Free Consults :o)

General
1

Hi, everyone!

As  most of you know, I'm a Registered Dietitian. I've been having a hard time finding a job in the Midwest, but I absolutely enjoy working in the dietetics field. 

I have a special place in my heart for Juvenation and everyone in the DOC. I want to offer everyone free online consultations regarding food, nutrition, health, and wellness (whether diabetes related or otherwise). If there's something I can help you with, I'm more than happy to do it :o)

I understand how hard it can be to make positive changes in your life regarding health and wellness. I work with you on your goals and won't push you to make changes you don't feel comfortable with. I want you to be successful in your goals, and I will do whatever I can to help you achieve them and feel good about yourself!

If you are interested in working with me on whatever goals you want to make for yourself and/or your family, please feel free to make a post here or send me a message (we have to be friends in order to start a conversation with each other). 

Happy new year to everyone! :o)

2

I think this is a great idea.  You helped me out eariler this year when I was told I had gastroparesis.  I asked the doc many questions and didn't get any answers, but you gave me advice with examples that made my stomach issues much more bearable to live with. 

So here's a new question for you.... I am a lean person, always have been.  I have to use the Silhouette infustion site (Minimed) because the ones that go in perpendicular would hit muscle and hurt really bad, regardless of where I tried to insert it.  I got a CGM in the spring and cannot get the sensor in because I don't have much as my diabetes educator said "fat" on me.  I've been wanting to try to put on a little extra weight, preferably a healthy way, so I can get these sensors in. Here are my questions....

1.  How many calories should a person eat per day?  My twin brother, who also has T1, was told 4,000.  That seemed like alot to me.

2.  What kind of foods should I eat to put on a few extra pounds?

I'd appreciate any advice/info you could provide because it's frustrating and very painful trying to get these sensors in.

3

Calories per day are personalized to every person's specific situation (or should be at least). If you don't mind providing me with some information, I can give you a safe calorie range for you. If you don't feel comfortable giving personal information in this forum (which I completely understand), feel free to send me a message. I need at least your height and weight, but height, weight, age, and activity would be best. You can tell me whatever you feel comfortable with :o)

Gaining weight can safely be done by doing a few simple things. Increasing your weight bearing activities (such as lifting weights or resistance training) will increase your weight through muscle mass. As with any exercise routine, make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids and are healthy enough to participate.

As far as diet changes are concerned, eating higher carb foods made (from whole grains and fruits, especially) will help. I know this sounds counter-intuitive regarding diabetes care, so this particular change will be up to you. You know your own diabetes best and how it reacts to certain foods, so you will be best able to judge if higher carb foods are an option. Of course, I don't necessarily mean eating your entire day's worth of carbs in one meal, just slowly increasing your current intake. I can give you more specifics once I have a little more information about your needs. 

You can also increase your intake of healthy fats. "Healthy" fats are mainly omega-3 fats and foods low in saturated and trans fats. Omega-3s can be found in things like fatty fish (tuna, salmon, halibut, etc), avocados, flax seed or chia seed, nuts, and other foods. There are now eggs and other foods made with Omega-3s. Some whole grains even have them added in. While lean meats (round/loin cuts, chicken, turkey, and white fish) don't have omega-3 fats in them, they are also a good option for increasing calories in a healthy way. The same goes for low-fat dairy products. A small word of caution for consuming dairy products - they can be very high in fat, cholesterol, and sugar so make sure you read the label. Dairy products made with 2% or lower milk-fat are best. If you are currently drinking skim milk, you can stick with that; you can increase calories in other areas. 

As always, make sure you are getting plenty of fluids throughout the day. If you drink caffeinated beverages, make sure you drink something that is caffeine free/calorie-free to rehydrate yourself. Water is always a great option :o)

Those are the basics. If you have more questions or want more information about something, please let me know. I'm happy to help! :o) 

4

C, I dont have any questions I just think you are wonderful to offer this help to everyone here!

5

I don't know you, (yet) but I think I love you!  I am sitting here dreading my lunch hour which is 1 hour and 10 minutes away.  Why, you ask? Because I never feel full anymore, at all.  I'm starving all the time.  I can't lose weight and I'm really overweight again :(  I need help and my insurance (which I work for the dang company) only covers RD visits with initial diagnosis!  I'm sure I could fight someone somewhere to get refreshers but I just don't have the heart for that right now.  I still don't know how to plan ahead in a world where my husband and child don't have the same goals as me (food and weight wise) and I feel lost and sabotaged (by myself).

