That's not to say this is all a snap. You, dear parent, will need to become an expert in nutrition, and do so quickly. Your child, too, will need to understand concepts that most children don't give a thought to.

It's an old joke that the parent of a child with diabetes knows the carb count of every food on earth but has no idea where he is supposed to be at 3 PM. Semi-true, but learning the technical stuff will lead to a more flexible life for your child.

The Meaning of Carbs

What is a carbohydrate? To put it in simple terms, carbs are the fuel that your body runs on. All energy in food comes from carbs, protein, and fatty acids. Carbs are the high-energy fuel that comes from sugars (simple carbs) and starches (complex carbs). All carbs interact with insulin in the body in the process of converting to fuel for the cells to use.

Simple sugars are absorbed directly into the bloodstream fairly quickly after you eat them. Complex carbs digest first into sugar and then into glucose, taking a bit more time. Both types of carbs are the body's main source of energy. Everyone, including your child with diabetes, needs some carbs.

This is why, while some people will think, “Well, if I need insulin to match my carbs, couldn't I just avoid insulin by avoiding carbs?” this simply is not possible. Every body needs fuel to survive, particularly that of a growing child. Matching carbs to insulin as a way to mimic the actions of a normal-functioning pancreas is how a parent helps a child not just survive but thrive with diabetes on board.

The Meaning of the Glycemic Index

The glycemic index (GI) measures the speed at which your blood-stream absorbs the sugars in carbs against a mean of 100, which equals the speed of glucose (pure sugar) absorption. In other words, the GI ranks carbs based on their immediate effect on the pure sugar levels in the bloodstream.

A carb that is ranked high on the GI is one that absorbs into the bloodstream quickly and causes a dramatic and immediate peak in glucose levels. In the diabetes world, this is called a spike. As you will learn, while it's not a good idea to feed a child high-GI foods at all times, sometimes, with the right insulin planning, is perfectly acceptable.

A slow-release food is low on the GI and crests at much lower levels. Thus, energy levels remain constant for a long period of time and there are no spiked highs or precipitous lows from that food. A good mix of many low and moderate GI foods is a good choice for any diet, but we all can have a high GI or two from time to time.