When Nick Jonas was 13, he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and his life was never the same. He describes it as a time of confusion, fear and unknowing.
Author: Emma
Emma Baird is an award-winning writer, specialising in romcoms and fiction that focuses on relationships, and a type 1 diabetic. She is also the co-author of The Diabetes Diet, co-written with a doctor. Most importantly, she is the guardian of one very spoiled cat…
Raw Food Diets for Cats
What should you feed your cat?
I’m wandering a bit off topic this week, but having written a post on the raw food diet for dogs for a client of mine, I researched the same diet for cats.
Sometimes called the BARF diet (biologically appropriate raw feeding), raw food for dogs and cats is a growing movement. Just as humans don’t thrive on processed, preservative-laden foods, neither do our feline chums.
My cat has always been a puker. You can buy cat food that claims to be good for sensitive stomachs, but Freddie manages to vomit that up too. He’s also overweight by the human equivalent of about one and a half to two stones.
Cheaper vet bills
As I’m very fond of my cat, I’d like him to live a long, healthy life. A less noble motivation is cheaper vet bills. A slimmer, healthier cat won’t be as at risk of diabetes, lower urinary tract disease, joint stress, hepatic lipidosis (fat deposited in the liver), and decreased stamina – the same conditions that overweight humans face.
Cat food is a modern product. Dog food was invented in the 1860s, so presumably, cat food was created then or some time afterwards. Until that time, cats in a household made do with the food they could hunt and kill, anything they could scavenge and occasional scraps from the table.
There are various blogs and books you can buy that explain why a raw food diet is beneficial for cats. Primarily, it gives cats what they are meant to eat. If you’ve ever read the ingredients in cat food, you’ll have thought to yourself, I’ve never seen a cat eat rice, vegetables or whatever else they list as a benefit. And most cat food is likely to be loaded with preservatives. Have you ever noticed the use-by dates on those packets?
Dry food tends to be high in carbohydrates, and again cats aren’t designed to cope with that kind of food.
What’s in a raw food diet?
What do you feed a cat on a raw food diet? And how much of it? The recommendations generally say you feed the cat about 5 percent weight of his optimal body weight – 250g for a 5kg cat – in raw food.
Food choices should be raw meat and fish, and meaty bones. Cat owners have been told to feed their pets bones, but this applies to cooked bones as heating changes their structure and makes them more likely to splinter. Organ meats are another good choice, and you can also try the frozen mice pet shops sell for reptiles*.
The cost is obviously a factor. Raw meat is going to be more expensive than cat food, and less convenient. You need to store it, and the best way to keep it fresh is to bag it up and put it in the freezer. You must also pay strict attention to hygiene.
Cats don’t like change. It takes patience too. My cat worked out how to manipulate me expertly years ago. I put down the raw food, and he jumps up onto the counter under the cupboard where I stored the cat food and looks at it and me pitifully. I’ve moved him from the human equivalent of eating McDonald’s every day, to a chicken and broccoli diet.
I’m hoping to report back great results soon, though. At the very least, getting my cat to his optimal weight would be a worthwhile achievement.
The usual disclaimer applies. I’m not a vet or cat expert, so if you want to feed your pet a raw food diet, please do your own research and speak to your vet.
*The frozen mouse option is a step too far for me…
Why it’s Great to Have Diabetes!
It’s GREAT having diabetes! Bear with me… If you have diabetes, no doubt you’ll have read the many things that can go wrong with you. It’s depressing. And in my 20s when I didn’t bother looking after myself, being told what could go wrong didn’t motivate me.
Most of us are carrots, not sticks people.
I’ve done this exercise before, but it’s worth repeating. Here is what I think makes having diabetes amazing…
I am a special wee snowflake. Yes, I am. Not that many people have type 1 diabetes. We’re in an exclusive gang. We like people with type 2 diabetes too. They can join our gang any day!
I’m very organised. You have to be with diabetes. Daily life needs to be organised around it – working out what medication you need, when and if prescriptions need to be picked up, working out your food choices for the day, scheduling in exercise, and taking everything you need with you when you go out. Do employers look for people with superb organisational skills? You bet they do.
I get regular health checks. People without diabetes can live with conditions for a long time, but my HbA1 levels and kidney function are tested every six months, my liver function and the nerves on my feet every year, and my retinas are screened twice a year. I’ve probably left something out, but I think you can agree I’m subject to regular checks that can pick up issues at an early stage.