I'm going to "friend' you so we can talk more specifics, but thank you for doing this!

 

6

Thanks! Feel free to send me a message any time :o)

7

Ok, my whole family has celiac disease and must be gluten free.  I am having a hard time balancing gluten free and low carb.  I know my daughter can eat as many carbs as she wants as long as we cover them but I am trying to eat healthy and yet still give a variety.  My biggest issue is lunch.  I have to send her a lunch every day but she gets tired of the same old thing.

8

Thanks C,

That is so nice of you!!

9

C, 1st I want to say I think that what u r doing to Great, 2nd I have a question for u that I hope u and answer for me....I have not been drinking my milk and my mom told me that i should be drinking my milk....I dont kown why it is.... I hope that u can help me

10

Hi again, everyone! :o)

Because of the volume of responses I have been getting between here and Twitter, I set up a gmail account specifically for the nutrition consults. Please feel free to e-mail me at: Cas.RD.LD@gmail.com

I will respond to everyone's posts, tweets, and emails! It may take me (up to, but no longer than) 24-48 hours to respond, but that's only because I like to double check all the information I am providing you. I also like to make sure I am working with your goals and everything I am giving you/telling you works with what you want. 

In response to the gluten-free post: I have celiac disease myself and will be able to give you some kid friendly ideas for meals/snacks. Does your child have any specific foods they really enjoy or really don't enjoy? I want to work around their tastes :o)

Thank you so much for responding, everyone! It really makes me feel great to have the opportunity to help the people I care so much about :o) I will be sending out friend requests to the people I am not currently friends with, in case you need to send me a private message some time. Also, keep checking here and your inboxes for your responses!

11

[quote user="Julie"]

I don't know you, (yet) but I think I love you!  I am sitting here dreading my lunch hour which is 1 hour and 10 minutes away.  Why, you ask? Because I never feel full anymore, at all.  I'm starving all the time.  I can't lose weight and I'm really overweight again :(  I need help and my insurance (which I work for the dang company) only covers RD visits with initial diagnosis!  I'm sure I could fight someone somewhere to get refreshers but I just don't have the heart for that right now.  I still don't know how to plan ahead in a world where my husband and child don't have the same goals as me (food and weight wise) and I feel lost and sabotaged (by myself).

I'm going to "friend' you so we can talk more specifics, but thank you for doing this!

[/quote]

Julie - 

I got your message attached to the friend request. If you would feel more comfortable speaking privately, please feel free to send me a message here or at my gmail account (Cas.RD.LD@gmail.com).

I will let you know in advance (and this goes for anyone else reading this), I find weight to be very subjective. I am very much an advocate for what the individual person is comfortable with and not what society depicts as "thin" or "fat". I find most people have very unrealistic goals for what is acceptable for their weight - which is not their fault in any way, as it is usually based on the media. It is very, very possible to be healthy and overweight. I want YOU to be comfortable with YOURSELF :o)

There is a very, very good book I would recommend for you and your husband to peruse, Julie. It's called "Secrets to Feeding a Healthy Family" by Ellyn Satter. She speaks about how to comfortably feed everyone in the family using foods they enjoy and how to manage kids that are picky eaters. Even though I am single and have no children, I have read this book several times and refer to it quite often. She also covers loving your body as it is, and respecting it enough to feed it the food it needs and wants. She also has a website http://www.ellynsatter.com you can visit if you are interested.

First, before we actually go into the exercise and nutrition part of it, tell me a little about yourself and the goals you have in mind. What kind of changes are you interested in making and how do you want to accomplish them? Remember, we are making permanent lifestyle changes, so think carefully about the goals you want to make. We will move forward from there :o)

Remember, when making lifestyle changes, progress is slow. Slower is better because it is easier to make these changes become your regular habits and part of your routine. When changes happen slowly, the body is able to adjust to them easily. 

Please let me know what I can do for you :o) Like I said, if you don't feel comfortable responding publicly, feel free to drop me a message any time. 

C

 

12

[quote user="Kathie"]

Ok, my whole family has celiac disease and must be gluten free.  I am having a hard time balancing gluten free and low carb.  I know my daughter can eat as many carbs as she wants as long as we cover them but I am trying to eat healthy and yet still give a variety.  My biggest issue is lunch.  I have to send her a lunch every day but she gets tired of the same old thing.

