This week I guest post on Suite D, the Omnipod Diabetes Blog about Managing Low Blood Sugars Living the Paleo Lifestyle.
I receive a lot of questions about lows, and Paleo, and I can assure you lows mean something different to me now, than they once did. In addition, my relationship with food has drastically changed.
If you have questions, I would love to hear them!
livinglikelinds 
Awesome post! Very interesting read and I’m sure it helped a lot of people with ideas on controlling their low blood sugars. Love you
I’ll remain skeptical until I know the full details of your diabetes management strategy? Are you on an insulin pump or multiple daily injections? Do you have hypoglycemic unawareness? Do you have a CGMS to catch the hypoglycemia before it becomes critical? Do you work in a slow paced sit-at-a-desk all day type of job or are you in always-traveling-meeting type work? How do you adjust your bolus based on the “unknown” carbohydrates in your diet? What’s the impact of exercise on your BG?
The challenge I have with Paleo is that it assumes we are all the same and share the same genetic heritage.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread4021.html
“The paleolithic period is prehistoric and as much as anthropology has told, there is still so much we don’t know. What we do know is that this is the period of time when Hominids (I think we were called that by then) started moving around the world.
Many tens of thousands of years have passed since then. And if our ancestors adapted so differently, in ways that are visible to us now, it only makes sense that we may have adapted in ways that are invisible to us.
For instance, Asians, Native Americans, and blacks are lactose intolerant, and blacks (the group I know best) tend to grow strong bones without consuming a lot of calcium through milk. White women are prone to osteoporosis and tend not to be lactose intolerant. Also, Sickle Cell is an adaptation that protects blacks from malaria, but can still kill us. Whites don’t have Sickle Cell. In our attempt to become colorblind (which I think is completely ridiculous), we forget that there are real differences that need to be acknowledged and respected.”
Hi Khurt. Thank you for your comments. Most all of this is detailed in various blog posts on my blog, but here is the information recap for you. I wear an insulin pump and have for 6 years. I do not have hypoglycemia unawareness, however, prior to the CGM, and now paleo, when I was only on a pump, I could not get lower than a low 7’s A1C without having too many lows. 2 years now in the 6’s (after first adding the CGM, and then the paleo lifestyle change), and I have maybe 1-2 lows per month. I wear a Dexcom G4 Platinum CGM non-stop. I have a desk job, but workout 1-2 times/day, and take breaks to get up and move around from my desk. Outside of work, I am always on the go with everything I’m involved in. I don’t use the bolus wizard anymore, I just take easy boluses (.5u) depending on what I eat, and when I start to see my bg rise on the Dexcom. Different exercises, affect me in different ways, I run/walk/hike/lift/pilates/yoga, etc.
Remember, that my initial reasoning for trying the paleo lifestyle was not because of diabetes, but because of 17 years of chronic GI issues (also detailed in a blog post), the overall result and what I saw with my diabetes, was even more of a welcomed surprise. Plus, I feel amazing (and the bloodwork suggests that!), more than I ever have. As I have said from day one, and continue to do so today, your paleo, is not my paleo, and what works for one, does not work for another. For me it is about finding what works for you, your mind, and your body. I strongly disagree that paleo is a cure-all, or that one size fits all as you suggest. I also disagree that our genes are our destiny. My opinions are constantly evolving, with the more research that I do, but all of this intrigue was brought on by a late in life type 1 diagnosis and autoimmune issues.
Hi! I am doing a Whole 30 starting Jan 27. My husband would also like to do it with me but has Type 1 diabetes. I have found a number of articles and blog posts about Paleo and Type 1 but none address how to transition into Paleo for someone with Type 1 diabetes. We have emailed his doctor but I was also hoping to hear more about how you transitioned into Type 1 and any other related advice/resources you have. Thank you!
Hi Amy! Sorry for the delay in response! It was a little bit of a slow transition for myself – did you search my blog? I do have several posts about type 1 and paleo, but also the biggest concern I had was how to treat lows in a health (ier) way. I honestly just eliminated foods in a step by step process. I took out gluten, grains, then beans, refined sugars, etc. I needed a lot less insulin, for food, although my basal rates (I’m on an insulin pump) decreased slowly over time. i had some lows, but honestly, not as many as I expected to have, in part, because I was not only A) prepared for them at all times with a healthier source of food/sugar, OR, I was able to prevent from wearing my Dexcom continuous glucose monitor. For a long time I always had a banana/apple with me, or a lara bar, and since I wasn’t eating the refined sugars anymore, those things raise me quicker than they used to! I always have a good source of juice in the fridge at home, too, if I stumble into a bad low (it does happen, you know, diabetes, LOL). Definitely reach out if you have more questions or I can help! Hope the first few days of your Whole30 are going well!