What is carb counting?
Carb counting is a method that helps you to balance the carbohydrate you eat and the insulin in your body, to help you manage your blood sugar levels better. It is a technique to plan your meals. You can learn to count carbs to help you choose what and how much to eat. If you take insulin, you can count carbs to decide how much insulin to take to keep your glucose levels in the target range.
How carb counting helps you?
Carb counting can help you keep your blood glucose levels close in range. Keeping your blood glucose levels close to normal range can help you:
- Prevent or delay diabetic complications like kidney disease, blindness, heart diseases, and nerve damage.
- Keep you energetic and help you stay healthy longer.
Which foods have carbohydrate?
Starchy foods like cereals, root vegetables, sugars, fruits, milk, and yogurt contain carbs. These foods affect your blood glucose much more than other foods like meat and processed meat products, vegetables and fats.
How many grams of carbohydrate are ideal for a diabetic?
The recommended amount of carbs is based on your weight, diabetic medications, activity level, and your blood glucose goals. A dietitian or diabetes educator can help you with a personalized plan and prescribe you the right amount of carbs that will work best for you. A general guideline is to have 45-60% of carbs in each meal and 15-20% of carbs in each snack.