I get to be obsessed with food, legitimately. While making food the primary focus in your life isn’t the best idea, I do get to spend a reasonable time Googling recipes and working out meal plans because that helps my health and well-being. I can also be fussy about what and where I eat, again because what I eat is crucial to my health and not because I’m an awkward wee sod.
I have a high pain threshold. I must have, right? I inject myself every day, and people are always taking blood out of my arm (see above!). A high pain threshold is handy if you want to get your legs waxed*.
I have a ready-made excuse. I try not to play the diabetic card, but it does come in useful from time to time. Need to get out of something and stuck for an excuse? High blood sugar levels are a legitimate way to wriggle out of anything…
Finally, here’s my favourite one as suggested by the comedian Arthur Smith, himself a type 2 diabetic. As I have diabetes, that is yet another thing that differentiates me from Donald Trump. Hooray!
*Okay, I’m scraping the barrel now.
Diabetes and Professional Sporting Careers
“It’s like having a team-mate by my side.”
Would you say that about your diabetes? It’s an unusual viewpoint perhaps, but a positive way to think about it.
Uefa.com ran an article this week about Real Madrid player, Nacho – real name, José Ignacio Fernández Iglesias. The central defender, who also plays as a right or left back, has had type 1 diabetes since the age of 12.
When you have type 1 diabetes, it’s always interesting to read about people in the limelight who also have the condition.
When Nacho was first diagnosed, he ‘d already been on Real Madrid’s books for two years. His doctor told him his footballing days were over. However, three days later he saw an endocrinologist who said the opposite – he should keep playing football, as exercise is important when it comes to blood sugar control.
Nacho said that the extra care involved in taking care of yourself when you have diabetes does help his football career. Diabetes, he says, makes you take greater care with your diet and the way you rest. And it makes you more responsible.
The 27-year-old doesn’t take things easy when he’s on holiday either, choosing to cycle in the mountains or do duathlons and triathlons. He eats everything, but he says he is more careful about certain food types. His diabetes is under control, and he gets on very well with his doctor.
Talking to Gonzalo Aguado at Uefa.com, Nacho said: “[Diabetes] makes you a more responsible person and you look after yourself much more. I know it’s going to be there for the rest of my life – well, unless they find a cure. It’s like having a teammate by my side.”
Type 1 diabetes? Bring it on…
Low-Carb Lunches – Asparagus Soup
Asparagus – I’m not 100 percent keen on it as a side vegetable, but when you fry it with onions and garlic, add in stock and double cream, it becomes something else entirely…
Try this for lunch. When I have soup for lunch, I always add two boiled eggs for extra protein. It also makes an unbelievably filling dish. You might struggle to finish it all.
Asparagus Soup
- 400g asparagus
- 2tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 medium-sized onion, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1tsp salt
- Freshly-ground black pepper
- 600ml water or chicken stock
- 60ml sour or double cream
Chop the asparagus into one-inch pieces. Fry in a saucepan with the rapeseed oil for five minutes. Add the onion and garlic, cover the pan and cook over a gentle heat for another five minutes.
Add the water or stock, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer for ten minutes.
Add the cream or double cream and blend until smooth. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
4-5g net carbs per serving.
Asparagus wee… if you’re someone who gets this (your pee smells really strong after eating asparagus), Asparagus soup is going to give you a bad dose of it. There’s an explanation here about what causes asparagus wee why some people get it and others don’t.
A Day of Type 1 Diabetes
What’s it like having type 1 diabetes? Like having a part-time job on top of everything else…
I’m like most people – sometimes I manage great control. Sometimes, through no fault of my own, I don’t. And sometimes the fault is my own. My blood sugars go haywire, and I spend the day yawning, wishing people wouldn’t talk to me because it’s too much effort to talk back.
Sorry if you’ve met me when I’m like that.
Anyway, here’s what a day of living with diabetes looks like…
8am. Up and at ‘em! Or something like that. I’m self-employed, and I work from home, so I don’t have to commute. Or go to an office – thanks be to all the stars above. My cat likes to sleep on top of me, so sometimes it takes me ten minutes to get up because I don’t like to shift him…
Blood sugar – 6.6mmol. Oh no, is this going to be one of those terrible goodie two-shoes posts where people show off about their brilliant control?
I take my long-term insulin when I get up – 13 units of Levemir. I give the dose in two injections because I think it works better that way. Being an impatient sort, I need to count to 20 to stop me removing the needle too quickly. (You might not get the full dose if you take the needle out too soon.)
