When I heard that November is Diabetes Awareness Month, I thought it was probably intended because it’s also Thanksgiving, when people eat too much and argue about politics. What better time to be aware of diabetes, right?
Yeah, it’s funny, but it’s also stuffed with great diabetes facts that can make any family gathering more interesting. In brief:
Diabetes is far more complex of a disease than we think, and as such, we are all less similar to one another than alike. This means our management regimen must be personalized, and you’re going to have to do that on your own. But developing that personalized program is difficult because:
Clinicians lack the time, resources, and infrastructure to work with T1Ds on a one-on-one basis beyond a minimum level of care, so they do the next best thing:
Clinicians resort to one-size-fits-all management regimens, which presents a moral hazard: Patients get sufficient medical care to survive, but their health remains far below the minimum threshold to avoid long term complications (A1c <7.0%). To bridge the gap between streamlined treatment and individualized regimens:
T1Ds turn to increasingly more complex and more expensive technologies. While these make managing T1D easier, or more convenient, or more fun, T1Ds still fail to improve their overall health in a substantially meaningful way. And tech costs a lot. I mean, a lot.
The article cites research and clinical studies that reveals some pretty surprising things. But the conclusion is probably not surprising at all: To manage T1D, you really have to tackle it on your own. yes, it’s hard, but it’s also doable.
Ahhhh, managing diabetes for decades. The most challenging DIY project ever unwillingly foisted upon us. Happy Thanksgiving!!! We shall push through the holidays, hopefully, mostly unscathed.
I see Thanksgiving in a similar way to all you can eat buffets.
You are encouraged to eat a lot of food. You feel like you are being ripped off if you don’t eat more and more.
The food quality is below par. And generally it’s highly processed and heavy on carbs.
It’s mostly the attitudes and the pressure to eat that irritates me. Otherwise it’s a nice meal with family.
My favorite TG quotes
“ Is that all you’re eating?
“ There’s a ton more in the kitchen, don’t be shy”
“ I spent all day making that, the least you can do is eat it”
“ It’s tradition to over eat, just take the day off from diabetes”
“ save room for pie”
We go to our son’s for Thanksgiving. Both my son and our daughter in law go out of their way to make food that I can eat.
They asked us to make pumpkin hummus, so we are bringing that with cut up veggies and rice crackers. We are also bringing a spinach salad with pecans and dried cranberries. They will make a roasted chicken for themselves and a stuffed acorn squash for my husband and myself. The squash will be stuffed with root vegetables and some maple syrup for sweetness. He will prepare it without using butter or oil. They will also serve vegan rolls. I normally don’t eat bread, but I do eat one of these. They will also mash potatoes with almond milk and vegan butter, A pie of some sort will be served and I will eat a few bites of that.
I will keep a close eye on my glucose levels and use Afrezza when needed. Although this is quite a bit more food than I usually
eat, I will enjoy the effort and love that goes into the preparation of this meal.
I am a type 1 and I eat a plant based diet with complex carbs and very low fat. My diet consists of vegetables including potatoes, fruit, grains, legumes and various seeds.
I love baking and eat bread when I prepare my own meals, but wheat products are really hard for to me bolus correctly for. Which I’m up for when it’s me preparing everything. Otherwise, it’s way too hard. No stuffing, thanks. No pie. No bread anything.
I’ll have some fruit and try my best with a bit of mashed potatoes. Otherwise it’s protein and veg for me, (vegan-style), thank you very much and I’ll love all of that anyway!!
Mashed cauliflower with a tiny amount of mashed potatoes at 90:10 ratio is so incredibly satisfying with just a tiny fraction of the carb of mashed potatoes. Yum I mean you will still need to account for carb but is soooo go.
I also love mashed turnips, which most people hate, but I love it for thanks giving.