[/quote]

An easy way to make the same "boring" lunch a little different is to use corn tortillas instead of sandwich bread. The tortillas are typically small and have about 10g of carb. You can put the regular sandwich fixins on it, but wrap it up. You can also use large lettuce leaves instead of bread as well. Personally, I enjoy lettuce wraps because of the cold, crunchiness. Wrapping lunch meat around a stick of string cheese is something quick and easy for a kid to bite in to. If she likes them, pickles are something low-carb and easy to pack into a lunch bag. 

Packing simple things like fruits or veggies with dip, single serving potato chips, string cheese, crackers and peanut butter, yogurt, etc make for easy GF snacks and sides to pack in a lunch. Usually the nurse's office has a refrigerator in it, if you need to store her lunch in there until it is time to eat. Encouraging her to try some new foods at home may also bring some variety to her lunch as she finds things she likes. When trying new foods, remember there are multiple different ways to prepare them. She may not like broccoli raw, but she might enjoy it when stir-fried in a little sauce. They need to try things multiple times, in different ways to determine if they REALLY just don't like it. They don't always have to eat it, either :o) They can poke it, squish it, sniff it, touch it, lick it... basically try it, without actually trying it. Exploration is a big part of new food introduction. Also, letting Destiny help prepare her lunches with you ensures she is getting foods she likes as well as giving her ownership in her own care. 

This website has lots of great information for gluten-free families: http://glutenfreemom.com/GettingStartedGlutenFree.html#LunchandDinnerIdeas. You can browse through the "recipes" tab, "school & other activities" tab across the top, and the "lunch & dinner ideas" tab on the lower right side. This can give you some more ideas for things you can stick in a sack lunch. 

If you have more questions, or if you don't feel I answered your question, please let me know! I want to make sure I'm helping you. :o)

13

[quote user="Jaimie Rose Chaffin"]

C, 1st I want to say I think that what u r doing to Great, 2nd I have a question for u that I hope u and answer for me....I have not been drinking my milk and my mom told me that i should be drinking my milk....I dont kown why it is.... I hope that u can help me

[/quote]

Jaimie,

While drinking milk is a good source of calcium and vitamin D, you don't necessarily HAVE to drink it. You can also get these nutrients through other dairy products. For example, you can eat cheese, yogurt, and cottage cheese and still get those same nutrients. Most dairy products are going to have the same nutrients as drinking milk, so if you would prefer to get it elsewhere you can. Try to get 3 servings of dairy a day to make sure you are getting enough calcium and vitamin D for your body. As a growing young woman, you need these things for growth & development, your teeth and bones, heart and brain.

Good luck to you! :o)

14

Hi, everyone!

I've gotten quite a few messages, comments, e-mails, and tweets lately about help with nutrition-related stuff! This is so fantastic!

I just wanted to let you all know I will try to get back to you in a timely manner. I have been overly swamped at work this week, which is greatly limiting my on-line time. But, I WILL respond to all messages and so on. Just allow me a little extra time to get things pulled together for you. I want to help each and every one of you!

Thanks so much for all your confidence in letting me help you! Every day I find more opportunities to appreciate the DOC more and more :D

15

I'm having similar issues to Julie...Before being diagnosed with T1 I was always really thin. I'm pretty short as well, and now can't seem to lose weight and I'm always hungry! I've heard that being on insulin makes it harder. Any obvious advice about T1 and weight loss that I'm unaware of?

16

I'm afraid to say it, but no - there is no magic advice about weight loss :o) It's not necessarily that insulin makes weight loss harder, but we have the added worry about low blood sugars. Our first couple weeks experimenting with the changing our diet and exercise can be really tough on us because we also have to monitor our BGs closely. Low blood sugars can cause us to consume more calories to treat them, thus making all our efforts seem fruitless. 

Weight loss and type 1 is very possible. There are several people on here who have achieved weight loss after diagnosis. Hopefully, if they see this thread, they will be willing to share their own experiences with what worked and what doesn't.

I also encourage starting out very slowly with diet and exercise changes. Nothing too intense or drastic, but slowly working up to greater intensity exercise and healthier eating. This gives our bodies the opportunity to adjust to the changes, as well as giving us the chance to see how our BGs may react and how to proactively make changes to avoid highs or lows. 

Does that help you? Just let me know if there's something else I can do or if you have other questions :o) Feel free to use my gmail address if you want.