Sunday, March 14, 2010

Carbohydrates

Here is a question I recently received from FOODPICKER.org:

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last month. I’m having difficulty understanding how many carbs and sugar I can have each day. I’m finding that nearly everything contains carbs and sugar! Can you help me with this?

Good question! For new diabetics, sources of carbohydrate and carbohydrate counting tend ti be confusing. However, with some rules of thumb, you'll be on your success.

Portion control is the main theme here. A diabetic diet is a carbohydrate controlled diet. In other words, do not eat too many carbohydrates in one sitting. Do not "save" carbohydrates for later in the day; your body will thank you for this!

Carbohydrates are found in starches (breads, cereals, pastas, potatoes, corn), milk and dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese), fruit and fruit juices, and, of course, sweets. It is important to read the food label that indicates PORTION SIZE and TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE. Carbohydrate is the main focus and, by examining the food label, you will see that the total amount of sugar is part of the total carbohydrate count.

Now, time for a math lesson: As a woman aim or 3-4 carbohydrate servings per meal and 1-2 carbohydrate servings per snack. (Remember that 15 grams of carbohydrate equals 1 carbohydrate serving.) This means that you should aim for about 45-60 grams of carbohydrate per meal and 15-30 grams of carbohydrate per snack.

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