What Is The Recommended Daily Intake Of Carbs For A Diabetic Male
Male diabetics can usually handle slightly more carbohydrates compared to female diabetics, but the optimal amount of carbs you should eat will also depend on your weight, physical activity level and blood-sugar control. Male diabetics will generally need fewer carbs compared to non-diabetics because an excess of carbs is associated with higher blood-sugar levels, which can eventually lead to diabetes complications. Working with a diabetes educator or registered dietitian can help you dial in your carb intake to help you optimize your diabetes control and prevent complications. Carbohydrate counting is an important skill to learn to help diabetic males better understand the link between the food they eat and their blood-sugar levels. Carbohydrates are mainly found in foods containing sugar or flour, as well as in grains, starchy vegetables and fruits. Look at the nutrition facts table on food labels to determine the amount of carbs found per serving. Adjust the carb content according to the serving you consume. For example, if the label of a package of rice says that 1 cup of cooked rice contains 45 grams of carbs and you usually eat 2 cups of rice, your carb intake will reach 90 grams. Keep a food diary to keep track of the food you eat and your carb intake. Standard Advice The daily carb intake for male diabetics recommended by the American Diabetes Association varies between 135 and 180 grams for your three basic meals along with up to 60 to 90 grams of extra carbohydrates at snack time. Your daily recommended carb intake could therefore vary between 135 grams a day if you don't snack up to 270 grams a day. Since these recommendations are quite broad, the American Diabetes Association suggests working with a diabetes educator or registered dietitian to get more speci Continue reading >>
How Low Is Low Carb?
Many agree: People with diabetes should eat a low-carb diet. Last week we looked at what “carbs” are. But what is meant by “low?” How much carbohydrate should you eat? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, (PDF) recommend that healthy people get 50–65% of their calories from carbohydrates. A study posted on the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Web site agrees. For a woman eating a below-average 2,000 calories a day, 50–65% would be 250–325 grams of carb a day. The Dietary Guidelines call for “a balanced diet that includes six one-ounce (28.3 g) servings of grain foods each day.” This would mean 170 grams of carbohydrate from grains alone each day. And the average American diet includes many other carb sources. Most men eat closer to 3,000 calories a day, so their numbers would be higher. Sixty percent of 3,000 would be 1,800 calories, equivalent to 450 grams of carbohydrate each day. Anything less than the recommended range is sometimes considered “low-carb.” Most popular low-carb diets, like Atkins, South Beach, Zone, and Protein Power, are much lower, from 45% of calories down to 5%. Many diabetes experts recommend somewhat lower carb intakes than ADA does. On our site, dietitian Jacquie Craig wrote, “Most people need between 30–75 grams of carbohydrate per meal and 15–30 grams for snacks.” So that sounds like between 120 and 300 grams a day. Dr. Richard Bernstein, an MD with Type 1 diabetes and a long-time advocate of the low-carb approach to diabetes, suggests much lower intakes. He says eat 6 grams of carbs at breakfast, and snacks, 12 grams each at lunch and dinner. So that would be about 40 grams of carbs per day. If 12 grams per meal sounds like a small amount, it is. It’s about the amount in an average slice of bread. An Continue reading >>
How To Start A Low-carb Diabetes Diet
There is strong evidence that eating fewer carbohydrates helps improve blood sugars. This makes sense intuitively: carbohydrates are broken down by the body into sugar, directly leading to high blood sugars. Eat fewer carbohydrates and you will typically end up with less sugar in your blood. For those with type 2 diabetes or are newly diagnosed with type 1, fewer carbohydrates mean that your body’s natural insulin production will have an easier time processing your blood sugars. If you take insulin, you will have a much easier time taking the appropriate amount of insulin. Before you start a low-carbohydrate diet, talk with your healthcare provider. If you are taking blood sugar-lowering medications, then eating fewer carbohydrates without lowering your medication dosage may cause dangerous low blood sugars. There are studies that show that people with diabetes can achieve success on both low-carbohydrate and high-carbohydrate diets. Those pursuing high-carb diets are often primarily eating more vegetarian or vegan diets that are high in complex carbohydrates and fiber. They are also frequently athletes who burn large amounts of sugar during exercise. We will look at other dietary approaches in a future article. If you would like to dive into the research on low-carb diets for diabetes, please skip to the last section in this article. Also, be sure to read Key Facts About Carbohydrates Everyone with Diabetes Should Know. What Is a Low-Carb Diet? There are many different ways to define and follow a low-carb diet. In this article, we are generally looking at people who wish to eat fewer carbohydrates than they are currently eating. There is no one way to follow a low-carb diet. Generally, people try different amounts of carbohydrates until they reach an amount per day t Continue reading >>
How Many Carbs Should You Eat Per Day If You Have Diabetes?
