Reddit reviews Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution: The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars

A 14+ A1C is akin to a slow suicide, honestly. Keeping that up will result in nasty complications. Did the doctor's office just let him leave without trying to drill some idea of the consequences into him? That seems scary to me. I would hope they at least made sure his sugar at the time was in safe range so he could drive home. I might try a different doctor, or request a referral to an endo.

Keto typically is considered the ideal way to go here, for both t1 and t2. Check out /r/keto. I would also suggest you give Dr. Bernstein's book a read. He is a T1, and gives plenty of good advice when it comes to diabetes management and diet.

Type 1 diabetic here. First off, that blood sugar is enemy #1 and is far more a threat than lipids. The fat intake, triglycerides, everything else needs to take a back seat. He needs to focus on a) cutting out high-carb foods entirely and sticking to meat/veggies and b) getting his insulin regimen under control, because it is clearly not. I'd encourage him to make the switch as quickly as possible, but to check blood sugar constantly and ALWAYS keep glucose tabs on hand. I had a lot of lows the first couple weeks, he might too.

The real expert on low-carb and type 1 is Dr. Bernstein. His book, "Diabetes Solution" goes over everything your friend needs to know to get started. He also has a youtube series. And, there is a group of type 1's following his approach, Type One Grit. Have him join the group for support.

Keep in mind, he will have diabetes forever. But low-carb can ensure that he never experiences spikes like that again, and keeps it at normal levels.

Diabetes Solution by Richard K. Bernstein, MD.

http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699

I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that people like your grandmother's dietician represent everything that is wrong with the world.

Please buy Dr. Bernstein's diabetes book. It may give you hope instead of the crap you were served by the dietician.

Here ya go.....
Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution

Have you read Dr. Bernsteins's Diabetes Book?

He is T1 diabetic,he was an engineer and became an MD.
He pioneered the use of glucose meters by diabetics, and his book advocates a low carb approach to living with diabetes with a minimum of drugs.

http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420307068&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=dr.+Bernstein+diaetes

Have you read this: https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478489895&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=dr+feinstein%27s+diabetes+solution That's been really helpful for a lot of insulin-dependent diabetics.

Sometimes the enzymes don't help. But sometimes they do. I know it's difficult. And it's frustrating. But if you keep trying one thing at a time, you'll likely hit on a few things that each help just a little. And in the meantime, the lack of carbs may give your vagus nerve the chance to heal a bit.

Hang in there. You can always come here and complain. Blow off steam. Ask for ideas. Whatever helps.

It's not just what she should know, it's what you all need to know, now. The main thing is the more carbohydrates you put into her diet the harder it will be to control her Blood sugar levels (which is what leads to bad stuff happening over time). More carbs means you have to take more units of insulin for corrections. On the other side, the less Carbohydrates she consumes the easier it will be to control, as you have to dose less and the sugar level swings wont be as crazy.
With her being 15 years old, this is now a responsibility for your family just as much as it is for her. Unless she is independent and is expected to cook her own meals.
She also needs to do her best to check her blood sugar levels before meals. If it's (her BSL) already high and she is expected to eat even more carbs at meal time, then it won't be a fun time for her. She will probably need to add a few extra units of insulin. What I try to do before I eat any meal is to ensure my BSL is in the range of 80-140. If it's not in that range I might have to give myself a few extra units of insulin on top of what I was planning to take for that meal. According to Dr. Bernstein 30% of the insulin that is given will be destroyed by the immune system, so the more insulin that is taken, the more that is destroyed, but the less that is taken less is destroyed. This just means she might not absorb all the insulin that was intended to be absorbed, if you were to dose a high amount because more would be lost, resulting in sugars taking a lot longer to come down to the normal range (80-140). Whereas if you dose less (and eat less carbs) the sugar levels shouldn't rise as high and should come back to normal range quicker.

The main thing is, she can live a full life if she controls it, and doesn't let it control her (mentally).

Edit: If you are serious then Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes solution is a must read

My wife is an RN and a Type 1 diabetic. She hates what diabetic education consists of and firmly disagrees with it. I'd recommend checking out The Diabetes Solution to read about how the keto diet is really the best thing for diabetics.

