Carbohydrate Counting 

Carbohydrates are the food group that is mainly responsible for raising blood glucose level. Even though the body can make glucose from the protein and fat, but it take time and also it cannot cause blood glucose spikes.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are available in three forms, they are - sugars, starches and fiber. Carbohydrates are found in: Grains (breads, pasta, cereals), fruits, vegetables, root crops (potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams), beer, wine & some hard liquors, desserts & candies, most milk products (except cheese) and other foods, like sucrose, fructose, maltose.

Healthy diet should contain nutrient rich complex carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, no-fat or low-fat milk and yogurt. That is choose the diet rich in vitamins, minerals, fibers, and proteins in proportion to its calorie content.

Simple carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates (monosaccharides and disaccharides) are easily broken down and dumped glucose into the blood stream causes blood glucose spikes.

Some of the food items that contain simple sugars include: Table sugar, Corn syrup, some Fruit juice, Candy, common soda, food items made out of white flour, Honey, Milk, Yoghurt, Jam, Chocolate and Biscuit.

Complex carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates (oligosaccharides and polysaccharides) require time to brake down and slowly release glucose into the bloodstream. Thus there is a study slow blood glucose rise which is good for a diabetic.

Some of the food items that contain complex sugars include:
Bagel, Barley, Beans, Bran, Brown Bread, Brown Rice, Buckwheat, Cassava, Cornmeal, Granary Bread, High Fiber Breakfast Cereals, Lentils, Macaroni, Maize, Muesli, Oatcakes, Oatmeal, Pasta, Peas, Porridge Oats, Potatoes, Shredded Wheat, Spaghetti, Whole Meal bread, Wholegrain Cereals and Yam.

Carbohydrates Metabolism
Once the digestion process start carbohydrates broken down to glucose and released into the blood streams. The available blood glucose is either utilized for energy or stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles, or there is no energy requirement then glucose is converted and stored in the body as fats.

All the above said glucose metabolism requires insulin, people with diabetes can’t produce enough insulin or not sensitive to insulin and thus they need to maintain their blood glucose level with medications or insulin or lifestyle changes.

Carb counting

Standard approximate carbohydrate requirement per day is 165 grams (Break fast 45 grams, Lunch 45 grams, dinner 60 grams and snack 15 grams; total 165 grams)

To familiarize the basic of carbohydrate counting includes understanding the basic relationship between food, physical activity, and blood glucose levels. Next step in carbohydrate counting is the understanding the basic relationship between insulin or other medication and carbohydrate.

Carbohydrates are measured in grams and may commonly be referred by servings or exchange. One carbohydrate serving or exchange is equal to 15 g of carbohydrate.

One serving of carbohydrate
Cabrohydrate should be selected and distributed among different types of carbohydrates groups.

Food type	one serving or exchange
Starch foods	1 slice of bread, 1/3 cup of cooked pasta, 3/4 cup of dry cereal, or 4–6 crackers.
Fruits & vegetables	1 small piece of fruit, 1 ½ vegetables (cooked or salad), or 1/2 cup of fruit juice
Milk & milk products	1 cup of nonfat (skim) milk, 1 ¼ cup of full fat soy milk, or 3/4 cup of yogurt
Desserts	2 small cookies or 1/2 cup of ice cream

Carbohydrate grams to serving or exchange conversion
 

Carbohydrate	Serving or exchange
0–5 grams	considered as zero serving
6-10 grams	considered as ½ serving
11-20 grams	considered as 1 serving
21-25 grams	considered as 1 ½ serving
26-35 grams	considered as 2 serving

Like any other new skill, counting carbohydrates will take some weeks to master the art. At the start it will be bore to weigh and measure foods. As time passes, the eye & mind trained to measure exactly both serving sizes and weights, whether eating at home or out.

Diabetic diet and How to eat it?

• Choose appropriate size of diet not too large.
• Break down diet size (quantity) and spread evenly throughout the day.
• Low in fat, particular emphasis is on saturated fat.
• Prefer high fibre carbohydrate foods such as wholegrain breads and cereals, dried beans, lentils, starchy vegetables and fruits.