Carbs and Kids - Clarification....

Since my Blog is titled Three 2 Treat, I should clarify what the other 2 Type 1's eat; those others being my two children.

I know it's obvious what my stance on Carbs is, but I should make it clear that these are my own Food Choices and I certainly don't impose these choices on my five kids. Just in case any readers are inclined to think that I'm a crazy man that only feeds my kids eggs, meat, and veggies. Trust me my children would form a mutiny and lock me out of my own house.

A clue would be to read some past posts like Fire The Easter Bunny , taking note the Pic of my smallest Type 1 chowing down on a large (certainly not low carb) chocolate bunny.

My stance on diet and food choices is also a journey, over my 28 years of dealing with my own type 1 diabetes. Years of  food exchange diets; being told to avoid sugar, being told sugar is okay, to intense carbohydrate counting, using pocket scales, kitchen scales, and nutrient bibles.  Not to mention the thousands of miscalculated carb counts, and the extreme variability in the foods and the effect they have had on my blood glucose readings. So I am what you could call a human  Lab Rat, and I am constantly trying to figure out what works for my diabetes management. If I read compelling enough evidence, not just anecdotal that a certain method of diabetes management may work better then others, I try it.  

I read about carb reduction 10 years ago, but didn't try it, as I didn't think there was enough research regarding it, especially for Type 1 diabetes.  But now the evidence exists and promising and more and more is being done regarding lower carb, moderate protein and fat diets and the effect thay have on health.

I realize that this is my personal choice, and not for everyone, but I also feel strongly that our current lifestyle of 200 gms of CHO plus a day seems to be creating problems that can't be ignored. And, when I continue to try to understand the possible reasons, be it inactivity, genetics, food choices, and metabolic pathways, I really think we need to ask ourselves, are we eating a diet conducive to good blood glucose control and health?

I know for myself, high carb meals, lead to huge errors in carb counting (even measuring on a scale) larger doses of insulin leads to variable absorption, which leads to more extreme fluctuation in blood glucose readings, and more lows and highs. So for me it makes logical sense to reduce the carb a little or a lot depending on your comfort level, to make diabetes management a little more predictable.

As for my kids, they eat a typical kid diet. They have cookies and milk, Kraft Dinner, Mr Noodles, Ice Cream, and pretty much what they want(with in reason) We buy lots of fruit (which isn't low carb) that they have access to when ever they feel the urge. Kids with D or any child for that matter need calories, lots of em, especially active kids, but for the middle aged office worker, hmm me, I am certainly not burning the fuel like the little ones.  

The 2 little Type 1's have good days and bad days with their glucose readings, and unfortunately the bad days are the ones where the meals and snacks are higher in carbs or meals that are difficult to calculate, but this is all part of being a kid with D, I know because I was one once, and I loved my moms home made cookies and milk.  

Trev