It's another time of the year of major holidays for many of us, between Passover, Easter, Vaisakhi and Lailat al Miraj (among others), you might see relatives and/or friends whom you haven't seen for a while, and this may bring up questions of why you eat the way you do, or the dreaded,
"You can't eat anything!"
accompanied by a look of utter horror.
We've all been there.
While discussing low carb with a friend not long ago, I mentioned that this way of eating helps with the day-to-day-management of diabetes and while it is not a cure, it reduces the stress associated with Type 1 diabetes.
Then she said something that floored me:
"I didn't know that both Type 1 AND Type 2 diabetes can be controlled with diet!"
As I was going to correct her but I paused. I had never considered it in those terms.
Yes. They CAN both be controlled with diet.
We always hear that Type 2 diabetes can be controlled with diet and exercise, or that low carb will help control your blood glucose levels, but by following the law of small numbers and engaging in regular exercise, we CAN control Type 1 as well (with a few caveats).
**The difference is that with Type 2 diabetes, many people can reduce their medication or discontinue its use all together. With Type 1, we will alway need insulin, albeit a reduced amount.
When someone asks what you can eat, instead of focusing on the negative (what you can't eat) focus instead on what you can eat-- a huge variety of protein (meat) and vegetables, full-fat dairy and occasional nuts. It's a diet rich in variety and flavor.
Many of us also like to focus on "Home cooking with whole, natural foods and lots of veggies. "
Remember that that you'll often be challenging the paradigm of whomever you're speaking with and they might not understand your perspective. Approach it with patience and understanding. You're presenting information that may go against their core beliefs.
Food is personal.
Even if others don't understand WHAT you're doing, hopefully they can comprehend the WHY.
In the end though, what you're eating is for your health and longevity. Stick to what you know is true for you.
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Of course, we know that here are many positive aspects of eating this way and while others might see it as restrictive, we can spread accurate information that we do what we do for our health.
Low carb eating DOES help control diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) and makes daily management much easier.