How Many Carbs Should You Eat per Day If You Have Diabetes? How Many Carbs Should You Eat per Day If You Have Diabetes? Here's help learning how to count carbs in order to design a diabetes-friendly diet. When you receive a diagnosis like diabetes, the first thing your care team will probably want to talk about is your diet-and specifically, how many carbohydrates you're getting on a daily basis. That's because carbohydrates play an outsized role in the management of diabetes, as their breakdown in your digestive system causes your blood sugar to rise. And, by now, you probably know that controlling your diabetes is directly related to controlling your blood sugar. So even if you haven't spent much time thinking about carbs in the past, now you might be wondering what, exactly, carbs are, in addition to wondering which foods have carbs and how many grams you should aim to eat daily. But before you settle on a number or stop eating carbs altogether, educate yourself about different types of carbs and how they affect your diabetes diet plan. Once you're a little more familiar with where you'll find carbohydrates and how they fit into a diabetes-management plan, then you'll be able to zero in on the right carb count for you. Nutrition basics for diabetes-friendly eating Carb counting goes hand-in-hand with calorie counting. So before getting into the nitty-gritty of counting carbohydrates, it's helpful to do a quick refresher on what makes up a calorie. Calories come from three nutrients: carbohydrate, protein and fat, which are also known as macronutrients. Alcohol also has calories. In contrast, vitamins and minerals are micronutrients and don't have any calories. The foods we eat are made up of varying amounts of carbohydrates, protein and fat. For example, a potato is Continue reading >>
Counting Carbohydrates
To best control your blood sugar: Do not skip meals. Counting calories might be something you’ve already done at one time or another in your life. Counting carbohydrates may be something new to you. So why is counting carbohydrates so important when you have diabetes? Counting carbohydrates: Keeps you in control of your blood sugar Keeps you in balance with with your medication or insulin dose Keeps you in control of food portions to manage your body weight How much carbohydrate do I need each day? Carbohydrates are measured in units called grams. Grams are a measure of weight. The total grams or amount of carbohydrate you need each day depends on your calorie goals, activity level and personal preferences. Carbohydrates generally provide 45-65% of your daily calories. For most people with type 1 diabetes, this ranges from 150-250 grams of carbohydrate a day. How you distribute this carbohydrate throughout the day can also make a difference in your blood sugar. To best control your blood sugar: Eat three meals a day, roughly 4-6 hours apart. Do not skip meals. Try to consistently eat the same amount of carbohydrate at each meal. Your registered dietitian can help you choose a carbohydrate goal and daily meal plan that keeps your food, medication and physical activity in mind. How much carbohydrate is found in the foods I eat? There are many resources you can use to count carbohydrates: The American Diabetes Association Exchange Lists for Meal Planning: Choose Your Foods lists grams of carbohydrate per exchange serving size. In this system, one carbohydrate exchange serving equals 15 grams of carbohydrate. Carbohydrate counting and food composition books are available. These resources can also be found online. Some cookbooks are available that provide nutrition informa Continue reading >>
Carbohydrate Counting & Diabetes
What is carbohydrate counting? Carbohydrate counting, also called carb counting, is a meal planning tool for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Carbohydrate counting involves keeping track of the amount of carbohydrate in the foods you eat each day. Carbohydrates are one of the main nutrients found in food and drinks. Protein and fat are the other main nutrients. Carbohydrates include sugars, starches, and fiber. Carbohydrate counting can help you control your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, levels because carbohydrates affect your blood glucose more than other nutrients. Healthy carbohydrates, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, are an important part of a healthy eating plan because they can provide both energy and nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, and fiber. Fiber can help you prevent constipation, lower your cholesterol levels, and control your weight. Unhealthy carbohydrates are often food and drinks with added sugars. Although unhealthy carbohydrates can also provide energy, they have little to no nutrients. More information about which carbohydrates provide nutrients for good health and which carbohydrates do not is provided in the NIDDK health topic, Diabetes Diet and Eating. The amount of carbohydrate in foods is measured in grams. To count grams of carbohydrate in foods you eat, you’ll need to know which foods contain carbohydrates learn to estimate the number of grams of carbohydrate in the foods you eat add up the number of grams of carbohydrate from each food you eat to get your total for the day Your doctor can refer you to a dietitian or diabetes educator who can help you develop a healthy eating plan based on carbohydrate counting. Which foods contain carbohydrates? Foods that contain carbohydrates include grains, such as b Continue reading >>
How Many Carbs Should You Eat Per Day When You Have Diabetes?
