A 16-year old teenage girl with Type I diabetes seeks counseling for erratic blood glucose levels. She is on the school track team and works out in the afternoons for 1 ½ hours. Her meal plan consists of 3 meals, a pre-exercise snack of one fruit, and a bedtime snack of ½ cup cereal and 1 cup of milk. Her insulin regimen is 3 units of regular insulin before breakfast and 2 units of regular insulin before dinner, and equal amounts of NPH mid-morning and at bedtime. Lately her pre-dinner blood glucose levels have been low. What would be the most effective nutrition intervention for her?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The most effective intervention would be to reduce the mid-morning NPH insulin by one unit and add protein exchange to the afternoon snack. NPH is an intermediate-acting insulin which has its peak effect in the afternoon. Reducing the amount of NPH by one unit and adding protein to the pre-exercise snack will help eliminate low blood glucose levels before the evening meal.

A 16-Year Old Teenage Girl with Type I Diabetes Seeks