5 Methods to Help Control Blood Sugar in Type 1 Diabetics

There is no single food that can cure any given disease or make you healthier. However, your diet is a major key to health, well-being, and a happy life. There are ways that you can adjust your diet to help you take care of a condition and make you feel better in your own skin. A diet modification is never about just introducing or removing only one food, it is a wholesome all-round approach that should encompass not only all the foods you eat, but rather your whole lifestyle and take into account your mental well-being too.

I want to share several diet approaches and their pros and cons which I have found to be helpful in managing my glucose levels with you. Read on for 5 Methods to Help Control Blood Sugar in Type 1 Diabetics.

I live with Type 1 Diabetes. I control my blood sugars manually every day, as my body does not produce insulin – the hormone that controls the body’s blood glucose levels in a non-diabetic. 

1. Lower Carb Diet

Carbs are the macronutrient that requires the highest amount of insulin per gram, but protein and fats do need insulin too. A diet that is lower in carbohydrates will generally require less insulin, which means less will need to be manually injected, hence reducing risk of hypoglycemia and blood sugar swings.

2. Slow-Release Carbohydrates

Fast release carbohydrates cause a higher blood sugar spike in diabetics, than slow-release ones. A slower release carbohydrate will match the insulin action profile better, which means that the blood sugar spike will be smaller, and blood sugars will be in range for a longer duration. Slowrelease carbs will keep you fuller for longer, as the digestion is slower and the energy derived from the food endures over a period of time.

3. Hydration

Drinking enough water ensures that your blood is viscous, and flows fast and easily through your blood vessels. When you are dehydrated, insulin resistance increases and the manually injected (in diabetes) will take very long to work, hence, not affecting blood glucose levels in the desired and expected manner. This is dangerous, as over-correction may happen, which may cause a low blood sugar later.

4. Balanced Meals

A diet balanced in protein, carbs, fibre and fats will help with a smoother digestion, and reduce the speed of glucose absorption. This will mean that digestion time will more ideally follow the insulin action profile. This will help with better blood sugar control.

5. Regimen & Regular Meals

Timing of meals and insulin injections in diabetes is crucial. The less variables we have, the easier our management will be. Keeping meal times the same and knowing our schedule can help a diabetic plan ahead and take the needed actions for easy blood sugar management.

Meal Timing Around Exercise

Exercising after a meal will reduce insulin needs for that meal and reduce the postprandial glucose spike. This will increase the stability of blood sugars and help reduce overall blood sugar swings. (This needs to be managed wisely and insulin doses will be different without exercise.) No single food can help control diabetes or any other disease. The only approach that works is to find a balanced life and a nutritional approach that works for you. Everyone is different, and different ways of eating will work best for each one of us. Discover it for yourself, learn what works for your body and work around that.

Do you have Type 1 Diabetes? Perhaps you know someone that does? Please share the link to this article with them if you think it could help. So, how do you or they manage to keep fit? What kind of diet methods and approaches have you found to be most effective? Do share your experiences in the comments below and join in the conversation on FacebookTwitter Instagram.

Daria Arofikina

Daria is a Type 1 Diabetic health blogger, personal trainer and online fitness coach, with a limitless love for all things fitness, food and balanced lifestyle. She provides fitness programs and coaching to Type 1 Diabetics, as well as non-diabetic clients. Her goal is to demonstrate that anything in life is possible and can be achieved with the correct mindset, nutrition and preparation. She loves to make new connections and is open to new opportunities. You can contact her via her website at: https://www.t1levelfitness.co.uk and Instagram: @t1level_daria

We will be happy to hear your thoughts

Leave a reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Keep Fit Kingdom
Logo