The First Year: Type 2 Diabetes by Gretchen Becker is very informative, even if this isn’t your first year.
https://www.amazon.com/First-Year-Diabetes-Essential-Diagnosed/dp/073821860X

Doctor Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution has good information, but he’s very strict and a Type 1 so some of his advice can be a little excessive for many Type 2s, but is still worth a read.
https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699

Blood Sugar 101 is a website full of information and she published a book off of it.
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/

My husband is T1 and switched last year to eating as few carbs as possible. Your body takes a week or so to adapt to running on fat instead of carbs, but once he got through this it's been fantastic for him. He needs probably around half the insulin he used to, has energy all the time and his blood sugars stay in a nice narrow range. No more rollercoasters :)

It does take some getting used to and I'd recommend you read up on it to make sure you're doing it right! Dr Bernstein has written a great book that I would recommend any diabetic to read, it has seriously changed my husband's life :)

The T:Slim has a temp sensor in it so if the insulin in the pump ever gets too hot or cold it will beep at you; I live in florida and even going to theme parks all day in the 100+ heat (summertime) and have never set it off.

The last 27 years I've always kept the bottle I'm working off of out at room temperature and my back stock in the butter drawer of the fridge. I've never had a problem with insulin ever going bad except the one time I left a bottle in the hot car for an entire work day; that bottle went bad.

So I kind of feel like those trio cases are extraneous unless maybe you live at the equator/in a volcano. :)

The best two things I've ever done for my T1 was getting a CGM, (You've got one), and reading this book. I feel like they should give it out when you're diagnosed and I WISH they told me this stuff instead of recommending the standard ADA diet/no concentrated sweets bullcrap. Would have prevented a lot of the complications I have now.

Look into:

• Type One Grit
  
  
  
• Dr Bernstein’s book
  
  
  
• Let Me Be 83.
  
  
  It’s worth it!

I've recommended this book so much but its literally a life saver.
Buy it, read it, live it www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699

Talk to your doctor and you might wanna read "Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution" he's a type 1 diabetic who has heavily been a proponent of low carb diets for diabetes control in both type 1 and 2.

Definitely speak with a doctor, but I also recommend that your brother (and you?) educate himself. Dr. Bernstein's book pretty much covers all the bases, and also has good insight into how very low carb fits in with treatment of Type I.

> I have read a little about this so far and it seems that DKA would only occur if she was on a keto diet AND was not receiving sufficient insulin.

This is exactly my concern with full on keto diet. I want to give you kudos for doing your research. There are absolutely benefits, and draw backs and it is ultimately up to you if the benefits outweigh the concerns.

I only know of one source that talks about extending the honeymoon period, Dr. Bernstein. His methods are similar in your thinking and I think you would be interested in what he has to say. As for proof of his methodology, being an 80+ year old diabetic is pretty convincing. But I recommend you make your own decision.

I started at 185, and came down to 150 at one point, but that was too much. Luckily I went back up 5 lbs. I wasn't really tracking weight loss / time, except roughly the whole thing was 2 months. I've been consistent, I wasn't doing it for fun! (diabetes; Dr Bernstein's plan, 30g / day). I haven't had any measurements taken; I know, I should.

There is no other way a diabetic should eat. If you have a history of diabetes in your family you should follow this diet. This is your best chance of preventing the development of diabetes.

It has happened that type 2 diabetics were able to stop their medication due to a low carb diet. The also obtain normal blood sugar levels. It has happened numerous times. They are "cured". I put it in quotes because as long as they are on the diet they take no medication and show no symptoms of being diabetic but as soon as they return to the standard American diet their complications will return.

If you want to learn more you should buy Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. This guy has got type 1 diabetes and at the age of 78 is still as fit as a fiddle.

No articles, but the book "The Diabetes Solution" by Dr. Bernstein pretty much advocates a ketogenic diet.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0316182699/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1449287061&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=dr+bernstein+diabetes+solution&dpPl=1&dpID=51NMUWSvsEL&ref=plSrch

You can go low carb, search for dr beenatein he is a type one onn low carb

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0316182699?pc_redir=1411838828&robot_redir=1

Get your parents to read this book. DR. BERNSTEIN'S
DIABETES SOLUTION http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316182699

Also check out this podcast Bernstein was on http://ec.libsyn.com/p/a/c/b/acba6286e4c74a1e/LLVLC-683-bernstein.mp3?d13a76d516d9dec20c3d276ce028ed5089ab1ce3dae902ea1d01ce8e35d7cf5e37d5&c_id=5705297

Taubes books are good but you might also consider Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution since you where pre-diabetic.

Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar. Untreated diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar. The two are opposite conditions.

It sounds like you have a lot going on ... so I'm loath to give too much advice to you. Perhaps your case is unique.I'm happy to answer any questions you have though. I was diagnosed one year ago, and you're right, it's overwhelming. For months I dedicated almost every waking hour to learning about the disease. Allow me to recommend this free e-book. It's not brilliant or anything, but it's an easy read and may be helpful for you. After that, I moved onto this one.

What I will say is that your doctor's treatment regimen is bizarre, and you should investigate other options. Kaiser is a very modern healthcare provider, I see no reason to expect that they have made an institutional decision to recommend an antiquated style of diabetes management. Have you seen an endocrinologist? If not, please do so.

There is quite a bit of information out there on the net. You might have to dig for it.

Parts of the below book can also be read on line.
A lot of diabetics have also commented on this sub,so use search to find them.

http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699

Somebody needs to introduce him to /r/keto and give him this book: http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699/ref=pd_sim_b_1

U/4thShift offers a lot of the same sort of advice I'm following. I've recently gone through the transition to eating low carb in order to try and normalise my blood sugars. This is after nearly 10 years with terribly controlled diabetes, despite (almost) every effort - regular blood glucose testing, adopting the insulin pump , educating myself on carb counting including estimating etc. I was following the track that I can eat whatever I want as long as I bolus for it. But it really didn't work. Large amounts of carb cause spikes and I haven't heard of anyone who is able to normalise BGLs on a high carb diet.

BUT- the first piece of good news is that low carb is becoming adopted more as a solution that works among diabetics , both types. So there are lots of people who can share their strategies and there are resources to help. I don't describe myself as a "ketoer" but most of the recipes are diabetes friendly due to being low carb . I am picking a few of my favourite foods and drawing on keto recipes as well as the information in this complete guide to normalising blood glucose levels . It's a lot of information and I bought a little notebook to take important notes that I need to remember , and carry in my handbag and whip it out every now and then to go through to embed them into my psyche... A lot of what is in the book is here in video format

It's hard work but having my own highly supportive SO helps and he is also following the same sort of eating (in general, which I'm very grateful for, it really does help). Incidentally one of my favourite recipes is the fathead pizza. I weigh my dough and make own pizza to eat to ensure carb counting . It fills me more so I don't want to gulp down a whole piZza like I used to and I actually prefer the taste. I also get upset about missing out on certain things but there a loads of dessert recipes (some in the boook above). The pain is that you do have to make all yourself. Can't just pop into the cheesecake shop on the way home.

The second piece of good news is, because your SO is newly diagnosed, he will still have functioning beta cells. I remember my honeymoon period... those first six months were much easier to keep BGLs down because of those cells. If you can maintain their function by avoiding burning them out (as I understand ). I can't tell you how motivating and inspiring it is , after ten yeArs, to find out that I can potentially normalise BGLs as a type 1 diabetic. I'm hoping to achieve a normal A1C and consequently reverse my complications which have started to rest their ugly head. I wish I had the knowledge sooner, perhaps one way to look at the situation.

I miss being able to eat whenever I want, but less so each day I get into it. Meanwhile, when I do eat I am choosing things I always liked to eat (cheeses, bacon, mayo/Avocado chicken, breads but the low carb almond versions , lots of decadent creamy sauces in vegetables, low carb cheesecake etc) .

I wish you all the best. Hope something here and above helps. Your SO is very lucky to have you.

The best book I've read for diabetics is Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution.
It's long, but it explains just about everything someone would want to know about controlling and hopefully reversing diabetes (reversing type 2). The dietary recommendations presented in this book are similar to keto.

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699

This book is usually recommended for T1s, but has a ton of excellent advice for T2s. Your failure of willpower might be more a failure of biology, and something you can control by changing your diet, lifestyle, and maybe reviewing your medication with your doctor.

Good luck. You can turn this around - many do.