How Many Carbs Should You Eat Per Day When You Have Diabetes? Medically reviewed by Kathy Warwick, RD, LD Written by Sarah Ellis on July 17, 2019 Created for Greatist by the experts at Healthline. Read more So youve decided to try the low-carb lifestyle to help manage your diabetes. Great choice! Its been shown to help lessen symptoms and keep blood sugar levels under control. But the term low-carb can be confusing because its so vague. What exactly does it mean? Whats the right number of carbohydrates to eat per day when youre living with diabetes? Annoyingly, theres no magic number of carbohydrates that will get rid of your symptoms and make you feel your best. Everyone tolerates carbs differently, and the amount you need can change day to day, depending on factors like your activity level. Before you make any drastic changes to your diet, talk to your doctor or dietitian to figure out a method that will work for your life in the long term. But were not gonna leave you hanging. There may not be a one-size-fits-all solution, but you can use simple strategies to monitor your carb intake and determine what foods make you feel your best. As we said, it varies by person, but the average person with diabetes gets 40 to 45 percent of their daily calories from carbohydrates. Some very low-carbohydrate diet plans may contain half this amount per day. Starting slowly and steadily lowering your carb intake will help you avoid feeling fatigued or overwhelmed by the lifestyle change. JK its not even close to 50. To get an understanding of what carb restriction looks like, its important to know the difference between the two main types of carbohydrates: simple and complex . Simple carbs have a very basic molecular structure that requires minimal processing by your body before it h Continue reading >>
How Many Carbs Should I Eat In A Day?
If you have diabetes and are confused by carb counting, here's an easy-to-understand explanation from a registered dietitian. Carbohydrates are one of three macronutrients in food that supply your body with energy. Once carbs are broken down into simple sugars and absorbed into your bloodstream, the hormone insulin attaches itself to the sugar and pulls it out of the blood and into body cells, where it is converted to energy. Insulin also helps store sugar in your liver when you have too much in your blood and release sugar when you don’t have enough. When you have diabetes, you need to balance the amount of carbohydrates you eat with the amount of insulin your body needs to perform these tasks. Your job, along with your dietitian or diabetes educator, is to find the exact number of carbs that will help you stay healthy in the long run and feel your best from day to day. The American Diabetes Association recommends starting with 45 to 60 g carbohydrate at each meal and 15 to 20 g for snacks. You may need more or less, depending on your weight, activity level, blood glucose goals, and the type of medication you take. Your daily starting goal should be to get between 45 and 65% of your calories from carbs. So, for instance, if you eat 1,800 calories a day, that translates to approximately 200 g carbohydrate each day. If you eat more or fewer calories, adjust your carb count accordingly. Keeping in mind that 1 g of carbohydrate contains 4 calories, here’s the math: 1,800 calories x .45 (percent of calories from carbs) = 810 calories 810 calories / 4 (number of calories in 1 g of carbs) = 202.5 g carbohydrate Not all Carbs are Created Equal You have to learn the number of carbs in individual foods in order to figure out how many carbs you are getting in each meal or sna Continue reading >>
Healthy Carbs For Diabetes
1 / 9 Making the Best Carb Choices for Diabetes "When you say 'carbohydrate,' most people think of sugar," says Meredith Nguyen, RD, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Methodist Charlton Medical Center Diabetes Self-Management Program in Dallas. But that's only half the story. Carbohydrates are also starches and valuable fiber, which are found in many nutrient-rich foods that should be part of a diabetes diet. Sugar is the basic building block that, depending on how it's organized, creates either starches or fiber. You need about 135 grams of carbohydrates every day, spread fairly evenly throughout your meals. Instead of trying to avoid carbs completely, practice planning your diabetes diet with everything in moderation. "There's nothing you can't have," Nguyen says. "The catch is that you might not like the portion size or frequency." Use this list of healthy carbohydrates to help you stay balanced. Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Carbohydrates
