Juvenile Diabetes Diet

Proper management of type 1 diabetes requires maintaining a healthy diet designed to ensure proper nutrition while monitoring the intake of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. However, it is essential to understand that there is no single universal type 1 diabetes diet. Proper management of the condition involves being mindful of what and how you eat and how the body responds to certain foods.

Why Should you Follow a Juvenile Diabetes Diet?

Although there’s no universal diet for juvenile diabetes, people with the condition need to monitor their blood glucose levels closely. Without insulin therapy, proper diet, and exercise, a person with juvenile diabetes could experience serious health complications. Some of the common complications associated with unmanaged type juvenile diabetes include:

High blood pressure and increased risk for stroke, poor blood circulation, and heart attack
Skin sores can be infected causing pain and tissue death
Vision problems
Nerve damage
Kidney damage

Following the proper type 1 diabetes dietary guidelines can mitigate the complications associated with the condition and improve the overall quality of life.

Read about the Obesity Epidemic associated with Juvenile Diabetes HERE!

How Can you Prepare for a Juvenile Diabetes Diet?

Although there is no standard diet for juvenile diabetes, a dietitian or nutritionist can help you come up with a diet and create meal plans that work for you even in the long term.

It might seem easy to reach for processed foods and fast foods especially when you’re short on money or time, but it’s essential to keep in mind that these foods are high in salt, sugar, and fat, and they offer minimal nutrients.

Grocery shopping regularly and planning meals ahead can help reduce “emergency eating” which is usually “unhealthy eating”.

Stocking your kitchen well with healthy foodstuffs can also help reduce your intake of unhealthy sugar, sodium, fat, sodium, and carbohydrates that can spike blood glucose.

One of the most important aspects of a healthy juvenile diabetes diet is consistency. You can maintain consistent blood sugar levels by:

Eating around the same time every day
Avoiding skipping meals
Paying keen attention to food labels

Starting a Diabetes Diet

You should work with your doctor to calculate the right dosage of insulin according to your carbs intake. Your healthcare provider will also guide you on the importance of exercise and your recommended activity level.

Choosing nutritious foods high in minerals and vitamins is optimal. It is generally recommended that you choose nutrient-dense carbohydrates, healthy proteins, and fats.

In case you’re having any problems managing juvenile diabetes, work with your dietitian or doctor to help manage your timing of meals and medications. It is also important to discuss the portions of carbohydrates per meal that are appropriate according to your specific condition and needs.

Here are some recommendations:

Carbohydrates

The three main types of carbs are sugar, starches, and fiber, which can come in form of bread, pasta, fruits, beans, or starchy vegetables. Carbohydrates are converted into sugar in the digestive tract before being absorbed into the bloodstream hence raising your blood sugar level.

Therefore, it is important for people with juvenile diabetes to manage their carbohydrate intake. If your blood sugar levels are low, choose fast-acting carbohydrates that will be easily digested and then absorbed into your bloodstream.

Start with 15g of carbohydrates then recheck your blood glucose and have another 15g if the level is still low.

Top 5carb counter apps for diabetes — Use the Carb counter App for Tracking Carbs

Fast-acting carbs (15 grams) include:

4-6 crackers
¼ cup of fresh fruit juice
4 ounces of fresh fruit (1 small fresh fruit)
1 tsp of honey
2 tsps of raisins

Fruits

If you are using a juvenile diabetes diet plan, fruits should be counted as carbs because they’re natural sources of sugar. You can opt for frozen or fresh fruits. However, it is important to keep in mind how many carbs are in specific portions of fruit in order to properly manage your insulin and blood sugar levels.

Examples of fruits that contain carbohydrates (portions that contain 15g of carbohydrates)

3 ounces of fresh/frozen grapes
½ cup of canned fruit
4 ounces of fresh fruit (1 small fresh fruit)
1 cup of melon or grapes
½ cup of fresh fruit juice

Remember, you don’t have to limit your intake to only 15g per snack or meal. However, you should note the number of carbohydrates in specific servings based on your blood glucose management plan and insulin needs.