I don’t bother with breakfast. Up and at ‘em feels more do-able when I don’t. I’m accidentally doing the trendy 16-8 thing, where you only eat within an eight-hour window.
I work from 9am to 1 pm. I’m a freelance writer, so I write blogs, website contents, video scripts and more for clients, mainly small businesses that are trying to improve their SEO. Some years ago, my husband built me a standing desk. Once you get used to standing for work, it feels much more comfortable than sitting all day.
Blood sugar – 4.2mmol. Oh, no! It IS going to be a humble-brag blog.
1.30pm-2pm. Lunchtime. Today, I had chilli, salad and some green beans on the side and I finished with some peanuts. I took half a unit of Humalog to cover roughly 20g net carbs. I didn’t take it until after the meal because my blood was low beforehand and because I was planning a walk afterwards.
2pm. I usually go for a walk. I use a Jawbone app to track my sleep and activity. About an hour of walking a day takes you to 10,000 steps.
3.30pm – a bit more work. I write dog blogs for a client, and as I love animals these are my favourite ones to do.
5.30pm – 3.9. I had a banana to cover the low blood sugar, and then I went to a spin class. The instructor LOVES Lady Gaga. I’m beginning to hate her, as I associate the poor woman with nasty hill climbs.
7.30pm. Blood sugar, 11.1. Not so goodie two-shoes now, eh?! Huffing and puffing exercise sometimes does that to me – sends my body into a panic. ARGH, this is hard! Find sugar! Walking doesn’t do this.
I made myself a cheese and onion omelette. Other omelettes are available, but why would you bother?! It was more like cheese, with a bit of onion and egg on the side. I had one unit of Humalog to cover the net carbs.
8pm – oops, how did that get in there? A cheeky little glass of pink fizz… It was so nice, I had another one. And er… maybe another one after that. I reckoned it would help lower blood sugars ;)*
10pm – second dose of Levemir, 6 units. I try to find a spot on my abdomen that doesn’t look too punctured. Medical staff stress the importance of changing injection sites regularly. I’ve got a lump on my belly that’s been there 20 years because I overused the same spot. I don’t go near it now.
10.30pm. I had an Atkins fudge bar. I didn’t take any insulin with it because I’d had a few glasses of wine. Atkins chocolate bars aren’t as carb-free as they boast – but they do contain fewer carbs than a standard chocolate bar.
Bed time. And that was my Friday.
*Usual rules apply – as a condition, type 1 diabetes will vary widely between individuals. What I do isn’t a recommendation or prescription for anyone else.
Seasonal Low-Carb Dishes
February is almost at an end – as it the season for many fruit and vegetables we associated with this time of year.
Nevertheless, we’ve done a round-up of what’s in season at the moment. If you eat seasonally, you get food at its best. It also means less food miles, as the food can be produced in the UK and has therefore not had to travel as far to get to your plate.
Fruit
- Lemons
- Clementines (coming to the end of their season)
- Pears (coming to the end of their season)
- Kiwis
Vegetables
- Brussel sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Celeriac
- Leeks
- Kale
- Purple sprouting broccoli
Meat and fish
- Turkey
- Salmon
If you want some recipe ideas for what to do with what’s in season, you could try:
- Mediterranean trout with kale. Swap the trout for salmon, if you prefer.
- Creamy leeks. This is a great side dish to have with roast chicken – or turkey, if we’re continuing the seasonal theme.
- Cauliflower cheese. Add some purple sprouting broccoli for colour. Or you could make these cauliflower cheese ‘steaks’ – perfect for wintry days.
- Braised celeriac. Great with sausages.
- Turkey curry, with spinach for added goodness.
Enjoy!
Love Yourself – Follow a Low-Carb Diet!
We’re following tradition here at the Diabetes Diet. What do you do when it’s Valentine’s Day? Try to squeeze in a reference to love in any online activity. And hearts of course. I’m going to try to do both.
If you have diabetes, type 1 or type 2, your body doesn’t respond well to carbohydrates. You can eat a diet high in carbohydrates – it’s just that you won’t feel very well, short-term. In the long-term, a diet high in carbohydrates can lead to high blood glucose levels. This in turn will damage your body and shorten your life.
So, if you love yourself, follow a low-carb diet to minimise the risks of diabetes!
Here’s how to do it.
