Food myths, and not being the diabetes police
Five things people still say about type 1 and food, why they're wrong, and better sentences for family and friends to use instead.
Most of the unhelpful things people say about type 1 and food come from good intentions. This page is for family, friends and caretakers: five common myths and what's actually true, then why watching someone's plate backfires, and what to say instead.
Five things people still say
"They can't have sugar." They can, with insulin to cover it. Sugar is carbohydrate like any other; it just arrives faster.
"Fruit is too sugary." Fruit is counted, not avoided. Whole fruit brings fibre and arrives more slowly than the juice made from it.
"I bought the diabetic ones." Diabetic-branded foods are a marketing category, not a medical one. They're usually pricier, and often no easier to dose.
"No sugar added, so it's fine." No sugar added is not carb-free. Sugar alcohols still count, and in quantity they upset stomachs.
"A high number means they cheated." This is the one worth dwelling on. Numbers move with illness, stress, sleep, hormones, heat and yesterday's pizza. A reading is information, not a verdict on someone's character.
Don't be the diabetes police
"Should you be eating that?" is never once helpful. They have insulin. They are dosing for it. They have also heard the question several hundred times.
Hovering and commenting doesn't improve anyone's numbers. What it does is make the person hide things, which is how a teenager stops mentioning the lows.
This is a condition managed around every meal, for life. Surveillance wears people down faster than the condition itself does.
If caretakers remember one thing from this whole section, make it this. Good intentions cause most of what's listed here.
Swap the sentence
| Instead of… | Try… |
|---|---|
| "You look low." | "Have you checked?" |
| Handing them something and hoping | "What do you need?" |
| "Are you allowed this?" | "I'm serving at seven." |
| Nothing at all | "There's juice in the fridge." |
Knowing where the fast sugar is kept is worth more than any amount of watching what goes on the plate. The page on lows, alcohol and sick days lists what counts as fast sugar, and what doesn't.