My son has diabetes: our low-carb lifestyle
Discovering that your child has Type-1 diabetes is traumatic. Knowing that a coma may be fatal, making optimal, sustainable lifestyle changes, and successfully managing your child’s school and social life creates constant stress. Food writer Vickie de Beer shares what this path has taught her, and how the advantages of a low-carb lifestyle inspired her to write best-selling cookbooks.
Vickie de Beer
If you are new to podcasts, simply click on the arrow to listen to Vickie and Mariette, or on the download button to download the conversation onto your device.
Please note that Vickie is not a medical professional and offers her experience as a chef, food writer and mom.
In ep. 91 of the weekly podcast series Calm, Clear and Helpful, Vickie touches on
her family’s move from South Africa to the Netherlands in 2020
how her son, Lucca (21), was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes when he was 8 years old
the biggest challenges the family faced following this diagnosis, including giving injections and calculating carb counts for meals
always being on the alert for life-threatening emergencies
how Lucca’s diabetes was initially managed
how the family changed to a low-carb lifestyle and why they made this transformation as a family
why a diabetic needs insulin
advice for parents who cannot always be present to ensure their child who has diabetes makes wise decisions
how to “train” a child’s teachers
advice for visiting friends or going to restaurants
how to cope with the stress of having a child with diabetes, including advice for single parents
issues like diabetes burnout and trauma counselling
Vickie’s tips for starting a low-carb lifestyle (which need not be done overnight!)
In this episode, Vickie mentions the Libre system measuring glucose readings, and the work of Dr. Tim Noakes and Dr. Richard K. Bernstein.
Llewelyn, Joe, Lucca, Vickie and Nikolai
The award-winning, best-selling Low Carb Solution for Diabetics (2015) has been transformed into the
Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Handbook with over 100 Low Carb Recipes by Kath Megaw, Vickie de Beer and Prof David Segal (Updated Edition - Paperback).
My Low Carb Kitchen (2016), available in Afrikaans as My Low Carb Kombuis, is available on Takealot and at Woolworths and selected book stores.
My Low Carb Kitchen (2016), available in Afrikaans as My Low Carb Kombuis, is available on Takealot and at Woolworths and selected book stores.
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About Vickie
Vickie de Beer is a professionally trained chef and and award-winning freelance food stylist, writer and photographer living in the Netherlands. She is the author of several cook books and the food editor of Lose it!, South Africa’s only low-carb magazine.
Website: https://vickiedebeer.com/
Facebook: Vickie de Beer
Music by Mart-Marie Snyman
Thumbnail image: photograph of caesar salad supplied by Vickie de Beer
Photographs of Vickie de Beer: supplied