Vegetables

Sugar, in form of starch, naturally occurs in a wide variety of common vegetables including peas, corn, and potatoes. However, starchy vegetables are higher in carbs compared to other vegetables and should be consumed in moderation and properly accounted for especially when calculating the carbohydrate intake of type 1 diabetes patients.

On the other hand, non-starchy veggies have a lower impact on the blood sugar level and are richer in phytochemicals, fiber, and minerals. Therefore, you can eat up to 3 cups of non-starchy vegetables per meal without having a big effect on your blood sugar levels.

More than 3 cups of non-starchy vegetables can be counted as 15g of carbohydrates and anything less than 3 cups should be considered “free”. Examples of non-starchy vegetables include:

Onions
Beets
Asparagus
Green leafy veggies
Carrots
Sprouts
Peppers
Celery
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Sprouts

Always choose frozen or fresh vegetables without added sauces or salt.

Portions of starchy veggies that contain 15g of carbohydrates include:

½ cup of peas
3 ounces of baked potato
½ cup of squash
½ cup of boiled potatoes or sweet potatoes
½ cup of corn

Whole grains

These are considered fibrous and nutritious starch and it is recommended that about 50% of grains consumed should be whole. Whole-grain bread, bran cereal, and brown rice are great sources of whole grains.

Be mindful of your total intake in a single meal and read labels to ensure your blood sugar is properly regulated with the medication you are using.

Fats and proteins

Healthy fats are important for optimal heart and brain functioning while proteins are very important in repairing wounds and maintaining muscle. Proteins can be found in meat, eggs, and beans. Healthy fats include seeds, nuts, and avocado.

Fats and proteins don’t directly raise blood sugar levels. However, experts recommend that people with juvenile diabetes limit their intake of fatty or processed meats, which are high in sodium and saturated fat.

Although these items do not affect blood sugar directly, consuming them in high quantities can have harmful effects such as heart disease, which is a common complication of type 1 diabetes.

When Should You Eat?

Knowing when and what to eat is extremely important.

It is recommended that juvenile diabetes patients eat smaller meals while progressively snacking throughout the day in order to make their blood sugar easier to manage and monitor while preventing spikes.

A certified diabetes educator or registered dietitian and your doctor can help you calculate the insulin needed to support your carbs intake while avoiding blood sugar lows and highs.

Nuts, vegetables, and fruits travel easily and are particularly great to have on hand especially when you need them.

Physical activity and exercise lower blood sugar. Therefore, it’s important to measure blood sugar levels before and after engaging in any physical activity. This lets you know how much you have to eat in order to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

The bottom-line

Living with juvenile diabetes or type 1 diabetes means you must be more mindful of what you eat and its impact on your body. Your nutritionist, dietitian, and a doctor can help you create a meal plan that works specifically for you.

See more information HERE on Juvenile Diabetes:)

What is the best type 11 diabetes diet?

What is the Best type 11 diabetes diet?

The perfect type 11 diabetes diet, is really going to vary from one person to the next.

We are all going to require a slightly different structure in out diets, depending on a few factors, such as

age
weight and
exercise and activity levels.

well these are the main ones. To find out more about your specific requirements, it it best to visit your nutritionist or dietitian and they will help you plan the best diet for your needs.

Maintaining a healthy diet is vital! Especially for diabetes sufferers. It’s important not to skip meals – have 3 ‘well spaced out’ meals a day. This is going to help greatly to control you blood glucose levels and your appetite!

Carbohydrates and Type 11 Diabetes Diet

There are two main types of carbohydrates – There’s Starchy carbohydrates and sugar carbohydrates. When planning your meals, it’s important to incorporate some starchy carbohydrates into each meal. These may include:

Cereals
Potatoes
Breads
Rice
Pasta

Always try and include the lower GI (glycaemic index) carbs, as they help to keep your glucose levels down.

