Diabetes is a common disease that affects millions of people around the world. Currently, there is no medical cure to diabetes, which means, you have to manage it well.
The good news is that with a healthy lifestyle and medication, you can continue to live a long and happy life. The rest of this book will provide you with the best strategies to manage diabetes on a day-to-day basis.
Count the Carbs
Remember how we said that the glucose in our blood comes from carbohydrate intake? Obviously, the next step towards managing and reversing diabetes would be controlling the intake of carbohydrates (carbs).
Carbohydrates are a major component in many types of food such as fruits, vegetables, cookies, corn, potatoes, beer, wine, dairy products, bread and rice. Our body breaks down the carbohydrates in the foods and turns them into glucose, which is used for energy production. Eating more carbohydrates than your body needs will increase your blood sugar to unhealthy levels. Diabetics should avoid this, and therefore need to count carbohydrates in food consumption.
How much carbohydrate is ideal for diabetics?
Counting carbs means counting the grams of carbohydrates in the food you eat. It seems impossible to come up with a perfect number of carbs since that depends on many different factors such as the medications you are taking, your lifestyle, age, weight and other factors. For example, an active person can eat more carbohydrates without affecting their blood sugar levels, as compared to a person with a sedentary lifestyle. That is why it is recommended for you to talk to your doctor so that you can set the ideal carb amount together. Below is a general guideline:
Women:
30 – 60 grams per meal
10 – 30 grams per snack
Men:
45 – 75 grams per meal
10 – 30 grams per snack
Here is a list of foods that have carbohydrates:
• Grains (rice, barley, oatmeal, etc.)
• Other foods that are based on grains (pasta, bread, etc.)
• Milk products
• Starchy vegetables (corn, potatoes, etc.)
• Fruits (that also includes juices)
• Legumes (dried beans, soy, etc.)
• Sugar, sweets, snacks
*Note: There are also non-starchy vegetables that contain a lower amount of carbohydrates: broccoli, cucumber, cauliflower, and lettuce.
How do you count carbohydrate intake?
There are several ways to count carbohydrates:
1) Learn how to read a Nutrition Facts label.
This can be found at the back of most packaged products. Take note that the numbers shown are according to serving and not for the whole package.
The above label shows that two slices contain 36 grams of carbohydrate. The carbohydrate includes 6 grams of fiber and 3 grams of sugars. Since fiber does not raise blood sugar levels, you can subtract the 6 grams of fiber from the total carbohydrate available. 36 grams – 6 grams will leave you with 30 grams for the two slices.
You should always read the food labels before consumption, however, in cases when that is not possible; you should have a general serving size in mind. Here is a list of examples that will help you in the process. Each of the following foods contains about 15 grams of carbohydrates:
• 1 slice of bread
• 1 medium flour tortilla
• 1 small fruit (approximately 4 ounces)
• 1⁄3 cup of cooked rice
• 1⁄3 cup of cooked pasta
• 1⁄2 cup of black beans
• 1⁄2 cup of cooked starchy vegetables
• 1 cup of soup
• 1⁄2 English muffin
• 3 cups popcorn
• 2/3 cup of fat-free yogurt
• 1⁄2 cup oatmeal
• 1⁄2 cup frozen fruit (or canned)
• 1⁄2 cup casserole
• 1⁄2 banana
• 2 cookies
2) Controlling portions: number of servings
If you want to have more servings of a particular food, you’ll have to take portions into consideration. Based on the above Nutrition Facts label, the carb count of 36 grams is only for two slices. This means that if you eat four slices, you will be consuming twice the amount of carbohydrates.
Tip: Close your fist. That would be 1 cup.
3) Learn about the glycemic load of your favorite foods
Glycemic load is the amount of carbohydrates in food or drink being consumed. The glycemic index is a tool that measures how much food change the levels of blood glucose. Foods with an index of 70 or higher are considered high glycemic index foods. You should aim for foods with a low glycemic index to keep your sugar levels from spiking.
- How to Use Hair Serums - August 17, 2024
- 9 Vitamins, Minerals, and Enzymes That Promote Hair Growth - April 16, 2024
- How to Choose the Right Hairstyle for Your Texture and Face Shape - April 16, 2024
