Hi all,
This may be the wrong community, so lmk if there’s somewhere better I can post this.
My good friend recently has been suspected by his doctor of being pre diabetic (I think). They put him on a medication for it but I don’t have a lot of exact info on the specifics of the issue unfortunatel
You help your prediabetic autistic friend contact a dietician and help him come up with an eating regimen that he can sustain that supports his health.
If you're doing this, you need to help him find a dietician who understands autism. Restricted eating, sensory issues around food and difficulties with food preparation are all common in autistic people, and seeing a dietician who doesn't understand this could do more harm than good.
Registered Dieticians are trained professionals who work to tailor recommendations to the needs of the individual. When I met with mine, I explained my concerns and discussed whether they could accommodate my particular needs.
Agree with the need to ensure that a dietician is able to accommodate an individual's specific needs. Not all of them will have had the same amount of experience and/or training in working with autistic people.
That will be true of any professional. The prudent thing is to work with them and get a referral to another if one doesn't suit you.
Yes. Exactly what I'm saying. Find a dietician who is experienced in working with autistic people. Thank you for confirming what I suggested.
You can think I confirmed what you suggested, or you can try to understand what I actually said.
One may be trained and capable without experience. One must start somewhere, after all.
This is a pointless discussion. You're saying the same thing as me, but in different words, then trying to argue that I'm somehow wrong. I'm done responding.
Good suggestion, thaanks
Has he asked for advice?
Yes. He specifically asked me to help as I’m one of his closest friends and he’s struggling to get himself to change anything without specific support. I promise you, I’m not just throwing advice at him lol
My son is 25 years old, prediabetic, autistic, and overweight. I also use to wonder how to help him.
My son hates food police. I found out early on not to do that. He’s on a GLP1 and he’s trying to cut carbs and calories. I ask him how things are going and suggest recipes and exercises, but I do not tell him what to do. I treat him like the grown man he is.
Respectfully ask your friend if they want help and how they want helped and go based off of their response and their needs, not what you think they need.
Autism comes at many different levels. Make sure your suggestions and advice are at a level fit for them. I had to show my son how to read labels and carb / calorie count. Something else he hates doing but he knows if he wants to take it seriously what he has to do.
Find ways to substitute lower carb alternatives in the things he already likes. For example, if he normally likes lettuce on his burger, he could use lettuce leaf in place of a bun. If he doesn't, maybe serve it bunless on a plate and eat with fork and knife. There are low carb noodles available, so he doesn't have to give up on spaghetti if he uses those.
Without knowing more particulars, I don't know how urgent it is that he change his diet, but slow progress is better than no progress. As long as he is making small improvements every week he doesn't have to be "perfect" immediately.
Suggest the low carb version of stuff he likes. Cauliflower crust pizza, spaghetti squash for pasta (cauliflower is good for this too), burgers in lettuce wraps, cauliflower mash instead of potato (kohlrabi is also a good potato substitute, as is celery root). Almond flour is great as a breading sub on things like chicken and to make bread like things. Replace sweetened drinks with sugar free or zero versions. It will take a bit of trial and error with texture.
Another thing to consider is exercise. If he likes stuff with more carbs in it, he needs to move. Walking is a great place to start but any activity that he likes and moves a lot will help.
I’ve been in a similar situation, trying to help a friend make healthier food choices. I started by focusing on small changes, like swapping regular bread for whole grain options and offering alternatives like grilled chicken or veggies. I found that introducing new flavors slowly helped him ease into the change. I also shared easy, quick recipes to make the process less overwhelming for him. It wasn’t perfect, but we took it one step at a time.
52 year old autistic diabetic. I keep eating the same crap, just eat small portions. Stick to nutrition fact labels for sizes.
Yea there’s not much you are going to do there. Don’t tell them how to eat if you value your friendship.
This is something they have to figure out themselves.
And suspected? Hasn’t been diagnosed? Kinda weird to be getting meds under a suspicion.