Some examples of Lower GI foods to include in your type 11 diabetes diet would be:

Soy Products
Some Fruits
Milk
Pasta
Grainy Breads

All carbohydrates are a very important part of a type 11 diabetes diet. Glucose from carbs is also essential to the body’s well being – especially the brain. Carbs high in fibre, like in fruit and wholegrains, are important for maintaining a healthy gut and digestive system.

Important’ Fat Facts’ for a type 11 diabetes diet.

It’s also important, to try and limit the amounts of fat you eat especially saturated fats. Fats contain the most calories, so if you try and eat less fat, it will allow you to lose more weight if you are overweight.

Try and cut out butter, margarine and cheese from your diet – or really try hard to limit the amount you have. (I know for some people that’s hard. Butter is one of my biggest downfalls).

Choose low fat dairy products, like yogurts and milks, reduced fat spreads and cheeses.

There’s actually great news for yogurt lovers, with results from a recent study over an 11 year period, showing those people who loved and ate low-fat fermented dairy products like low-fat yogurts and cheese, were 24% less likely to develop diabetes, compared to those people who ate none. How good is that!

It’s very important to include fish in your diet. At least 2 servings a week is OK, more if you’re a fish lover like me! The oily fish is best, as it is high in omega 3 (polyunsaturated fat) which is great for your ‘heart health’. Best fish to eat are sardines, mackerel, pilchards and salmon.

3 Popular meal ideas for Type 11 Diabetes Diet

Breakfast

Whisk up an egg with a little low fat milk and sprinkle with a bit of finely grated garlic and cracked black pepper. Cook in microwave for around 1 minute – until the egg is cooked through. Place on top of a slice of wholegrain toast (no butter) and top with a slice of avocado. Yum!
A small bowl of oats (porridge) cooked with water or unsweetened almond or soy milk in the microwave – toss in a generous sprinkle of cinnamon for taste or top with a small serve of berries.
Try this one – Mix half a cup of low fat Greek yogurt with about the same amount of un-toasted, natural muesli. Top with some berries or a little sliced mango. My whole family love this!

Lunch

Cook up some quinoa, and throw in a few veggies, like chopped capsicum, some finely chopped beans, red onion and tomato, actually whatever is in your fridge – I often use red cabbage, celery and even a few grapes or strawberries, just to add a little sweetness and interest. Mix in a good squeeze of lemon and a little olive oil. Top this with some canned salmon, or tuna and a good sprinkle of chopped parsley. Keeps me going and gives me heaps of energy!
Whole wheat wraps – spread with a little hummus, top with some chopped grilled chicken breast – (no skin remember) some sundried tomatoes, feta cheese and a heap of leafy greens.
For something lighter, just try some whole wheat crackers, add some hummus or a little tahini (this is a sesame seed spread – tastes like peanut butter!) add some tomato and cucumber, topped with canned tuna and some cracked black pepper.

Dinner

1. Bake some sweet potato in the oven with just a quick spray of olive oil, once cooled, add to some leafy greens, feta cheese, toasted pine nuts and grilled chicken. A nice squeeze of lemon juice over the top, will add a nice ‘tang’ to this meal.

2. Grilled veggie stack with (capsicum, eggplant, red onion, ) and a nice serving of good quality steak, just seared to your liking in a little olive oil.

3. Wholemeal pasta with basil pesto – Boil up some pasta in a saucepan with water and a tiny splash of olive oil. (This prevents it from sticking together) Then mix up together (in a kitchen wiz) a nice bunch of fresh basil, a quarter cup of pine nuts, 2 cloves of garlic and a good soaking of olive oil. I also add some lemon juice for that extra tang. Combine this with a nice piece of grilled fish or chicken. This is always a quick and easy favorite of mine, and what’s left over, you can always have for lunch the next day. Too easy!

If you want to control your diabetes and even reverse it, fad diets are not the answer. You will have to adapt to a good healthy eating plan, for the rest of your life. Include some of these type 11 diabetes diet suggestions with plenty of exercise and you’re well on the way!