Read up on all the advice out there. We have a book, The Diabetes Diet that sets out the benefits of low-carb eating. It also includes recipes, daily menu plans and advice about how to manage your medication on a low carb diet. Check out lowcarbdiabetic, a great website for people looking for information and help with their condition.
Follow blogs. Blogs like ours regularly feature low-carb recipes and information and advice for people with diabetes. There are lots of great low-carb blogs out there. See fittoserve, Authority Nutrition, and the Diet Doctor.
Buy some recipe books. A great all-rounder is 500 Low Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender, although bear in mind it is an American book so the measures and some of the ingredients will be unfamiliar. The celebrity chef Tom Kerridge has a new book out now – The Dopamine Diet*, featuring the low-carb recipes that helped him lose 11 stones.
Get yourself a carb guide. Online dieting apps are the most useful source for carb guides. Remember that might need to minus the fibre content from the total carbohydrate content. Myfitnesspal offers the most extensive database.
Enjoy it! Low-carb eating is one of the most satisfying and delicious diets you will eat. Cheese, cream, juicy pork chops, grilled sirloin steaks, salmon topped with mayonnaise… what’s not to love? Try out some of our recent recipes:
- Mediterranean Trout with Kale
- Italian Meatloaf
- Creamy Leeks
- Meatball Bombs
- And if you’re after something sweet for Valentine’s Day, try our low-carb fudge.
Think of the benefits. More energy, lower blood glucose levels (leading to less risk of heart disease, see I told you I was going to shoehorn hearts into this piece somewhere), better skin, fat loss if it’s needed – all these are bonuses of low-carbing.
*Review to come!
Low Carb Side Dishes
Have you been caught out by the vegetable shortage in the shops? British supermarkets have run short of courgettes, spinach and other salad items thanks to bad weather in Spain and Italy.
If you follow a low-carb diet, you probably rely more on such vegetables than the average person. I decided to see what I could do with Scottish ingredients. The Diet Doctor website features a lot of cabbage, including main course and side dishes that use this vegetable. Most supermarkets stock Scottish or British-grown cabbage so there are no issues there with availability.
The Diet Doctor’s Cabbage Casserole can be made exclusively with Scottish ingredients, supporting our farmers and growers. I adapted the recipe slightly and here it is. Allow about 10g net carbs per serving and serve with pork chops, roast chicken legs or steak.
Please note – you’ll need a large saucepan because 450g cabbage is bulky. It reduces in size as it cooks.
Cabbage Casserole
- 450g green or white cabbage, shredded
- ½ medium-sized onion, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 150ml sour cream
- 50g butter
- 75g grated cheese
- 75g soft cheese, such as Philadelphia
- Salt and pepper
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the cabbage and onion and mix well to coat in the butter.
Cook gently for about seven minutes. You want the vegetables to be softened but not browned. Add salt and pepper and the garlic and cook for one minute more.
Mix the sour cream and soft cheese. Stir into the cabbage. Place the mixture in an ovenproof dish, top with the grated cheese, a good helping of black pepper and cook in the oven for 15 minutes.
PS – I thought I’d try this on my green vegetable hating husband, convinced that the cream and cheese would convert him. It didn’t work…
Mediterranean Trout with Kale
Inspired by the Diet Doctor – if you ever need low-carb recipe ideas this site is amazing – I created my own version of one of their recipes this week.
And, whisper it, I think mine’s better! I swapped salmon for trout fillets which brings down the cost substantially, replaced spinach with crispy kale and gave the dish an overall Mediterranean feel with some basil.
You end up with an extremely low-carb dish – about 3g net carbs – that’s also delicious and really filling. I bought my trout from Costco where I was able to buy a giant fillet that I cut up into eight 150g portions.
Kale is packed with vitamins and minerals – including beta carotene, and vitamins K and C – while trout has plenty of Omega 3s and B vitamins.
Mediterranean Trout with Kale
- 2 x 150g trout fillets
- 4tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 1tbsp tomato puree
- 200g kale
- 2tbsp butter
- Salt and pepper
Pre-heat your oven to 175 degrees C. Season the fish and place them on a baking sheet lined with grease-proof paper or foil, skin side down.
Mix the mayonnaise, tomato puree and basil and spread the mixture evenly over the two fillets. Cook in the oven for 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.
Five minutes before the end of the fish cooking time, heat a large saucepan or work with the butter. Add the kale and plenty of seasoning and cook until softened.
Serve with the fish.
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