June 11, 2001
Meal Planning, Food and Diet
Question from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA:
My 12 1/2 year old son, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes four and a half years ago, takes 23 units of NPH with 5 units of Humalog at breakfast, eats a 60 grams carb breakfast, a 60-70 gram carb lunch, takes 13 units of Ultralente with 1 or 2 units of Humalog with a 60-70 gram carb with supper and at bedtime, he has a 30 gram carbohydrate snack. Lately he seems to be starving all the time and eats cheese, peanuts or pickles between meals. His last hemoglobin A1c test was 7.08%. Because he is nearing the teenage stage, does he need more carbohydrates?
Answer:
It sounds like your son may require more food, especially taking into account his age. With the food information you provided, he is receiving approximately 1800 calories per day and about 15 carb servings per day. It should be easy to work in additional calories if he is willing to work in an “adjustable” insulin regimen (multiple daily injections) and practice carbohydrate counting.
You may want to have your son talk with his diabetes team about this option as this might be a better choice than satisfying his hunger with high fat and/or protein foods.
Congratulations to your son on the recent hemoglobin A1c!
JMS
