Low carb holidays (with steady blood sugar levels throughout) are possible - but it requires a plan for success. Check out these ideas and recipes from Ashley Harris of diaVerge.com for a happy, diabetes-friendly low carb Thanksgiving.
Our Favorite Recipes
What are our tried-and-true low carb recipes that are blood-sugar friendly for easier diabetes management? See this list of my family’s favorites, from some of our favorite low carb recipe sites.
My Dirty Little Secret About Diabetes
How my own struggle and pain led - eventually- to freedom and positivity. I don’t hate diabetes anymore and that is a transformation that comes from both a change in diet and mindset.
MAKING YOUR “NEW NORMAL” NORMAL
You are sitting in a hospital. You have just received, quite possibly, the most devastating news of your life thus far. You are being told that your child, the person who possesses your entire heart, has a chronic and life-threatening disease, type 1 diabetes.
Please Welcome Ashley Harris!
Ashley Harris has joined diaVerge as a Content Coordinator for the new LC T1D Community! Both Ashley and her young daughter are T1D, and Ashey is incredibly involved in the online and local T1D parent communities.
Small Numbers: A film about Lisa La Nasa
A new film about Lisa La Nasa of diaVerge, the journey to find low carb and the changes that she's experienced.
The Polarizing Effect of "Control"
CONTROL. Why does that word pit us against each other in the diabetes community and make some feel superior? Where should we place our focus instead?
Insulin Mistakes: Survey Results & Recommendations
Insulin mistakes are prevalent, but how come no one is talking about this? Here are the results from our recent audience survey. Learn which mistakes are happening the most often and the best safety practices for insulin use.
5 Tips for Diabetes Management
These 5 crucial tips will teach you how to create a successful, long term lifestyle change with low carb eating. Diabetes management can be easier. We'll show you how.
Small Corrections Maintain A Straight Line
If you want to drive in a straight line, you need turn the steering wheel using small, controlled movements. You over-correct and you crash. Diabetes management is the exact same. In order to avoid potentially tragic results, use small inputs and small corrections.
Product Review: Harper Insulated Travel Bag from Sugar Medical
I review the Harper Insulated Travel bag from Sugar Medical during my month-long summer vacation. How did I like it? What would I change? Read all about it and get the 15% off discount code for ANY of Sugar Medical's diabetes supply products!
The Benefits of Mindfulness Practices for Diabetes Management
Whether you practice meditation, active centering such as yoga or thai chi, or Dr. Bernstein's method of self-hypnosis, any form of relaxation and mindful focus can be beneficial to maintaining blood glucose levels.
Food Prep for Fast Weeknight Meals
Are you sick of struggling to cook healthy, homemade meals on busy weeknights? What if you can prep once per week and have different, flavorful meals (nearly) ready to go every night? We share a unique food prep strategy that can help you do this.
Dismal Medtronic 670g Results for Pediatrics
The Medtronic 670g insulin pump system has been studied for pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes, although not yet approved by the FDA for that group. What are the pediatric results and how do they compare to adolescents and adults using the 670g in automatic mode? How does low carb compare to all of these results?
My Promise To You For 2018
What are the goals of diaVerge and how did it start? This new year starts with honesty and my promise to you.
Ideal Treatment of Hypoglycemia - Plus Alternatives
There is no denying that pure glucose or dextrose (the crystalline form of glucose) is by far the fastest and most accurate way to treat a low blood sugar level.
Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution book states:
"Glucose, the sugar of blood sugar, does not have to be digested or converted in the liver to anything else. Unlike other sweets, it's absorbed into the blood directly thought the mucous membranes of the stomach and gut. Furthermore...we can compute precisely how much a fixed amount of glucose will raise blood sugar." Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution book (2011) p. 339
Glucose tablets are portable, measurable, predictable and fast-Acting. It's the ideal combination.
But they lack one important criterion: readily available.
In my experience living on three continents within the last two years and working with people all over the world, I've learned that glucose tablets are not frequently available outside of the USA and Canada. In North America, we seem to assume that the same goods are available everywhere. They're not.
