To Carb or Not to Carb...Day 4 of Diabetes Blog Week!

Woohoo! Day four and I am still keeping up...well with the writing.  There are so many incredible blogs to read that keeping up with that may take a long time but I am really enjoying the great perspectives from other people.  Today's challenge was to discuss eating...my son's favorite pastime! 

Being the parent of a child with diabetes, we definitely are of the school of thought that you eat what you want and bolus for it.   I am very conscious of trying to eat properly and teaching my children good eating habits but they remain children first . 

Ten years ago we were taught to follow meal plans. I actually believe that is a good thing.  That sounds strange when I just said that we eat and bolus for whatever goes in his mouth doesn’t it? But seriously, when you first start on this journey, not many people are really in tune with what a balanced meal truly meals.  What are you supposed to have at a sitting? What is acceptable? What is a “good food”?  We learned to eat a fruit, starch, milk and protein for breakfast.  His morning snack became a fruit.  Lunch and supper were similar to breakfast with just a bit more starch.  An afternoon and evening snack were a little more complex.  Life was simple and there were guidelines.

Today my son is hitting his teen years.  He is in the middle of puberty.  Food and him are inseparable.  I cannot imagine how we would survive if I didn’t simply bolus for all food shovelled in.  I still try to keep his meals pretty balanced.  This morning for example, he had oatmeal and juice for breakfast.  The oatmeal had raisins so we had a starch, fruit, and milk.  Granted the protein was lacking but oatmeal is a "stick with you kind of food" so we will be okay.  He decides now if he wants a morning snack but just in case, he almost always has a yogurt to take him through to his lunch. 

Lunch tends to have changed.  I almost always have a treat in there.  That is where Mom’s cookies or cakes are to be found. In my defense, I cook with reduced sugars and fats.  I know that there is no processed crap in what he is eating.  Its not always about junky treats though.  My kids love their fruit.  They are just as happy with sliced or fresh fruit in their lunch.  They would often rather that than baking.  Its weird but I like it.

Afterschool snacks are a new thing to us.  They arrived with puberty and just scare me.  There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to what he will eat at that point but almost always includes a piece of fruit. He will sit with a huge piece of cake...and a banana, a yogurt and an orange.  Who knows.

You can see that I allow anything to enter his stomach within reason.  He is a growing boy and so far the growing remains straight up. Its vital that he learns how to eat in a healthy manner. We have very little fried or fast foods.  He enjoys his fresh fruits and salads.  He is learning how to make better choices when we are at restaurants but it is a challenge. Its a challenge for adults so I try to give him a bit of slack.  I am conscious of the fact that he will need to watch for heart problems and that obesity is not something that he wants to ever have to battle. We are in the growing years. I do not think that it is the time to look at reducing and restricting carbs in our house.