Diabetes Blog Week 2017 Diabetes and the Unexpected

May 16, 2017 / cam johnson

Diabetes and The Unexpected

This week is Diabetes Blog Week.

In it's 8th annual year, an initiative by Karen Greffeo from http://www.bittersweetdiabetes.com/

Each day a topic is provided.

Today's brief is: "Diabetes can sometimes seem to play by a rulebook that makes no sense, tossing out unexpected challenges at random. What are your best tips for being prepared when the unexpected happens?".

So here goes...

What foods will affect my blood glucose levels, how much and what do I eat, what do I put in my shopping basket, how do I read food labels, do I need to count carbohydrates, how do I count carbohydrates? So many questions. That's expected.

Having answers to these questions in clear messages. That's unexpected.

What's the first thing that you think a dietitian will tell you in a consult? "Don't eat this", "Don't eat that", " Don't eat that, either". That's expected.

What to eat, to enjoy when socialising or eating with family, and maintaining nutritional adequacy, as well as as keeping blood glucose levels in check is more important than what foods to cut out. This contrasts with over restrictive dieting, being hungry, feelings of missing out, and the subsequent backlash and rebound. That's unexpected.

Many clients expect to be hungry. By eating a nutritionally adequate diet, with enough on the plate, hunger should not be an issue. That's unexpected.

Many clients expect they have to eat "Diabetic Foods". What is often refreshing is the realisation that it's what you do most of the time, not all the time that counts. Following some guidelines (not rules) helps ensure this. This is unexpected.

Many clients expect to be judged for their food choices, and read the riot act about what they need to change.

What they (hopefully) come away with is the opposite. Food choices, appetite, habits and preferences can be worked with to enable enjoyment of food, and assist blood glucose levels. That's unexpected.

Think eating well is going to be difficult? With some guidance, eating well can actually taste good, be enjoyable and able to be followed most of the time. This is unexpected.

Many people expect carbohydrate counting to be difficult. Clients often surprise themselves that the concept of carbohydrate counting is not hard. Learning how to count carbohydrate from food labels, foods without labels, from recipes and when eating out, it's actually not hard. This is unexpected.

Working closely with a dietitian who specialises in diabetes can enable eating to be enjoyable, as well as assist blood glucose levels be more expected than unexpected. That might have been unexpected.