A Week In The Life Of Amber’s T1D Diet

By Amber Clour on May 15, 2015

The DDG does a fabulous job of documenting our favorite recipes and random food concoctions. In honor of the Sixth Annual Diabetes Blog Week, I want to highlight a few recipes that keep my healthy eating habits in check. As a T1D, my week begins with a mental check list:

Grocery shopping – I’ve admitted in a few posts how I feel like a grocery shopping nazi because I frequent at LEAST three stores a week.
Meal Planning – What am I craving and won’t mind eating a few times?
Make A List – Put your cravings on paper after checking your cabinets for ingredients.
Food Prep – Prioritize your weekly game plan and schedule time to prep food.

Whew. It sounds like a lot, but these four steps help me to prepare and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Below are a few of my favorites – I hope they get your wheels turning and your mouth watering.

Breakfast: Blue Corn Breakfast Taco

I haven’t written a recipe for this finger-licking breakfast, but it’s super simple. Scrambled eggs, black beans, avocado, salsa and fresh cilantro. YUM! This recipe was a winner on Mother’s Day.

(more…)

Blueberry, Whole-Grain Pancakes – Workout Recovery Perfection

By Ryan Fightmaster on Aug 23, 2014

All runners know the moment intimately. You’re halfway through a long morning run. You know that the finish line is crossable. You’ve been chewing on dates, Hammer gels, and all other forms of caffeine carbohydrate concoctions for the last hour or so. You can actually hear your stomach growling. All the pain or fatigue starts to disappear, being replaced by this insatiable hunger. All you can think about is EATING. (more…)

How to Fight the Morning Low

By Ryan Fightmaster on Jul 3, 2014

Anhh.Anhh.Anhh. There goes the alarm. I turn over and hit snooze. Fifteen minutes later I’m up and feel like I can eat a horse (since I eat plant-based we’ll say a field of tempeh). I stumble my way down the stairs and test my blood sugar; 66. I immediately snag an apple off the counter and demolish it. Drink a glass of OJ soon after and polish it off with a bowl of granola. All in about 5 minutes.Before I can even truly wake up.

Obviously, this is not the ideal solution. I just took in about 75 carbs. Sure, it knocked out the low blood sugar sluggishness but I’m set to be looking at a blood sugar over 200 by mid-morning – then potentially a corrective low after lunch time. It’s a vicious cycle. (more…)

The Perfect World: Counting Carbs

By Ryan Fightmaster on Mar 18, 2014

Count your carbs – take your insulin. This is the mirage we chase tirelessly every day.

Here’s how the situation usually places out. Tuesday I wake up and my blood sugar is say 80. Not where I like to wake up but not a low blood sugar that slows down my mind all morning. I make a blueberry banana smoothie with a scoop of protein powder. Looking at bolusing for about 45-50 carbs by my count. I send 3 units in through the pump. Feel great all morning. Blood sugar looks good at lunch. I OWN THIS DISEASE!

Flash forward to Wednesday. I wake up. Make the exact same smoothie. Blood sugar is at 123 this time. Given the higher blood sugar, I take 3.5 units of insulin. By 9AM, in mid-lesson, I feel that wave of anxiety and insecurity move through me. Words and coherent thought escape me. You guys know how that sweat feels. Here we go – blood sugar is at 70. What just happened? (more…)