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The importance of feeding
Our body depends on a constant supply of glucose (sugar) to run on properly.
However, in congenital hyperinsulinism (HI); insulin, besides storing the glucose available in blood, also suppresses alternative energy sources.
Therefore, feeding is one of the most important aspects in those affected by HI, especially when the medication doesn’t have the expected effect.
Not all foods are equally absorbed ...
My daughter Paula is in the group of children in which medication doesn’t always work. Therefore, feeding has played an essential role in ensuring that her blood glucose levels remain “acceptable”…
CONSULT THE DOCTORS
What we do at home can have a huge impact on our children’s “sugar” values.
Therefore, if you have any questions about treatments, feeding and others, the best thing you can do is to ask for advice from the health staff in charge of your child.
They are the experts!
I only share general information that might help you, but please take into account that in HI each child is completely different and what is good for one may don’t work for others.
GLYCEMIC INDEX (GI)
The GI is a value that helps us in classifying foods that contain carbohydrates according to the impact they will have, once consumed, in the immediate values of blood sugar.
WHAT INFLUENCES THE GI?
In order that carbohydrate starches pass into the blood, they must first be transformed into sugar. That work is done by digestive enzymes. However, the process of digestion and absorption is influenced by many different elements, determined by the food, its handling and the individual. It's important to take them into account because it can help us to maintain more stable blood glucose levels.
No one wants to come across an illness in their life, much less if it is a disease of their child.
However, sometimes storms give way to sunny days.
HOW TO MODIFY GI WHILE COOKING?
Here you have some practical examples of how the meals you prepare can slow absorption and, therefore, slow rises in blood glucose levels.
GLYCEMIC LOAD (GL)
GL is a parameter that quantifies the speed with which carbohydrates will arrive as sugar into the blood. The main difference to GI is that GL not only takes into account the speed of absorption of the food, but also considers how much carbohydrate is contained in an average portion of a particular food.
THIS IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE
It’s good to learn about the glycemic index because it might give you an idea of how fast a food can raise blood sugar. However, it’s usually considered a theoretical value because normally foods are not consumed alone…
So, if you want to keep on learning about feeding, you can find some more pages in this site 🙂
I hope the information may be useful for you!
Yet, please remember that your healthcare staff will surely know much more about the subject than me…