Let’s talk about Food, Nutrition & Type 1 Diabetes. The Connected in Motion team surveyed the community to find out the topics and themes that were top of mind as we launched into 2021. This is what we’ve learned from you and what we’ll be focusing on addressing in the year to come. Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments!
Revisiting the Basics
Put your hand up if you remember the Exchange System of the Canadian Food Guide? What about sliding scales of insulin doses based on what you ate? Maybe you jumped in with both feet to learn carb counting when you were diagnosed? Did anyone ever teach you about dosing insulin for fats and proteins?
Over time, the way we understand food and its relationship to our bodies and diabetes changes. We heard from the community that it’s never too late to get refreshed with the basics of nutrition. If you were diagnosed with diabetes today what would you be learning and how would that be different from what you have learned previously? You told us that it’s important to maintain a basic foundation and understanding of food, nutrition and diabetes.
Interested in this Food, Nutrition & Type 1 Diabetes topic? Check out the following Virtual Slipstream session:
Back to Basics Nutrition: The cornerstones of balancing food, insulin & blood sugar
With Lisa deMolitor, RD, CDE
Sunday, April 25th, 2021 11:30 am ET
Basic nutrition isn’t just for new T1Ds — we can all use a refresher sometimes! Revisit some of the core principles of matching insulin with food, like accurate carb counting and insulin action, so you can bolus with confidence at your next meal.
Staying up to date with the latest food-dosing techniques
We also heard from you many people that they were ready to take things a step further and tackle some of the more challenging aspects of dosing insulin for food. We’ve heard about the dreaded pizza-bolus. We know that fat and protein can kick our butts. We recognize that most of our greatest home-cooked meals don’t come with a nutrition label. We recognize that everyone’s tastes and traditions are different and the ways we may have learned to dose insulin for food just don’t stand a chance when faced with our ‘normal’ eating habits.
Interested in this Food, Nutrition & Type 1 Diabetes topic? Check out the following Virtual Slipstream session:
Mastering Insulin when Food gets Challenging
With Alanna Chambers, RD, CDE
Saturday, April 24th, 2021 5:30 pm ET
We’ll take a closer look at how fat and protein affect blood glucose and discuss strategies for managing high fat and/or high protein foods. We’ll review current carb counting practices and talk about strategies for managing ‘fast-acting carbs’. We’ll dive into current low carb diet trends and discuss the risks and benefits with type 1 diabetes.
The relationship between Celiac-Disease and Diabetes
Do you remember when Gluten-Free became part of your vocabulary? Over the past years, the connection between Celiac and Disease and Type 1 diabetes has become much clearer. With improved testing techniques and better education, we’re seeing more cases of Celiac Disease diagnosed among people with Type 1 diabetes than we could have imagined a decade ago.
Interested in this Food, Nutrition & Type 1 Diabetes topic? Check out the following Virtual Slipstream session:
The Ins & Outs of Celiac Disease & Diabetes: Pathology, warning signs, & strategies to live well gluten-free
With Alanna Chambers, RD, CDE
Sunday, April 25th, 2021 11:30 am ET
How much do you know about the link between celiac disease and T1D? Come find out how they are related and how it impacts those who are diagnosed with both, including tips for anyone who must follow a gluten-free diet.
Variety and choice are key!
Just like how many people’s diabetes management style differ, so do the foods we love to enjoy. We heard you tell us about the importance of building diabetes management to fit your palette and preferences. Some of you knock it out of the park on low-carb diets. Others are rocking high-carb, low-fat meals.
Some of you snack all day and seldom eat full meals. Others love their time in the kitchen creating culinary masterpieces. We’ve heard from you the importance of respecting one another’s food choices and being open-minded to trying something new!
Interested in this Food, Nutrition & Type 1 Diabetes topic? Check out the following Virtual Slipstream session:
Cook with Me: Hands-on low-carb cooking class
With Bridget Wood, RD, LD
Saturday, April 24th, 2021 1:30 pm ET
Cook a delicious low-carb meal with step-by-step instructions. Learn what it takes to have a low carb friendly pantry and to create low carb meal plans. A list of ingredients will be provided beforehand so you can cook along from home.
Cook with Me: Hands-on Plant-based cooking class
With Paul Vugteveen, Vegan Chef
Saturday, April 24th, 2021 11:30 am ET
Learn how to cook a delicious plant-based meal from scratch. Along the way, we’ll share personal experiences eating a plant-based diet and the benefits associated with it. A list of ingredients will be provided beforehand so you can cook along from home.
Mending our relationships with food
Living with Type 1 diabetes means your thinking about food a lot. If you think back over the past 24 hours, how many times did you consider when you were going to eat, what you were going to eat, how much insulin you needed for what you are about to eat, or what on earth you ate to cause yourself to hop aboard the BG roller coaster? Probably more than a few times.
We heard from you that thinking about food can be exhausting. It’s no wonder so many of us experience disordered eating in one form or another throughout our lives with diabetes. We heard about the importance of working on healthy relationships with food.
Interested in this Food, Nutrition & Type 1 Diabetes topic? Check out the following Virtual Slipstream session:
Our Relationship with Food: Intuitive eating and diabetes
With Lauren Newman
Sunday, April 25th, 2021 1:30 pm ET
This session introduces the concept of intuitive eating and how it can help you build a healthier relationship with your body and the food you eat. Learn how to listen to your body using this non-diet approach, in the context of eating with diabetes.
