Counting Carbs vs. Avoiding Sugars

Every diabetic knows the importance of diet in controlling blood sugar. What many don't know is that counting and managing carbohydrates is actually more effective than avoiding simple sugars. Why? Because gram for gram, complex carbohydrates found in breads, cereals, potatoes, starchy vegetables, and other foods raise blood sugar just about the same amount as simple sugars (also known as simple carbohydrates!). After all, carbohydrates, whether simple or complex, are composed of chains of sugar molecules. So, when trying to balance blood sugar, it appears that carbs are carbs.

What Exactly Are Carbs? In a healthy diet, 50% to 60% of the day's total calories come from carbohydrates. These include:

• grains (breads, pasta, cereals)
• fruits
• starchy vegetables (lima beans, green peas, winter squash and dried beans)
• other vegetables (low calorie veggies like green beans, lettuce, tomatoes and many others are often called "free" foods because of their low carb content)
• root crops (potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams) * desserts and candies
• most milk products, except cheese
• foods, like sucrose, fructose, maltose

Carbohydrates, and the glucose they generate, are an energy source for the body. Insulin, normally produced by the pancreas, enables the body's cells to burn glucose from food or glucose from the body's stored supply called glycogen. In diabetes, normal insulin production and use is impaired or absent and blood sugar must be controlled in other ways.

This is why monitoring the amount of carbohydrates in a meal is so important for diabetics. Carbs make blood glucose levels rise. Whether you use dietary control or take pills or use insulin, knowing the carb content of a meal is a key controlling blood sugars. Those diabetics who use insulin can decide how much they insulin they need at meal time based on the amount of carbohydrate in the meal.

Exchanges and Carb Counting

The two main methods for tracking carbohydrates in the diet are exchanges and carb counting.

Dietary exchanges

The dietary exchange system, formulated by the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association, consists of three groups of foods: the carbohydrate group, the meat and meat substitutes group, and the fat group. Each of these groups include dietary exchange lists of foods that are similar in carbohydrate, calorie, protein, and/or fat content to all other foods on the same list. These food lists include:

Approximately 50 to 60% of total daily dietary calories should be taken in the form of carbohydrates for most individuals. You should discuss your individual needs with your doctor.

Carb Counting

Carbohydrate counting requires you to count the carbohydrate grams in a given meal and make sure the total carb doesn't exceed your dietary goal for that meal. Consistent amounts of carb at each meal and from day to day generally produce the best blood sugar control. Carb counting allows a great deal more freedom in the diet than merely avoiding all sweets. It also makes it much easier to consistently stick to an appropriate diet.

As simple as it sounds, carb counting can take a bit of practice. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires that all food labeling lists carbohydrate content on a per serving basis, so the carb content in packaged foods is easy to determine. But there are many times, like in restaurants or when eating fresh foods, when you won't have labels to rely on. For these cases, make sure that you have a good carb-counting reference book. Also remember that you will need tools like kitchen gram scales, measuring cups and spoons to help you accurately measure your servings. Discuss carb counting with your doctor and ask for a referral for diabetes education to help you get a great start at counting carbs.

ARTICLE TOOLS: