low carb diets, and the "old" wisdom told us to eat tons of carbohydrates and take tons of insulin (that was a great way to live...). I'm of the mind that I'm a person first, diabetic second, and as such I need to eat what all other normal folks eat. In time you'll find a meal plan that works for you.

[BJC411]

I was also wondering if there is anything I can do about the blurry vision, the doctor says it could last for acouple of months, it seems to come and go. Other than that I feel 10 times better than I did last week. :)

[LauRa Lu]

My blury vision was really bad for a good week or so after being diagnosed. It probably did take about a month or so to clear up totally. It will be different for different people I supose and also how high you were when you were diagnosed must make a difference to how blury your eyes can get, and how long they can take to clear up. :)

[BJC411]

I just wanted to say thanks for the info and my eyes are starting to get better already! ;)