diabetes

Ok, quick question about diabetes and nutrition. I have a friend that wants to eat healthy (of course) but claims that she cannot have LESS THAN 15G OF CARBS PER MEAL. Is this true. If this is true (she claims that this is what her doctor told her, i feel that i should ask her doctor about that), how would you plan a p/f meal for her? I was thinking something along the lines of a p/f meal with an orange (15.4) just to keep her carb levels up. What do you think? I am not a professional but through the years I have done wonders to my lifting numbers (and my physique) so she asked me for help.

Thanks

Is this friend a type 1 or type 2 Diabetic?

Doesn’t sound right to me, but if you want to combine P+F meals, then have her stick to all sorts of green veggies (the more the better, the greener the better) and some low-carb fruit (berries) and combine plenty of good protein and fat sources.

As a diabetic, she will need a certain amount of carbs in her diet, and I suggest getting them from all vegetable sources, whole-grain brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and whole-grain or wheat breads. If it’s man made, don’t eat it!

Stick to whole foods, natural foods, good, healthy foods.

Remember, the more advertising or packaging it comes in, the worse it is for you!

Nate is right,have her stick to the green vegies,and nix the high GI fruits…how about she try a dont diet/massive eating type plan…let her have a few higher(but not high) carb meals early in the day,and then more p+f meals later in the day/night with the p+f meals have her eat a nice large green salad with those meals…she could be kept in a near ketogenic state…also make sure she excersizes!

Nate Dogg, Does it make sense to give a diabetic any kind of grains, even whole grains? Don’t the grains have too high a glycemic index?

I’m highly insulin resistant and I stay away from all grains except for the occasional Ezekial (sprouted grain) bread, but I’ll bow to superior knowledge in this subject.

Yeah, type I or type II? What Nate Dogg said holds true regardless because low GI/glycemic load carbs are preferred (for the average non-PW meal) in people with or without diabetes. The reason why people with a functional pancreas consume high GI carbs post-workout is to take advantage of the insulin surge and subsequent anabolic response. Diabetics don’t have this, so they can’t handle a rapid rise in blood glucose levels. Get your friend a list of the GI/GL values of common foods. The lower the number the better. The goal is to keep blood glucose within a certain range, and slow burning carbs make this less difficult.

“If this is true (she claims that this is what her doctor told her, i feel that i should ask her doctor about that), how would you plan a p/f meal for her?”

I wouldn’t. She’s not playing by the same rules as you, so her diet should be different. If your friend is type I (insulin-dependent), she takes shots of insulin that are most likely time released forms intended to provide a constant level of insulin in the blood. This is why her doc said 15 g C per meal, to avoid hypoglycemia which can lead to fun things such as seizures. You start manipulating her diet and telling her to eat purely P/F meals and you may run into problems.

If she’s type II, which is more common, she most likely takes pills to keep her blood sugar down and help her body use the insulin it does make. You may have a little more freedom with planning a diet for her, depending on her status. Just keep in mind the following:

If you were looking at a line graph for insulin release following high GI carb ingestion (malto), normal subjects have a rapid spike and decline back to normal. People w/Type II DM curve looks more like an arc; the pancreas makes some insulin but it is not proportionate to balance out a spike in blood glucose. It’s a slower sustained process. Type I DM curve is a flat line - no insulin.

Phew, sorry if I rambled. Hope this helps, but we need to know which type, which meds, etc in order to be of more assistance.

Thanks a lot for the responses guys. First of all, she is type I diabetes (insulin-dependent). I told her i do not plan to tell her anything until I find out EVERYTHING i can about type I, which is the reason I want to speak with her doctor and hear what he has to say. You have been very helpful and if there’s anything else I should know about her diet that would help, please let me know.

Thanks