Hi everyone
Even though this is my first post, I have been reading your posts for a while, so first and foremost thank you for everyone’s input. Your past comments have helped me tremendously adjust to my new life as a t1.
So my Endo has finally prescribed me insulin, and quite frankly I’m terrified of getting lows. ( And I’m so happy that I have been extremely cautious, as I started with a 1/3 of what she recommended for lantus, and my fasting is now below 100.)
So my question to you is what are your favorite hypo snacks.
I read online mostly glucose tablets, juice, soda and gel tablets, I read here some people mentioning life savers and gummies.
I do not have a huge sweet tooth ( unless my sugar is already through the roof) and try to stay away from junk food. I’m also concerned that with gummies and Skittles I might not have the same self control and prevent over eating them
Also would you mind telling me if these snacks make sense for treating lows:
Hi Ioica @Emet, a Warm Welcome as a new Member at TypeOneNation - even though you have been with us for a while.
So now, you are a new user of insulin so I’ll urge you to not be afraid, but be knowledgeable and cautious. Why you should try not to be afraid? - if you truly do have autoimmune diabetes, you most certainly need, and will need for your entire life, insulin delivered from an outside source.
Very true, at times we venture toward or enter into a hypoglycemic state for a very wide variety of reasons, but mostly because that careful balance of activity, food and insulin gets thrown off so we should always have some type of carbohydrate handy for “medical” snacks.
“Hypo snacks” take different forms depending on what is needed at the moment - either fast-acting or slower-acting carb used prophylactically; the list you posted include both types. For instance, pretzels is useful when BGL {Body Glucose Level] is dropping and a meal is not immanent - for me, if my BGL drops into the 90’s at 4PM I would eat something like that to [help] keep me from going any lower before supper. But if my BGL went below 80 at that time I would drink apple or orange juice [combined with something else] to keep me from going “low” and bring me up quickly - within 30 minutes. I always have a granola bar with me as a combination carb snack - the bars I currently use have total carbs of 14 which includes 6 grams of fast acting sugar. Our bodies are all different in how we react to foods - you will need to discover what is best for you.
It is nice to hear that your “fasting” BGL is less than 100 mg/dl, but how much less? After more than 60 years living with insulin and because in the last few years I’ve become hypo-unaware, My target low is 100 mg/dl. For years I aimed for between 80 and 100. Now that you’ve got your fasting regulated you can set your goals for after meals as well - and good luck on that; I’m still trying.
As others have recently said to me, welcome to the club no one wants to be in I, too, recently started insulin and was also very nervous about hypos…until I had some. I’m still here. Not sure if you have a CGM but they really help to take the anxiety out of the insulin. If insurance doesn’t cover it and you can swing it financially, it’s worth the investment. You can learn so much about the effects of the food you eat from the data it collects. I’m still in the “honeymoon” phase so my control and targets are about 99% but so much is due to having that data in front of me. That said, it also makes it harder to overendulge because you’ll WANT to hit those targets everyday. BUT to answer your actual question, Jelly beans are my go-to and so are pixie sticks. Just don’t get so spooked by an impending low that you drive yourself too high (I learned that the hard way). And it’s a very common thing.
If no one has recommended it to you yet, a MUST READ is “Think Like a Pancreas”. It was a lifesaver—literally. I even wrote to the author to thank him for the information that undoubtedly kept me out of the ER after a too-high basal dose from the endo. You’ll feel empowered by your new knowledge and you’ll see your insulin as YOUR weapon, not something that can hurt you. Best wishes.
Fast acting carbs are a must when having low blood sugar. I have read about people eating a peanut butter sandwich, or a chocolate bar, but the carbs are not so fast acting with those choices. I do not like the taste of glucose tablets, so I usually use oreo cookies, but not the chocolate ones. If I am exercising or away from home, I carry a ziplock bag of skittles or jelly beans. They are convenient, and are not messy to eat.
Smarties!! They are easy to carry, they do not melt in heat, they last forever and are quick acting. PLUS, they are 25 calories per snack. If I go low, like below 50 and going down, 4 to 6 will get me right back to normal within one hour.
Dennis,
thank you so much.
I am still learning so much from it all.
I am not afraid per say, but as you nicely put, I try to be extremely knowledgeable.
I do know that I do not eat a typical american diet (I am mostly plant-based) and If I hadnt taken time to learn so much about insulin, before starting to use it, my experiences wouldnt have been so pleasant.
My morning fasting is generally between 70 and 98, unless I eat carbs and fat just before bed time, then, I can be over 150 in the morning.