I can tell you what I personally did to start taking control of my type 1 (that started 4 years ago).

1. I started a very low carb, ketogenic diet
   
   
2. I bought and studied Dr. Bernstein Diabetes Solution (https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699) which, apart from the low carb diet, gives specific guidelines about how to control your diabetes
   
   
3. I put all those in practice, starting with titrating my basal. I did basal testing (fasting experiments) as Bernstein suggests, or as described here (https://www.diabetesdaily.com/forum/articles-by-members/16675-basal-testing-mdi/)
   
   
4. I then continued on with the meals, deciding on standard, very low carb meals which I know what to bolus for (again as Bernstein suggests). I eat the same meals every day so bolusing is no guess anymore.
   
   
5. I purchased a freestyle libre, which greatly helped me in improving control.
   
   Hope something of all this helps.

The best thing your mom can do is self educate - learn as much about the current information as she can. Knowing how diet can help control T2D is such valuable information.

Here is a really good book, written by a medical doctor who is now in his 80's and has been a diabetic since his teens. https://www.amazon.ca/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699
I think this is a good place to start. He also has a web site with lots of video lectures on various topics for both T1 & 2D . Also, I have found trying to find ready-made Low Carb/Keto/Diabetic premade food was hard to find and VERY expensive. It is not that hard to make great food at home that is based on whole food and is high in nutritional value. Now that she is a T2D she must change her lifestyle and relationship with food to live a healthy and complications free life.
I have now been on a full keto diet for 4 years and my T2D is totally under control - with NO MEDS. I was taking 3 kinds of meds before changing my diet.
Here is my playlist of Keto foods that have keept my BS in the very healthy normal range. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWxb2cfHHa24T7pXv6ssnDw/playlists

If you want to help your mom, the best thing is to learn with her about T2D and how a very low carb diet can make a huge difference. Supporting her journey will encourage her and the support is so appreciated (I love that my family are 100% helping keep to my keto lifestyle- they see how much it helped me)> Let me just complement you – you are amazing for wanting to do this for your mom. Best of luck to her and may she get her T2d UNDER CONTROLE!

Hope this helps. CHeers

Agree, I do LCHF/Bernstein/keto diet, HbA1c dropped from about 8 to 5.8. try it.

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699

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Check out this book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699/ it has a lot of stuff about type 1s as well which you can ignore, but the advice for type 2s relating to medication and low carb eating is solid.

A friend of mine is a type 2 and has been controlling it almost exclusively with a keto diet. The most important thing is to keep your sugars in range, so diet exercise and medication as needed for achieving that. Sounds like you’re off to a good start with those numbers.

> Are they crazy?

Yes, they are crazy. But that is the "official" advice.

Here's a book you might want to consider: Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. This is a doctor who himself has (type 1) diabetes, and the diet he proposes matches your intuition.

It was already clear. People of my ilk think that the ADA is a corrupt institution, corrupted both diabetics with little self-control ('poor diabetics, gonna die early - might as well let them eat some sugar. Plus if we set it too strict they'd get discouraged'), and, by getting money for their endorsements of many food-products, few of which would be acceptable to lo-carbers.

I mean it's just common sense. If you're a T2, insulin itself contributes to your insulin resistance (your cells get weary of too much of it), so why provoke it or have to inject more of it?. And, how are you going to match your injected insulin to your consumption, exactly? There's going to be slop + mismatch; too high and too low. If you want to be strict re your health, just don't do the carbs. Probably the leading advocate of this approach is Dr Bernstein. But there are others <- good read, by the way.

First of all, read Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. It's a must-read for every diabetic, really. That should help with high blood sugars.

As for the pain it sounds pretty bad. What meds are you taking?

I have no info for you about rashes, but hopefully someone else will. Ketones are flushed out in urine, so have her drink lots of fluids. If any thing is raising blood sugar and not helping stop using it. High BG slows healing. Read Dr.Bernstiens book and [Think Like a Pancreas] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/ol/0738215147/ref=mw_dp_olp?ie=UTF8&condition=all)

It looks like this would be a helpful book/resource for OP:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316182699/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=asw07-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316182699

If you haven't already, read this

I know keto is kind of a fad right now, but I've been doing it for years before it was, and can say that its really the ideal diet for diabetics in my mind. It'll attack two of the issues you mentioned, weight loss and blood sugar control. If you're interested in more research, you call look up Dr. Richard Berenstein's book on the matter. He was basically advocating for diabetics to eat keto (though it wasn't called that at the time) back in 1997 when the book was published. Dude is a T1D who's in his 80's with no complications, so i think that says a lot.

