Carbohydrate Counting for People With Diabetes

Carbohydrate Counting for People With Diabetes

The three main nutrients--protein, carbohydrate and fat--affect blood sugar differently. Because carbohydrates contain both sugar and starch, they have the biggest impact on blood sugar. All of the carbohydrate you eat gets changed into blood glucose within five minutes to three hours after the food is eaten. For people with diabetes, knowing carbohydrates' effect on blood sugar is important for good health.
How much carbohydrate you eat (whether it's sugar or starch) will determine your blood sugar level after a meal or a snack, so keeping track of your carbohydrate intake is important. Many people with diabetes have maintained good blood sugar control with a technique called carbohydrate counting. Carbohydrate counting not only contributes to better blood sugar control, it also provides more variety in food choices.
There are two ways to count carbs: the simple way and the more advanced method. With the simple method, you work with a certified diabetes educator/registered dietitian to figure out how many grams of carbohydrate to eat at your meals and snacks. For example, if your nutritionist estimates that you need 75 grams of carbohydrates for breakfast each day you have the information you need to vary your food choices. A breakfast of cereal, milk, yogurt and blueberries will add up to 72 grams. But you might choose a breakfast of bagel, low-sugar jelly and non-fat milk for a total of 78 grams.
The advanced method of carbohydrate counting involves matching your insulin dose to the amount of carbohydrate you eat. You will need to work with professional diabetes educators to determine your ratio of carbohydrate to insulin. In both types of carbohydrate counting, however, knowing serving sizes and reading food labels are both necessary in order to count carbohydrates.