I first was upset with my insurances and my doctor. it took more than a month to finally have access to both insulins, however with hindsight, it has helped me tremendously have a better understanding on how both work on my body (and finetune my basal).
For the first time, yesterday, I was able to have a guilt-free lollipop. I was at work and my sugar was getting low (below 70), and for the first time in a very long time, I was able to truly enjoy that lollipop!
but what I found the most fascinating was that last night at bed time I was below 70, and decided to eat something, and I had to force myself to actually eat it. I had no desire whatsoever.
I do not know if my prior post made it to the board, but here I go again. Smarties. They are easy to carry, do not melt and only 25 calories each. 4 to 6 will get you from below 50 going down to normal. You will need to gauge how many effect your level. They work incredibly fast too.
@Cutabove1 Kim
I dont have a CGM, I wish I did. my Endo tried and my insurance turned it down. maybe in the future again, but I do test my sugar quite a bit to see my numbers.
I will definitely look into “Think like a pancreas” you are not the first one to recommend it, Im gonna see this weekend if my library has it.
@delightfulgirl so funny you mention fruit strips. I put some in my bag, when we went to Urban Air last weeekend, and my kid found them. by the time I finished a 2 minutes phone conversation, she had gone through all 3 I was carrying with me.
@Boomer I thought for a minute you were either Canadian or British. Smarties are different there than here. I never realized these little candies are called Smarties, I wonder what they are called in Europe and Canada! LOL Growing up (In Canada) we just called them “pills” They do seem to be a good option though. Thank you for the suggestion. When you say 4-6, you mean rolls or “pills”?
Rolls. Trust me, I have been T1D for 37 years. Nothing else I have tried has the shelf life, ease to carry or endurance to work well. Put them in a small zip lock and they are water resistant.
And why did the insurance company turn you down? My endo has had to write appeal letters, which usually does the trick, but not on a CGM. Get one, it will change your life, and save it possibly.
You are correct. I was making the point, as made by my endo, that calories can add up with candy/juice/rescue food. You do not want to be overweight because you have to eat something for your BS.
Hello Loica, Apple juice and pineapple juice will definitely help raise your blood sugar. And if you want to raise it without eating much sugar or junk, and as long as it’s not dangerously low, I recommend
•Apple with peanut butter
•Milk
•Banan and peanut butter sandwich
•Hot cocoa
•Tea with a small amount of plain sugar
It varies for me depending on where I am, what I’m doing, and how low my blood sugar is. When I’m at work I keep a skittles packet, a granola bar, and a packet of almonds in my pocket. My nutritionist said that the skittles and granola bar will bring my blood sugar up, but don’t have enough protein to keep it from dropping again when I’m active, so that’s why I have the almonds. I don’t always eat them with the granola bar, but I do try to eat them when I use the skittles. When I can’t find fun-size skittles packets I switch to gummy packets, but they have twice the sugar of a skittle packet, so I have to plan for that.
For when I’m out and about I keep gummies or skittles (and almonds), glucose tablets, granola bars, liquid glucose/instaglucose/glucose gel, and glucagon with me.
When I’m at home my go-to snacks are juice, tootsie rolls, or jelly beans. Usually followed up with something with complex carbs and/or protein (milk, crackers, cookies, peanut butter, chocolate…)
As others have said, Smarties (this kind: https://www.smarties.com) are a good alternative to glucose tablets (the ingredients are pretty much the same). I’ve also heard of people using Necco wafers in lieu of glucose tablets, but I don’t think they taste very good.
I don’t like to use fruit to bring my blood sugar up. It’s harder to carry with me and it takes longer to eat. That said, if I’m at home and have bananas on hand, bananas with peanut butter are a great follow up to the sugary candies I usually go for.
And I totally understand your concern about self control. It’s hard to ignore the candies sometimes. I try to keep them nearby but out of site (tucked into an aluminum tub or stored in a cupboard).
I use mostly glucose tablets, but when they aren’t enough to maintain my blood sugar once the tablets bring it up, I eat whole dates. They are carb packed & sweet! Sticking with the tablets & dates, cherry juice occasionally is my norm. I too eat mostly plant based and very few carbs
I, too, recently started insulin and was also very nervous about hypos…until I had some. I’m still here. Not sure if you have a CGM but they really help to take the anxiety out of the insulin. If insurance doesn’t cover it and you can swing it financially, it’s worth the investment. You can learn so much about the effects of the food you eat from the data it collects. I’m still in the “honeymoon” phase so my control and targets are about 99% but so much is due to having that data in front of me. That said, it also makes it harder to overendulge because you’ll WANT to hit those targets everyday. BUT to answer your actual question, Jelly beans are my go-to and so are pixie sticks. 