Glucose tablets are nearly impossible to find in some places of the world or so exorbitantly priced that they're out of reach of many.
So while not ideal, we do what we have to do.
As an alternative to glucose tablets, you can use 'Dr. Bernstein Approved' candy similar to 'Smarties" in the USA.
(Please note, these are different than Smarties in Europe). Dr. Bernstein also recommends 'Bottle caps" or SweeTARTS candies (or similar) as alternatives and lists these on page 343 of Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution book. These small candies often contain nearly 100% glucose/dextrose and similar candies can be found in many countries.
Avoid any candy with a sugary shell such as Skittles, M&M's, Rocklets and many others, particularly chocolates, as these will be digested much slower due to the waxes and fats contained.
You also want to avoid treating a low blood sugar level with food or beverages. Food is not measurable, predictable or fast acting. When treating hypoglycemia with food, we usually end up eating far too much (defeating the Law of Small Numbers) before the symptoms of our low blood sugar are alleviated and as a result, creating a rebound-high.
Another approved alternative is glucose/dextrose powder which is normally more accessible than tablets.
Glucose powder and/or Dextrose granules are a great way to treat a low blood sugar level at home. You can measure the appropriate amount of powder/granules to treat your blood sugar level and mix with water to drink. Alternately, if you want to create a great chemistry experiment, you can attempt to make your own glucose tablets at home.
I've also tried powdered glucose packets available at some pharmacies that recommend pouring into the mouth directly. I DO NOT RECOMMEND these, nor do I recommend pouring ANY powdered glucose directly into your mouth because of the probability of aspirating (breathing in) the powder. Been there. Done that. Not fun.
Out of all of the options, the most accessible thing that I've found worldwide is sugar...
And I wrote about it here while living in Argentina for 5 years. While table sugar is not ideal because of the fructose/glucose combination which slightly slows the absorption, it's available in small packets which meets the requirements of portable, measurable, readily available and fast-acting (although as I mentioned, slightly slower than pure glucose).
Is TABLE sugar ideal to treat a low? No
Will it work? Yes
There are many tips and tricks to diabetes management-- which is obvious by the sheer size of Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution book. We always want to remember the Law of Small Numbers and in the treatment of hypoglycemia, the key requirements of small, measurable, predictable corrections.
But I will never be a purist about glucose tablets. Glucose tablets are amazing and I highly recommend glucose tablets if you have access to them.
But if you can't get glucose tablets, look for the approved alternatives listed above.
Then there are other alternatives, like sugar, that I see as the lesser of all the other evils.
I will never say that glucose is the ONLY way to effectively treat a low blood sugar level because I've been there for years - without any access to glucose tablets - and using what I could to keep the corrections small, measurable and predictable.
We all do what we have to do.
For more information on Hypoglycemia and the Treatment of Lows (including a chart on how to calculate your corrections based on body weight) click the red link to the diaVerge article.
If you're interested in making a change towards more optimal diabetes management and don't know where to start, or have questions, we'd love to help you improve your diabetes management and quality of life. More info at diaVerge Diabetes Education & Coaching.
If you still haven't read Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution book or want to buy another copy as a gift to your doctor or a friend, click the link to buy it on Amazon.
My New Body - Life After An Insulin Pump
Why would anyone willingly give up their insulin pump? I recently did and I'm reveling in my new-found freedom of multiple daily injections.
So I Walked Into Walmart...
My experience at Walmart, with a stranger looking for advice about blood glucose meters, made me question all of what we are taught as people with type 1 diabetes.
T1D Will Travel - Airports & Airlines
Ever wonder what it's like to travel with diabetes and low carb eating? Lisa has done it and challenged herself to pack no food or snacks for the long international flights and 10 days in Spain. How did it go? Did she have success? Read more here.
Explaining The Low Carb Lifestyle
What to do when someone questions you about low carb eating? What do you say and does it even matter? Know your audience and approach it with ease, but in the long run, what you're doing is for you.