HOW WE EAT
We took Will into the doctor on, 1/5/2021. He was losing weight, was pale, had been wetting the bed and was drinking A TON of water. We were told to take him to the hospital. On 1/11/21 he was officially diagnosed with T1 diabetes. I was broken. I couldn't wrap my mind around how to care for him. The math equations, carb counts, shots, finger pokes....it was so much. The idea of feeding him foods that his body couldn't break down just seemed illogical. I didn't understand why the doctors were telling us to basically feed him a WORSE diet then what he had been eating before. Luckily, the stars aligned for me one night. After feverishly searching the web for any answers, I came across the Facebook Page, Let Me Be 83. That's when things started making sense. Now, we follow the advice of Dr. Bernstein...and our blood sugars are comparable to those of a normal, HEALTHY child. I mean, why would anyone want "Diabetic Sugars?" Because we eat low car, high protein, we see very little movement on our graphs and very little need for large doses of insulin. It keeps this time very manageable and a lot more stress-free. It sounds kind of scary to not follow the advice from our doctors (40-60 carbs a meal) or that from the ADA or JDRF - but they aren't always right! Proof is in the pudding. And as far as people who want to say your kids won't grow right, have high cholesterol or won't get the right nutrients....HOGWASH. Do your own research!! --Not even WORTH THE ARGUMENT!!
We eat under 30 carbs a day. It's not just the "carb count" though, it's the type of carbs AND ingredients in foods. Here are some of the things we avoid, but keep in mind, we are still learning and there could be more! Whenever we try new foods, we use the "law of small numbers" when experimenting ...small bites and watch the graph.
AVOID
-maltodextrin
-SUGAR - (AKA: Anhydrous dextrose, brown sugar, cane crystals, cane sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, crystal dextrose, evaporated cane juice, fructose sweetener, fruit juice concentrates, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, liquid fructose, malt syrup, maple syrup, molasses, pancake syrup, raw sugar, sugar, syrup and white sugar, fructose, lactose and maltose, carbitol, concentrated fruit juice, corn sweetener, diglycerides, disaccharides, evaporated cane juice,Florida crystals, fructooligosaccharides, galactose, glucitol, glucoamine, hexitol, inversol, isomalt, maltodextrin, malted barley, malts, mannitol, nectars, pentose, raisin syrup, ribose rice syrup, rice malt, rice syrup solids, sorbitol, sorghum, sucanat, sucanet, xylitol and zylose.)
-Carrageenan
-Malitol
-starches
-tapioca, cassava (these are in a lot of "KETO" things...don't be fooled!)
-gluten
-wheat
-fruit (except avocado and an occasional berry)
Here are some cookbooks to buy that will make your life MUCH easier
Carolyn Ketchum- Keto Baking
Carolyn Ketchum - Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen
Carolyn Ketchum - Easy Keto Dinners
Maria Emmerich - Keto Air Fryer
Carolyn Ketchum- Keto Baking
Carolyn Ketchum - Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen
Carolyn Ketchum - Easy Keto Dinners
Maria Emmerich - Keto Air Fryer
THINGS TO HAVE ON HAND FOR BAKING
Almond Flour
Coconut Flour
Swerve - all 3 types
Xanthum Gum
Baking Powder
Grass Fed Whey
Collagen Powder
Vanilla Extract
Lemon Extract
Banana Extract
Coconut Oil
Psyllium Husk Flour
Egg White Protein
Cream of Tarter
Almond Flour
Coconut Flour
Swerve - all 3 types
Xanthum Gum
Baking Powder
Grass Fed Whey
Collagen Powder
Vanilla Extract
Lemon Extract
Banana Extract
Coconut Oil
Psyllium Husk Flour
Egg White Protein
Cream of Tarter
STOCK THE FRIDGE AND PANTRY
Eggs - Costco
Egg Whites - Costco
Jones Dairy Farm sugar free Chicken Sausage - Costco
Keto Ice Cream Bars -Costco
Sugar Free Vitamin Water - Costco
Whisps - Costco
Sugar Free Meat Sticks - Costco
Pulled Pork (ready to cook) - Costco
Salmon Filets - Costco
Healthy Noodles - Costco
Mayo - Costco
Boiled Eggs- Costco
Wild Planet Tuna - Costco
High Key Cookies - Costco
Sliced Cheese - Costco
Originals Dietz and Watson sliced turkey - Costco
Raos Red Sauce - Costco
Parm Cheese - Costco
Bai Waters - Costco
Hilo Chips - Costco
Quest Chips - Amazon
Quest Cookies - Amazon
Zevia Kids - Amazon
G Hughes Sugar Free BBQ Sauce - Local Grocery
