This article is just meant to give some background for people who may wish to use more whole foods in controlling diabetes, or who want to use counting carbs to control weight. If you have problems with blood sugar control, see a doctor. According to the ADA, carbs are carbs. We disagree, we feel that some carbs will help you balance your blood sugar better than others, but we also know that sometimes counting carbs is essential in controlling Type II diabetes, and is absolutely necessary in balancing blood sugar when insulin dependent. If you use insulin, or if your blood sugar has been uncontrolled, or if you are required to lose weight fairly rapidly for health reasons (sleep apnea, diabetes, blood pressure, heart health, and many other conditions are very often affected by weight), then counting carbs may help you to control your rate of weight loss or to keep your blood sugar in optimum balance. It can also help to control weight gain during pregnancy. If you are diabetic, it is important that any time you make any kind of change to your diet, that you test your blood sugar regularly to learn the effect that the changes are having on your blood sugar control. And do not make changes without talking to your doctor. If I suggest something that you are skeptical about, test your blood sugar and see if it worked. As long as you follow the rules that you have learned about portion sizes, total carb exchanges per meal or snack, and as long as you use whole foods within the guidelines your doctor or diabetic counselor has given you, you can experiment with types of foods to see which ones give you the best overall blood sugar control. What are Exchanges? 1 Carbohydrate Exchange equals 15 Grams of Carbohydrate. Knowing that, you can calculate exchanges from any food that lists carbs. Further down on this page we list some common portion sizes for common foods. Don't be fooled by labels which say, "only so many Impact carbs". You MUST count them ALL, except fiber. Fiber passes through undigested, so you can subtract out the fiber carbs, but that is all. Sugar Alcohol COUNTS! Here are some things I learned: 1. Pay attention to portion sizes! Buy small fruits, or use half a fruit, measure juice and milk, and stick to proper serving sizes of breads and other critical items. Use a small glass for juice and you won't be so tempted to overfill. 2. Potatoes have less of an effect on blood sugar if you EAT THE SKINS. It is not just fiber. We make hashbrowns, potato soup, baked potatoes, and casseroles with skin-on potatoes. Make sure you stick to a 1/2 cup serving size, or a small potato (we buy bags of small potatoes on purpose). When we make a casserole, we micro-bake the potatoes - just one per person, cut them up in chunks, and then mix them in with the other ingredients. Then when we serve it, we divide it equally by the number of potatoes used so the potato portion is controlled. 3. VARIETY! I am not sure why this is, but my blood sugar is better controlled when I use a variety of carbs. During pregnancy I can have 4 carb exchanges per meal, so I can have a glass of milk, a piece of fruit, a slice of bread, and a potato at a single meal, along with a protein and veggies. If you are limited to just 2 carbs per meal, you may need to use half portions if you want that much variety, but the real trick is to not have more than one serving of any single carb, unless it is something like two slices of bread for a sandwich, or a double serving of pasta. Some types of carbs are REALLY picky about this, and you just don't do more than one serving of them per meal - more on that in the next point. 4. Beans, Rice, and some types of Bread are very reactive. Fruit and juice are also ones you must be careful with. These items are ones that you should never have more than one portion of during a single meal. Even if you use brown rice, fresh cooked beans, and whole wheat bread, they tend to have carbohydrate that absorbs very quickly. Combine them with lots of fresh veggies, a good solid protein (nuts, egg, or meat), and a little fat to slow them down a bit. Slice your bread thin, or make an open-face sandwich to avoid overload. 5. Get your veggies. I also noticed that when I ate fresh veggies with a meal it was easier to control my blood sugar than it was when I ate the SAME MEAL without veggies! I tested repeatedly to verify that result. 6. Watch the Freebies! Some items are considered free foods. Fresh non-starchy veggies, condiments or other items with less than 4 gms of carb per serving are considered "free" foods. BUT, if you have more than about two of them, you HAVE to count them as one exchange. I don't count free veggies at all because they tend to not affect my blood sugar even in high amounts, and they even help balance my sugars, but you may need to. Things like ketchup and steak sauce have sugar in them, and you need to limit the portions if you want to keep them "free". Some low carb candies and snacks also fit this category. How Much? Generally if you have a diagnosis of diabetes, you will be instructed by your doctor in how much carbohydrate you are allowed. Here is what my sister and I have experienced: I am pregnant. At 60 grams of carb per meal (4 exchanges), and 15-30 (1-2 exchanges) per snack, if I ONLY eat when I am hungry (and my blood sugar is low enough to eat), I maintain my weight. With one 75 gm meal per day, I slowly gain, which is appropriate for pregnancy. At 3 exchanges per meal, and 1-2 per snack, I lose at a rate of about a half pound a week if I am eating only 3 major meals a day. At 2 exchanges per meal, and 1-2 per snack, I lose at a rate of 1 or more pounds per week. I have not counted carbs when I am not pregnant, so I don't know how my metabolism might change and affect weight loss amounts. My sister, who also has diabetes, more severe than mine, can control her diabetes well on 3 exchanges per meal, 1-2 exchanges per snack. We generally do not count fat and protein - you may need to, so follow your doctor's advice. We do not count the carbs in nuts, non-starchy veggies, or condiments with less than 4 gms per serving, but we do limit ourselves to a single serving. We have found though, that when you balance your meals, even when you limit your carbs quite a bit, overeating is not really an issue, and we don't have to count the other components because we simply cannot eat that much of them! Approximate Portion Sizes - There are exceptions to these, so do some more research! Generally, One Carb Exchange is equal to: One small piece of fruit, or a 1/2 cup serving of fruit 1/2 cup starchy vegetable 1 small slice of bread 1 small potato (you can do 4 oz if you eat the skin, 3 oz if not) 8 oz milk 4 oz juice (unsweetened) 1/2 cup brown rice or whole wheat noodles, cooked 1/4 cup flour (if you need to calculate for your own recipes) 1/4 cup rolled oats (dry) or 15 grams of any carbohydrate. It is NEVER about ELIMINATING Carbs! Carbohydrates are needed for proper health. Too little is as dangerous as too much. You can limit them strictly while you are getting your blood sugar under control, or losing weight, but even when you are trying to lose weight, you still need to be sure you have some carbs with every meal. Improve the quality of carbs, and your body can better process the ones you give it. Lose weight, and you body will get better at processing carbs too. Written by Laura Wheeler Owner of Natural Diabetes Control - http://www.naturaldiabetics.com/ - Laura writes instructional materials, produces infosites, and builds affordable websites for her business startup clients. Her varied experience allows her to give exceptional service, and to produce instructions on a surprising range of topics. Laura is a busy mom of eight, homeschooler, and home business owner. This article may be reprinted if it is unaltered, and if the signature line is included with the article. |
