For the better part of 21 years, I’ve been afraid of carbohydrates. That doesn’t mean I didn’t eat them, but I certainly feared them. Diabetic diets labeled “low carb, low sugar” and medical professionals urging “less carbs, less insulin” still ring all around me. And then there’s the fear I have when looking at a delicious plate of pasta in a restaurant. If I miscalculate how many grams of carbs are in the plate, I deal with high blood sugars for hours afterward. And for me, it usually wasn’t worth the gamble.
But now I’m an endurance athlete. (Or at least I’m trying to be.) I ride my bike for hours, I’m training for my first half-marathon and then will work toward a full marathon. I’ve even started swimming and registered for my first (super sprint) triathlon at the end of March.
The reason I have energy to do these things is because I eat carbs. Lots and lots of carbs. And it goes against everything I’ve ever been told to do and eat as a diabetic. Relearning how you eat is hard, and it’s proven to be a bigger challenge than even the activities I’m attempting.
But I’ve spent money and time with a nutritionist and a dietitian. I’ve read books, I’ve read blogs and I’ve even started to learn details about the physiology behind type one diabetes and the human body. It’s equally enlightening and overwhelming.