how can i help my mom?

When I was first diagnosed 27 years ago (Type2) I had an appointment with a nutritionist. She had examples of every size /serving of food.
She told me I could have up to 45grams of carbs per meal and if needed 15 grams for 1-2 snacks.
The biggest takeaway was she told me I could eat or drink anything as long as I stuck to those rules. I was a big Pepsi drinker then she said I didn’t need to stop drinking regular Pepsi I just had to know that 1 12ounce can had 45 grams of carbs so that essentially was a meal! I switched to diet!

Are you sure that is not type II diabetes? With type I diabetes a patient will be taking insulin and that is by injection, not pills. There are lots of pills for type II with the most common being Metformin. Type II is much easier to manage especially if not severe. How high was the A1c test?

The sugar may be her "medication" for the anxiety, so it's not just a question of diet.

The best thing you can get your mom is to get a Dexcom System; it measures your blood sugar level every 5 minutes & goes by not your iPhone so you can see which foods impact her body the most. It really helped me with my diabetes. I’ve also found a food delivery service for diabetics and they deliver food on a weekly basis that help keep my blood sugars in line as well. I eat roughly 3 meals of 500 calories with two servings of fruits. These two things are the most useful for me. My food delivery service is Clean Eatz Kitchen. I’m not too good at cooking and all of there meals are microwaveable within less than 5 minutes. Good Luck on figuring out your mom’s journey with food!!

I think you r mom must be a type 2 diabetic. If not, your mom should look into getting an insulin pump. Type 1 diabetes … your bogus doesn’t make any insulin and you really need track food intake and take quite a bit of insulin.

No matter what anyone says… a diabetic should never drink regular soda… which is 2 ounces of sugar. A friend of mine required a kidney transplant after not following the rules 100%. He was only 14 years into diagnosed type2. To start : limit high carb foods(white starches), no regular sodas. Anyone who says otherwise isn’t a diabetic. Most Dr.s haven't a clue. Diabetics must be perfectionists regarding glucose control. Always keeping glucose below 200 and DON’T eat meals if your glucose isn’t below 100. I speak from 50yrs+ experience TYPE ONE w/o complications of any kind. No vision or kidney issues. Diabetes is not a condition you coast thru. Typically Type2 requires diet restrictions and pills. Type 1 is insulin and diet restrictions. …. Yes type2 can sometimes require insulins.

@reneerogahnthanig that’s a good idea! i’ve thought about mentioning a nutritionist to my mom but i thought maybe i was a little crazy but this just gave me more motivation! thank you so much!!

@jim18 YOURE RIGHT! i got mistaken oh my goodness, she has type 2 not type 1! thank you for correcting me!

@anagel
Find it hard to believe her doctor who diagnosed her didn’t set something up. Hopefully she will go and learn something from it. Diabetes , both types, is a hard diagnosis as you need to change so much in your lifestyle and outward appearances no one sees what you are going through. Once she accepts it and starts working towards controlling it she will have burnout days where she doesn’t care. This is normal just need to jump back into the next day. I wish you and her well

@anagel , there are some excellent ideas on this thread to consider. I’d also explore some options with your mom’s doctor. Many Type II diabetics take a GLP1 medication. Not sure what yours is taking, but my endocrinologist is a big supporter of GLP1 meds. They can turn Type II diabetes around!

I have a friend who took one and now has normal blood sugar numbers. It helped her with diet too. She totally changed her diet. These meds have been described to me as making food seem not that interesting. So you eat compliant with the food plan of your choice.
I don’t take them and I have no vested interest in promoting them, it’s due totally on what I have read, observed and been told by my doctors. Each person is different. It might something to explore. Good luck to your mom.