​

The short version is that if you eat less carbs, you'll need to take less insulin, so your blood sugar will even out. Less highs and lows. Regarding weightloss, if you're eating more fat instead of carbs, it fills you up quicker so you end up eating less calories without even realizing it. Speaking personally, I've lost 80lbs doing keto and kept my A1c in the low 6's.

​

The only advice I'll give without going too far down the rabbit hole, is that if you decide to try it, to at least stick with it for a month before you decide it isn't for you. It takes your body a little time to adjust to the changes. That and don't buy into all the keto "supplements". They are all absolute bullshit. Just do your own research, eat your meat and green veggies (and lots of cheese), and you'll be fine.

IMO, the best book I've read about T1 was Dr. Bernstein's book. Some people get pissed about it because it's kind of 'controversial', BUT, my 5.7-6.3 A1c's would argue that it works.

Reading it and hearing how strict he recommends can seem daunting, but, I'm not that strict; I just try my best. Some days that's not so good, but most days...

Lots of type 1s keep their a1c in the 4's and 5's. After keeping mine around 6.5-7.0 I started developing minor complications and now I'm in the 5's and inching downwards. Here's a guide.. hope it helps! http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450747291&sr=8-1&keywords=dr+bernstein

Thomas Seyfried, Cancer as a Metabolic Disease: On the Origin, Management, and Prevention of Cancer

(That is a textbook, but this next one is written by an investigative journalist):

Travis Christofferson, Tripping over the Truth: How the Metabolic Theory of Cancer Is Overturning One of Medicine's Most Entrenched Paradigms

If you really wanna geek out you can also find and look into the actual cancer genome project results once you have access to it.

If you don't like Atkins and if you're gonna use a variant of the "everything in moderation" argument you're not gonna like what these people have to say about how to treat cancer (but you do have the right attitude to pass medical school: you're repeating conventional wisdom talking points so you won't piss off your professors. Just don't go all Robb Wolf on us; he was about to get a medical license but then decided to go into biochemistry instead after being disillusioned with the medical industry).

​

" You say that medicine is not intellectual, and you are wrong. " What I mean is that it is not a minimum requirement to be a doctor, and most doctors are time-starved, so they're not gonna be looking too hard at the data that's being presented to them by medical researchers. Example Seriously if you think being a doctor will be like living the life of an intellectual you will be very disappointed.

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Michael Eades mentioned in another blog post about how he just had to accept that his colleagues were used to having such low standards for what was an acceptable fasting blood glucose level in diabetic patients that their patients would end up as leg/foot amputees and blind from the mildly but constantly elevated blood glucose levels, while he himself didn't have this problem with his patients (because he actually knew what he was doing). The fact that his colleagues might learn something from him never occurred to his colleagues. This is what I mean when I say being a doctor is not an intellectual job. He takes an intellectual approach to the job but his colleagues don't; yet they are still allowed to practice medicine. In fact you are literally defending the mindset that his colleagues have in these posts, you just don't know it yet (and hopefully this will change but if it does, expect some people to hate you)

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By the way you might as well check out this book by what might very well be the oldest living type 1 diabetic. The author was well on his way to dying from diabetes when he figured it out with the help of his physician wife who had access to a glycometer (back then patients weren't allowed to monitor their blood glucose so only a doctor could buy a glucometer). He tried to tell others about how he recovered from certain death but nobody listened so he switched careers and became a doctor. Unfortunately he's also considered a quack by the mainstream because he promotes low carb, which, like I said before, is politically incorrect.

