[Diabetes] A Mother's Challenge: The Day I Started Making "Diabetic Meals" for My Daughter
"Diabetic diet"
—doesn't that phrase bring to mind "bland," "small portions," and "tastes bad"?
If you're the one cooking, you might think, "This is going to be tough," or "I have to make this for every single meal..."
You might even wonder, "Units? What are those?"
My mother also had diabetes, but since she handled everything herself, I didn't actually know what a diabetic diet really was.
[Diabetic Diet: The Confusion That Started with "What is Nutritional Management?"]
"Nutritional management" sounds incredibly complicated.
But according to the doctor,
"1660 kilocalories a day, okay?"
That was it.
The nutritionist said,
"You need 9 units of staple foods per day, 5 units of protein, 1.5 units of fruit..."
Yeah, totally incomprehensible lol.
I just answered, "Yes, yes... yes," but then,
"One unit of rice is about this much. It's small, isn't it?"
They showed me a plastic model of rice in a bowl.
It was indeed small.
But when I thought about it, if it's 9 units a day, that means 3 units per meal.
(So, that's times three...)
Well, reaching that conclusion would come much later.
Looking at the food exchange list I was given, the diabetic diet began.
[A Mother's Resolve: Telling My Daughter She Has "No Right to Choose"]
I went home and told my son-in-law how things had turned out.
He laughed, saying, "So she can't eat what she likes, huh? lol"
Deep down, I felt a surge of anger (This is no laughing matter!), but I had to be cruel to be kind for my daughter's sake.
So, the words I said to my daughter were harsh.
"You don't have the right to choose. Just eat what your mother makes for you."
Looking back, I think those words were just piling on the pressure.
But if she doesn't eat what I make, she'll lose to the disease.
The reality is that if she just eats whatever she wants, she won't get better—in fact, she'll get worse.
Yet, my daughter replied with a simple "Okay" to my heartless words.
That's how the diabetic diet started, but honestly, I had no idea what to cook.
That's when AI entered the picture.
[My Reliable Partner: AI "Brother" and His Diabetic Diet Guidance]
I use AI for work.
They are very capable and can instantly look up things that would take me a whole day to search for myself.
I named this AI "Brother" and gave him a personality, and he has been a huge help to me.
"Brother, my daughter has diabetes. Her blood sugar was 326, which is immediate hospitalization level. Is that considered severe?"
"It's classified as severe hyperglycemia."
He explained various other things, but honestly, none of it stuck.
"I was told she needs two types of insulin and diet therapy."
"Which insulin is it?"
He asks me "which one" as if I'd know.
I'm a beginner, for heaven's sake... I described the medicine I was given.
"Those are rapid-acting and long-acting types."
What are those?
I was completely lost.
I later learned that the rapid-acting type works immediately and was to be injected before every meal (three times a day).
The long-acting type works gradually and provides care throughout the day.
However, the problem wasn't the efficacy of the insulin, but the food.
"What should I feed her? I don't know what to cook."
"Shall we think about it together?"
And so, I started planning every meal's menu with AI "Brother."
"Use less soy sauce and add flavor with dashi stock. To make up for the reduced seasoning, use spices."
I see.
I had never thought of doing it that way before.
The way I cooked, relying heavily on seasonings, began to change drastically.
However, there were other problems...
[The "Hunger" My Daughter Complained About Right After Meals]
Originally, my cooking focused on bringing out the natural flavors of the ingredients, and my daughter is used to that.
As for my son-in-law, he works nights, so he doesn't eat with us.
By dinnertime, he has long since left for work.
Moreover, he only accepts strongly flavored food and relies mostly on eating out.
And my daughter, who suffers from depression, cannot hold a kitchen knife.
If I let her hold one, she looks at it and laughs, "Hehehe."
It's terrifying...
As a result, I end up making everything, but sometimes it's so bland it has no flavor at all lol.
My daughter, who is used to my cooking, says even if the flavor is just a little strong,
"This is salty."
Thanks to that, she never complained about my low-salt cooking.
Still, my cooking relied on seasonings, and I would put three side dishes on the table.
If it was a large platter, it was about one dish.
My philosophy was that if it was curry or a rice bowl dish, you didn't need side dishes.
Because of that, rice refills were unlimited.
However, now that she has diabetes, I can't let her eat that much.
Of course, she wouldn't be satisfied with that.
That's why I worked hard, determined to make three dishes no matter what.
"How is it? Is it good?"
When I ask my daughter if it's good, she says, "It's good."
But the very next moment after she finishes eating,
"I'm hungry."
"Are you kidding me?!"
I was genuinely surprised.
"I'm not full."
Not "I'm hungry," but "I'm not full."
This is a serious problem.
"Mom, what should I do?"
Even if she asks me what to do...
At this time, I was making a certain mistake.
But this mistake, conversely, brought about a great effect.
Though it would be a while before I realized that effect.
"Hmm... Tofu. Do you want to eat that?"
"Tofu... No."
You brat...
"How about vegetables?"
"Hmm..."
And so, the diabetic diet to satisfy my daughter, who was complaining of hunger, began.