The first thing that most people don't realize is that diabetes is not a sickness, it's a disease. So what's the trick to keep this disease under control you ask? Carbohydrate counting. So how does a diabetic count carbs?
Carb counting can be done very easily by looking at the nutrition facts which is on the label of items you buy in the store. These products will have the serving size and carbohydrates count on every item you buy. But you must pay close attention to the serving size.
Remember to write down the carbs for each meal that you eat. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and yes those snacks also. Foods that you eat on a regular basis should be logged into a spreadsheet with the type of foods and the carbs. This will save you a lot of time when you are counting the same carbs of a certain food.
Try and keep your carbs in each meal the same day to day, and by doing so your blood sugars will not fluctuate as much. A good average to keep your carb count is between 45 and 60 for each meal. You may need more or less carbs at meal time, depending on how you manage your diabetes.
Once you know how many carbs to eat at a meal, choose your foods and the portion size to match for each food group.
Are You Monitoring Your Blood Sugar?
When should you be monitoring your blood sugar? The best time to monitor your sugars is about a half hour after you eat and fasting. A fasting blood sugar test should be checked when you first get up in the morning before you eat anything.
Now lets look at what foods a diabetic should pay close attention to when counting carbs.
Foods That Contain Higher Carbohydrates Are The Following:
- starchy foods like cereal, rice, bread, and crackers
- fruits and juices
- milk and yogurt
- dried beans like pinto beans and soy products like veggie burgers
- starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn
- snack foods, sweets, sodas, cake, candy, chips and cookies, candy, and chips
Protein And Fat
When you are counting carbs, don't forget about the protein and fat in meals. You should always include a source of protein and fat in you meals.
Weight Loss
When trying to lose weight, look at the calories. When looking at foods it can be helpful to find those lower in calories per serving.