Gluten Free And Managing Glucose Levels

[kakilong]

This is my first time posting in this forum. I don't have an official Celiac diagnosis but was put on a gluten-free diet by my nutritionist due to unexplained weight loss, malabsorption, and several autoimmune illnesses. My problem is I also have to watch my serum glucose levels, since I've been on prednisone (now tapering - down to 2mg) for a year and a half and have developed prednisone induced diabetes. My question is does anyone have any experience with managing a gluten-free diet and diabetic diet at the same time?? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have been given information from my nutritionist but it is all very confusing and difficult to manage.

[missy'smom]

How are you managing the diabetes? with meds or insulin or both or dietary changes?

Bottom line is that carbs raise blood sugar. Control the carbs and that is key to contolling blood sugar no matter what other measures are part of your management. Not all carbs are equal. Gluten-free or not, there are fast acting carbs and there are slow acting carbs or low-carb carbs. Fast acting will have greater and faster impact on blood sugar than slow carbs so slow carbs are a better choice. Anything that takes more time to digest will have less impact on blood sugar. Brown rice is a better choice than white, wild rice is even better and the longer the grain, the less impact. Portion size is also important. Have simple meals of a good portion of meat, a nonstarchy vegetable and a grain or strchy veg. if you desire. Measure the starchy veg or grain in measuring cups and make a record of you meal and BG. If you find yourself above target, decrease the portion of sstarchy veg, or grain next time and see if that helps. Low carbohydrate, grain-free and Paleo diets are great for managing BG.

Things like juice go straight to blood sugar and act faster than even injected insulin. I don't drink juice anymore No sodas either unless they are zero.

Among the vegetables, there are starch veg. and non starchy veg. Starchy veg have more impact than non-starchy. Starchy would be peas, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes and others.

At the end of the day, test, test test and keep records. That's the only way to know how things impact you. We call that eating to meter.

Having Celiac or being gluten-free adds no special extra challenges to managing blood sugar. The management methods are the same.

Feel free to ask more questions here.