Planning what to eat and when to eat is very importantespecially if you have diabetes. Counting carbohydrates, or carbsadding up all the carbs in everything you eat and drinkcan help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels. Along with proteins and fats, carbs are one of three main nutrients found in foods and drinks. The carbs you eat have a direct effect on your blood sugar. Theres no one size fits all answereveryone is different because everyones body is different. On average, people with diabetes should get about 45% of their calories from carbs. A carb serving is measured as 15 grams per serving. That means most women need 3 to 4 carb servings (4560 grams) per meal, while most men need about 4 to 5 carb servings (6075 grams). However, these amounts depend on your age, weight, activity level, and diabetes medications. Make sure to work with a dietitian to set your own carb goal. If you use insulin, ask about options to match your insulin dose to the amount of food you eat at meals and snacks. Carb counting can help keep your blood sugar levels close to your target range, which can help you: Feel better and improve your quality of life. Prevent or delay diabetes complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve damage, and lower-limb amputation (surgery to remove a body part). It may be helpful to count carbs in the foods you eat most often to help you understand how it works. Grains, such as bread, noodles, pasta, crackers, cereals, and rice. Fruits, such as apples, bananas, berries, mangoes, melons, and oranges. Legumes, including dried beans, lentils, and peas. Snack foods and sweets, such as cakes, cookies, candy, and other desserts. Juices, soft drinks, fruit drinks, sports drinks, and energy drinks that contain sugar. St Continue reading >>
Prediabetes And Carbs - How Many To Eat Daily
Prediabetes and Carbs - How Many to Eat Daily Prediabetes is a chronic condition with higher blood sugar levels than normal. It is related to how your body processes carbohydrates . People with prediabetes are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes , but a prediabetes diet can lower your blood sugar, reduce your risk for diabetes , or even reverse prediabetes. Carbohydrates are a main focus of a healthy prediabetes diet because they affect your blood sugar and your weight. Both the quantity and quality of the carbohydrates you eat are important. The prediabetic carbs per day that you eat should contribute to a healthy weight, and also come from nutritious sources. Carbs: What They Are, and Why They Matter Carbohydrates are nutrients in your diet . They are among the main sources of calories in your diet, along with protein and fat . Carbohydrates and protein each provide 4 calories per gram, and fat provides 9 calories per gram. Starches and sugars are types of calorie-providing carbohydrates in your food and some beverages. Starches are larger and more complex than sugars. When you eat starches or sugars, your body breaks them down into a simple type of sugar called glucose. This goes into your bloodstream and contributes to your blood sugar or blood glucose levels. They affect your weight. For most people, losing extra pounds is the single most effective thing you can do to lower your risk for diabetes . Each pound you lose can cut risk of getting diabetes by 16%! Since carbs contribute calories , too many carbs (even healthy carbs) in your diet can lead to weight gain. Reducing your carb intake (without increasing your fat and protein intake) helps you cut calories and lose weight. They affect your blood sugar. Carbohydrates from your diet lead to glucose in yo Continue reading >>
10 Diabetes Diet Myths
Have you heard that eating too much sugar causes diabetes? Or maybe someone told you that you have to give up all your favorite foods when you’re on a diabetes diet? Well, those things aren’t true. In fact, there are plenty of myths about dieting and food. Use this guide to separate fact from fiction. MYTH. The truth is that diabetes begins when something disrupts your body's ability to turn the food you eat into energy. MYTH. If you have diabetes, you need to plan your meals, but the general idea is simple. You’ll want to keep your blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible. Choose foods that work along with your activities and any medications you take. Will you need to make adjustments to what you eat? Probably. But your new way of eating may not require as many changes as you think. MYTH. Carbs are the foundation of a healthy diet whether you have diabetes or not. They do affect your blood sugar levels, which is why you’ll need to keep up with how many you eat each day. Some carbs have vitamins, minerals, and fiber. So choose those ones, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Starchy, sugary carbs are not a great choice because they have less to offer. They’re more like a flash in the pan than fuel your body can rely on. MYTH. Because carbs affect blood sugar levels so quickly, you may be tempted to eat less of them and substitute more protein. But take care to choose your protein carefully. If it comes with too much saturated fat, that’s risky for your heart’s health. Keep an eye on your portion size too. Talk to your dietitian or doctor about how much protein is right for you. MYTH. If you use insulin for your diabetes, you may learn how to adjust the amount and type you take to match the amount of food you eat. But this doesn't mean you Continue reading >>
How Many Carbs Should A Person With Diabetes Eat?
