Fat and Protein

Although fat does not contain carbohydrate, it may very well affect your blood glucose levels. You may find that two hours after a meal containing a lot of fried food, cheese, or fatty meat, your blood glucose is normal, but four to six hours later, it’s high. That’s because the fat slowed down the absorption of the carbohydrates in that meal.

As you become aware of how fat affects your blood glucose, you can adjust your insulin accordingly. When you eat certain high-fat foods, like pizza or chips, you may find that using the variable bolus feature on your pump allows you to better match insulin delivery to the blood glucose rise from the meal.

Doctors and health experts recommend that all people, with or without diabetes, eat less fat, and especially less saturated fat. If you have high cholesterol or are trying to lose weight, it’s important to limit the amount of fat you eat each day.

Protein

The good news is that protein has little effect on blood glucose when eaten in moderate amounts. However, most people eat more protein than they need – in fact, protein does not need to be included in every meal. If you have high cholesterol or are trying to lose weight, eat leaner proteins such as chicken and fish.