Like many others here, I have been using insulin for quite a while and never bolus for protein, although it is possible that somehow my pump settings manage to compensate for this. My control is good but I am always interested in improving. I have heard other people talk about bolusing for protein and have looked for more references on this without much luck. I saw what was listed here, might anyone have one? Why is there so little written about this?
Hi Hope - Welcome! I think, if you will read through the actual discussions in this group, versus just the comments on the front of the group page, you will learn much more and find the resources you are looking for. After that, please let us know if you have any questions.
My guess is that the connection between carbs and insulin control was established so firmly within the medical community at an early stage of diabeties treatment (hence the old “glycemic index” information that is referenced by every crazy diet ever published) that it is the entrenched focus of diabeties education. You may note there is still a great deal of conflict among diabetics who believe that one should adopt a protein based diet and eliminate carbs almost entirely and those diabetics who strongly support a varied diet that does not eliminate any food item. All edible food becomes fuel in our bodies by at least a partial conversion to glucose…proteins and fat convert a percentage of their mass to glucose at a slower rate than carbs but will still impact your BS. Often that slow conversion is mistaken to be part of the “basal” calculation if your meal composition and meal times are fairly constant. Chasing basal adjustments is a lot more difficult than proactive meal bolus calculation and that is where the TAG program has value for most of us…
Well said!
As for the “conflict” or controversy among diabetics, I find most here at Tu are tolerant of different approaches. I know for myself, and for others here I’ve interacted with, the belief in limiting (not eliminating) carbs is a choice for “easier” control because we’ve discovered that small numbers, in terms of carb intake (especially fast-acting carbs), makes it “easier” to maintain healthy numbers. (I put quotes around easier because I wouldn’t want to characterize diabetes as necessarily easy.)
And for myself, it’s also a matter of limiting the carbs I do take in to slow-acting carbs (which relates to the glycemic index somewhat). I will say, however, I have been able to increase my carb intake a bit - without unpredictable results - since adopting the TAG method, but again, with slow-acting carbs. The warning I would add, though, is if you’re going to increase your carbs, even if they’re slow-acting, be sure to lower your fat intake as well. Jenny’s calculator is helpful - http://www.phlaunt.com/lowcarb/DietMakeupCalc.php