Figuring out how many carbs to eat when you have diabetes can seem confusing. Meal plans created by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) provide about 45% of calories from carbs. This includes 4560 grams per meal and 1025 grams per snack, totaling about 135230 grams of carbs per day. However, a growing number of experts believe people with diabetes should be eating far fewer carbs than this. In fact, many recommend fewer carbs per day than what the ADA allows per meal. This article takes a look at the research supporting low-carb diets for diabetics and provides guidance for determining optimal carb intake. Glucose, or blood sugar, is the main source of fuel for your bodys cells. In people with diabetes, the bodys ability to process and use blood sugar is impaired. Although there are several types of diabetes, the two most common forms are type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas is unable to produce insulin, a hormone that allows sugar from the bloodstream to enter the bodys cells. Instead, insulin must be injected to ensure that sugar enters cells. Type 1 diabetes develops because of an autoimmune process in which the body attacks its own insulin-producing cells, which are called beta cells. This disease is usually diagnosed in children, but it can start at any age, even in late adulthood. Type 2 diabetes is more common, accounting for about 90% of people with diabetes. Like type 1 diabetes, it can develop in both adults and children. However, it isnt as common in children and typically occurs in people who are overweight or obese. In this form of the disease, either the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the bodys cells are resistant to insulins effects. Therefore, too much sugar stays in the bloodstream. Over time, the beta cells of Continue reading >>
How Many Carbs Should A Diabetic Eat?
Figuring out how many carbs to eat when you have diabetes can seem confusing. Meal plans created by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) provide about 45% of calories from carbs. This includes 45–60 grams per meal and 10–25 grams per snack, totaling about 135–230 grams of carbs per day. However, a growing number of experts believe people with diabetes should be eating far fewer carbs than this. In fact, many recommend fewer carbs per day than what the ADA allows per meal. This article takes a look at the research supporting low-carb diets for diabetics and provides guidance for determining optimal carb intake. Glucose, or blood sugar, is the main source of fuel for your body's cells. In people with diabetes, the body's ability to process and use blood sugar is impaired. Although there are several types of diabetes, the two most common forms are type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas is unable to produce insulin, a hormone that allows sugar from the bloodstream to enter the body's cells. Instead, insulin must be injected to ensure that sugar enters cells. Type 1 diabetes develops because of an autoimmune process in which the body attacks its own insulin-producing cells, which are called beta cells. This disease is usually diagnosed in children, but it can start at any age, even in late adulthood (1). Type 2 Diabetes Type 2 diabetes is more common, accounting for about 90% of people with diabetes. Like type 1 diabetes, it can develop in both adults and children. However, it isn't as common in children and typically occurs in people who are overweight or obese. In this form of the disease, either the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the body's cells are resistant to insulin's effects. Therefore, too much sugar stays Continue reading >>
How Many Carbs Should A Diabetic Eat In A Day?
Diabetes affects the way the body metabolizes sugar. Whether you have type 1, type 2 or gestational diabetes, paying close attention to the amount of carbohydrates you're eating is critical. With proper planning and education, a healthy diabetic diet -- which includes carbohydrates in moderation -- is just as satisfying as a regular one. Video of the Day How Many Carbs Can Diabetics Eat? All foods that have carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels. But some carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels more than others. By keeping track of how many carbohydrates are in foods, diabetics are better able to control their blood sugar levels and subsequently manage their diabetes. The American Diabetes Association recommends that adults with diabetes consume about 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrate per meal, which adds up to 135 to 180 grams of carbohydrates per day. Note that some individuals may need more or fewer carbohydrates. Consult a registered dietitian for an individualized recommendation. The three main type of carbohydrates include starches, sugars and fiber. Starchy foods, also known as complex carbohydrates, include peas, corn, beans, grains, whole wheat pasta, oats, barley and rice. Sugars can occur naturally -- in milk and fruit, for example -- or be added during processing. Common names for sugar include table sugar, brown sugar, honey, beet sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Fiber is the indigestible part of plant foods that passes through the intestine when you consume fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes. The general recommendation is that adults consume 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day. Fiber offers an added benefit for diabetics, because it helps control blood sugar levels by slowing the release of sugar into the bloodstream after a meal. Carbohydrate C Continue reading >>
