Diabetic and new to the Paleo Lifestyle

[Raigen]

Salutations, all;

I've been reading the Nerd Fitness site for the last two weeks (approximately) and after having looked into Paleo for the last couple of months it was Nerd Fitness that finally set my plan in motion to structure a Palet Diet plan for a Diabetic.

The diabetic being me, that is.

And so I've joined the Nerd Fitness community looking to hopefully find advice, and support, in my personal quest to reduce my insulin intake (which isn't obscene as it is) and get me to a place where I'm feeling more healthy overall.

My background in fitness as a whole is relatively short. I'm nearly 30 (coming in December) and in my younger years I was heavily involved in fencing and karate for several years, this would've been my late teens and early twenties. Due to some health issues I had to stop taking my karate classes, and financial reasons kept me from returning to fencing.

I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 15. I've never been overweight, and I'm still happy to say that I'm not overweight currently (I'm 5'8" and 170lbs). But due to the health complications in my younger years I lost the more athletic, and healthy, body and physique I once possessed in the years after leaving fencing and karate and my ultimate goal is to get it back.

As for my insulin management I have been a pump user for the last 12 years and recently upgraded to a new Animas OneTouch Ping insulin pump and metering system. For those unfamiliar with diabetes, this means I wear a device that constantly provides me with insulin, and that I program to give me more insulin to correct for when/what I eat, or if my blood sugar readings are high. On average I test my blood sugar levels 6 times a day.

I started head-first into Paleo on Friday August 17th and have already noticed a marked drop in the amount of insulin I need to take. Obviously this is due to the fact grains/wheat have been eliminated from my diet.

I've toyed around with numerous diet plans in the past, as well as fitness plans and with everything I've found thanks to this site I've been able to construct a new strength training plan (basic for the first couple of weeks to start) which I have also started this week.

I'm looking forward to leveling up the next part of my life, and taking a far better grasp on my diabetes management through the paleo lifestyle.

SO! If there's anyone here that can offer advice in the Paleo department, where it might come to diabetes management, that would be exceptionally appreciated. I know that it will be slightly difficult to follow 100% Paleo while being a diabetic when it comes to low blood sugar attacks (hypoglycemic events). During these I need to ingest a certain amount of sugar (usually Life Savers, juice... Or coming out a hypoglycemic attack standing in my kitchen with my hand in a Nutella jar... I'll talk about those really bad attacks later...). So I need something with a quick sugar fix in those emergency situations. For now I still have Life Savers in my blood testing kit, and I've been using honey at home.

Any other recommendations that are paleo friendly would be great.

May the Force be with you,

- Ryan

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Welcome aboard! From what I understand of the Paleo diet, it sounds like it would be very helpful for someone with diabetes. I wouldn't worry too much about the life-savers etc, keeping you alive is obviously more important than following the Paleo thing strictly. Good luck.

Also, am I the only one who thinks fencing would be way more popular if they included a broadsword division?

[bjjgrrl]

Welcome aboard!

Also be sure to check out Robb Wolf's site. He has a lot of information about managing Type 1 through Paleo. It will take more work on your part because of the insulin & pump to get your dosage right. And check out his forums and the forums on Mark's Daily Apple for lots of threads by people with Type 1.