Ultimatum From Hell: Low-Carb vs. Low-Fat

With almost all foods nowadays having a "low-fat", "non-fat", "fat-free" or "light" version available, one might be tricked into thinking these are the perfect way to still enjoy all the things they typically eat while being able to shed the pounds. Makes sense right? Less fat you eat the less gets stored in your body. Well unfortunately this may not be the case for people on insulin. Be very wary my diabetic friends of so called fat-free products. Yes it's true, they do contain less fat than the original product. But I invite you to let your eyes wander just a little bit further down the nutrition label. Have a good hard look at the carb count. Allow yourself to look again at the fat, now again to the carbs. More often than not, items that are advertised as fat free will have more carbohydrates per serving thn their fatty counterparts. This is because the makers of the product will often add more sugar to make up for the flavor lost when the fat was removed. This is especially true for things like sour cream, cream cheese, chip dips, and milk. For type 1's and some type 2's that means more insulin. And insulin is often associated with weight gain. So for us diabetics this is kind of a lose-lose situation. Eat the fatty version which can make you gain weight? OR Eat the non-fat version, which means more insulin, which can also make you gain weight? Bleh, this blows.

Camping and My Little Slip-Up

Being summer and all, my fam jam's and I have been trying to get out camping more. Up until now we had only gone one or two days without at least making a trip back into town for groceries, work, etc. But this time we decided to go way up north to our relatives ranch for four days straight. Now this may not seem like very long but you guys probably didn't make the same mistake I did......................... I forgot extra pen tips. :/

Now I remembered to pack extra insulin, extra glucose tablets, extra test strips, spare meter, carb counting book, log book, extra lancing device and lancets, etc. I even brought my sharps bin! I just forgot one of the most vital items to a diabetic after their glucose meter and insulin. And without these little pen tips I wouldn't even even be able to access the latter.

So now I'm being forced to alcohol swab and reuse the pen tips I do have. Kind of a no-no but better than not taking my insulin at all right? This just goes to show that you really have to triple and quadruple check your supplies before you hit the road. I'm definitely making a check list for next time. Happy camping!!!

First A1C!!!



A1C Comparison Chart

At my appointment last week I got my very first HbA1c result.  My number was a beautiful 6.5%.  was told the average A1C of a non-diabetic was 6.4% so I felt pretty darn proud of myself. Your A1C is basically like a report card to tell how well you have been managing your diabetes. Now I know that I am still in the "Honeymoon Phase" of type 1 and that my pancreas hasn't completely crapped out on me yet, but I have still been doing everything I possibly can to keep my blood sugars in control. Time to kick diabetes up it's backside for the next three months and see if I can keep it that way :D

How To Get The Insulin Pump Experience Without Being On A Pump

I've been desperately wanting to get on a pump since about 3 weeks after my diagnosis. But alas there is that "wait it out" time period that my hospital enforces to allow you to get used to your diabetes before switching from MDI (Multiple Daily Injections) to an insulin pump. Usually they tell you to wait at least a year, but because I am older than most of their typical patients and very independant with my diabetes management they said that they would try to get me on one a lot sooner.

In the mean time though, I have been nosying around and I have found a way to get very close to "pump life" while still being on MDI's. There are three steps in this process and they are listed below.

***Please note that I am not a medical professional and that everything I am going to talk about works for me but may not work for you. This is also stuff that I have talked about with my diabetes team and I recommend that you do the same before trying any of these techniques.***

1.) I-Port Advance

I started using this device not because I have a phobia of needles but becase I was tired of the little red marks that all the injections were leaving on my stomach and thighs. I also wanted to get used to wearing something on my body for when I start using a pump.

The I-Port mimics infusion sets because it requires only one needle prick every three days. But instead of having tubing connected to your body, you inject your insulin with pens or syriges right into the device. The needle never touches your skin. It is inserted the exact same way that most infusion sets are and just leaves a tiny flexible cannula (plastic tube) beneath your skin. This little device is also great for kids who are scared of needles because it only requires 10 pokes a month as opposed to 3 or 4+ a day!

2.) Basal/ Bolus Insulin Regime (Lantus)

I think it's safe to say that everyone enjoys sleeping in. But if you're on the insulin program I was on before than that is just not an option. Until just recently I was using Humalog (aspart) and Humulin N (NPH) in the morning, Humalog again before dinner, and then Humulin N before bed. Sure it meant that I didn't have to inject myself at lunch because of the peak period of the NPH, but it also meant that I had very structured mealtimes with not a lot of wiggle room. If I wanted to sleep in I would still have to get up at 8:00am to give myself insulin and eat a full breakfast and then go back to bed if I wanted, but that practically never happened.

So my diabetes nurse recommended I try out a basal/ bolus approach. This involves taking Lantus (glargine) insulin that runs in the background and then taking the rapid acting Humalog to cover my meals and snacks. Lantus is a peakless insulin that allows me to eat whenever I want (or not at all if I don't feel like it) and gives me a lot more freedom in regards to sleeping in. Hallelujah!

Just like on a pump, the Lantus replaces the tiny drip of fast acting insulin and just lets you "bolus" for your meals by giving yourself rapid acting insulin.

3.) FreeStyle Insulinx Meter

This is not just a meter. This is the meter to end all meters. It is based on pump technology and can recommend an insulin dose based on your blood sugar and how many carbs you plan to eat. When you set it with someone on your diabetes team it even takes into account your insulin to carbs ratio, how long insulin stays in your body for, and how much insulin it takes to lower your blood sugar. This saves me a ton of trouble and has definitely helped me keep my blood glucose in range. Not only does it do the work for you but you can also set your own photo as a bcakground pic. Neat! The software it comes with it pretty awesome also and it lets you create graphs and charts to print off and show or email to your diabetes team. Oh and did I mention it's touchscreen?