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Also, Terry Wahls - a medical researcher who got MS, got put in a wheelchair and managed to heal herself enough to no longer need it. Seriosuly. She's also somebody that got labelled a quack and they tried to tell her she "didn't have MS after all" because until her nobody ever reversed MS symptoms (therefore, if she did do it, it must mean she didn't really have it). But unlike Dr. Richard K. Bernstein the label of quack isn't quite sticking to her; she's becoming popular in MS circles as more ppl w/ MS try out her protocol and it worked. And lucky for us she's a medical researcher; last time I checked she's going to be doing some research on her modified paleo / low carb diet

SECTION | CONTENT
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Title | Session 17. The Somogyi Effect. Real or Myth? - Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes University
Description | In Session 17 of Diabetes University, Dr. Bernstein discusses The Somogyi Phenomenon (rebound blood sugar rise), a total myth, but one that still persists. Dr. Bernstein's book is available at www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699/ This video was produced and edited by Dr. RD Dikeman and David Dikeman of TYPEONEGRIT. For more on Dr. Bernstein's book, Diabetes Solution, go to http://www.diabetes-book.com/ Every month Dr. Bernstein hosts a free teleseminar via h...
Length | 0:09:14






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Life will get easier and routine will eventually become second nature. Also I would push your doctor to prescribe a continuous glucose monitor asap as they make managing T1 diabetes so much easier as it gives you your blood sugar and a graph of the trend every 5 minutes.

A couple books that are good resources:
https://www.amazon.com/Think-Like-Pancreas-Practical-Insulin-Completely/dp/0738215147

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=G1ZBQ2CDMBY71R49W5CN

Type 1 is definitely a shock. I got diagnosed when I was 19. No DKA fortunately, but my HbA1c was 9%. I don't know what caused it, can be a lot of things. I suppose I won't ever get to know that. I can be something as little as a virus that made your immune system go haywire. Even something that has been dormant for years can cause your immune system to fail when it stops being dormant.

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I remember feeling lost in the beginning as well. Going to do groceries and just thinking; I can't eat anything.

Over time I came to realise actually a lot is possible, you just have to actively be a pancreas on the side. I've seen this tip from others already, but I'll repeat: get a CGM or FGM (continuous / flash glucose monitor). This helps you be a pancreas(: CGM is probably nicer, as it provides warnings when your BG is acting up, but already having an FGM provides you with more comfort, since you can check you BG just with your smartphone with NFC.

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As to weed, definitely possible (I live in the Netherlands). Though I would wait until you've got a better grip on your BG. Alcohol is also possible, but again, I'd wait until you know better how your body responds. Sometimes you just feel like drinking a few beers. CGM/FGM helps you more easily keep an eye on your BG. And I'll admit, sometimes I have a few too many, have my BG shoot up to 20-25 mmol/L (360 - 450 mg/dl). Yeah that's not good long term, but if you have Type 1 you are still a human being. If you're at those levels once in a while, you'll be fine. The thing is to find what works for you and how strict you want to be for yourself.

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As a snack; I like 90% chocolate with peanut butter. Check to make sure there's no added sugar in the PB though. I recommend not starting with 90%, but working your way up. Start with something in the 70 range, from there to 80, then 85 and then finally 90. Otherwise it might be a bit too much, haha.

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About half a year ago, I read this book: https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699

Basic premise: small quantities of carbohydrates in, means smaller fluctuations in your blood sugar levels. Might be a bit too much in the beginning, but it might give you some structure if you are looking for it.

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Anyway, I think I speak for everyone when I say, you're not alone. We've all had ups and downs, but kicking its ass is definitely doable.

I would suggest picking up the book The Diabetes Solution by Richard Bertstein. He is an MD and type 1 diabetic that practices and promotes very low carb diets. http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Maybe give her this book as a gift?

It's good for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics.

It is possible preserving your beta cells if you keep your blood sugar normal. Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution: The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars

Keto diet, switch your fuel source to fat. It will take time but you will also need less insulin. Less carbs, less insulin.

Read Dr. Bernstein's book, I highly recommend it. He is T1, in his mid 80's and very fit. This guy is in great shape, lifts weights etc.

Info http://www.diabetes-book.com/

For sale on Amazon, buy it used to save a few dollars. https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699

Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuJ11OJynsvHMsN48LG18Ag/videos

So, I’m a physician and everything I said is true. Here’s a good podcast to start with. Also, I’d encourage you to read Dr Bernstein’s book.. Control is not just about A1C average but we now recognize that the very large peaks (excursions) are the more dangerous component.