Applegate Sugar Free Bacon - Local Grocery
Sugar Free Jello - Local Grocery
Hamburgers - Local Grocery
Chicken Tenderloins (raw) - Local Grocery
Ratio Yogurt - Local Grocery
Green Veggies - Local Grocery
Quest Pizza - Local Grocery
Great Sugar Free Drinks
-Bai Waters
-Hint Waters
-Sparkling Waters
-True Lemon packets-sugar free
- Zevia
-Good ole' water and lemon
Smart Buns, Cakes and Muffins - LINK
Walden Farms Walnut Maple Syrup - LINK
Unbun Bread - LINK
Primal Mayos, Ketchups, Salad Dressing (love Green Goddess) -LINK
Fat Snax Cookies - LINK
Fox Hill Kitchens - LINK
Good Good Jelly - LINK
GO TO MEALS
BREAKFAST
(the meal that is best with the lowest carbs, mornings are tricky)
scrambled eggs, chicken sausage, chaffles, low carb pancakes, unbread toast
LUNCH
turkey and cheese on a smart bun, cucumbers, deviled eggs, quest chips, tuna salad, grass fed burgers, sugar free hot dogs, quest pizza, sugar free jello, dinner leftovers
DINNERS
salmon over healthy noodles, cheeseburger on a smart bun, keto meatloaf, pulled pork, basically any sort of non-processed, sugar free meat/chicken or fish ---all of these with a veggie side (Will especially loves green beans, simmered in bacon fat)
BREAKFAST
(the meal that is best with the lowest carbs, mornings are tricky)
scrambled eggs, chicken sausage, chaffles, low carb pancakes, unbread toast
LUNCH
turkey and cheese on a smart bun, cucumbers, deviled eggs, quest chips, tuna salad, grass fed burgers, sugar free hot dogs, quest pizza, sugar free jello, dinner leftovers
DINNERS
salmon over healthy noodles, cheeseburger on a smart bun, keto meatloaf, pulled pork, basically any sort of non-processed, sugar free meat/chicken or fish ---all of these with a veggie side (Will especially loves green beans, simmered in bacon fat)
FAMILY FAVORITE LINKS
Breakfast
Chaffles
Pancakes
90 sec. Mug bread
Egg Bites
Dinner
Crack Chicken
Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies
Chicken Wings
Bagel Dogs - and the BEST fathead dough recipe! For pizzas, rolls, bagels
Salmon
Tortillas
Taco Pie
Jambalaya
Meatballs
Mashed Cauliflower
Chicken Parm
Drum Sticks
Keto French Fries
Delicious Sauces
Copy Cat Chik Fil A Sauce
Taco Seasoning
Desserts
Graham Crackers
Cheesecake
Zucchini Chocolate Muffins
Lemon Cookies
Oreos
The thing to remember is to KEEP IT SIMPLE. Simple Foods = easy sugars. THE LAW OF SMALL NUMBERS = Small carb = small insulin = small fluctuations
There is literally a HACK for anything you could want. It is actually fun to see how many things you can recreate and change to be healthy.
I started my family small. I immediately started baking treats. We were never really a dessert family, but I felt like I didn't want them to feel desserts were dead. It also was a great way to get their taste buds liking the new flours and sugar alternatives! After that, I went 100% cold turkey - LOW CARB. I cleared out my pantry and packed it full of complaint foods for snacks. I only made low carb meals. The cool thing---they are never hungry for snacks. The protein fills them up!!
A lot of people say it's TOO EXPENSIVE to eat like that. I have to disagree. While some luxury (store bought snacks etc) are higher in price, I've cut out all of the extra processed foods. I actually buy LESS items, but healthier options. Left overs never go to waste and my kids are happy, healthy, full and thriving! I really could NEVER go back!
There is literally a HACK for anything you could want. It is actually fun to see how many things you can recreate and change to be healthy.
I started my family small. I immediately started baking treats. We were never really a dessert family, but I felt like I didn't want them to feel desserts were dead. It also was a great way to get their taste buds liking the new flours and sugar alternatives! After that, I went 100% cold turkey - LOW CARB. I cleared out my pantry and packed it full of complaint foods for snacks. I only made low carb meals. The cool thing---they are never hungry for snacks. The protein fills them up!!
A lot of people say it's TOO EXPENSIVE to eat like that. I have to disagree. While some luxury (store bought snacks etc) are higher in price, I've cut out all of the extra processed foods. I actually buy LESS items, but healthier options. Left overs never go to waste and my kids are happy, healthy, full and thriving! I really could NEVER go back!
