Carbohydrate Calculator
Print The Carbohydrate Calculator estimates the percentage of carbohydrates a person should consume each day. While this estimate varies depending on a number of factors, the Institute of Medicine recommends that a minimum of 130 grams of carbohydrates be consumed daily for adults. Other sources recommend that carbohydrates should comprise 40-75% of daily caloric intake. Types of Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are one of three primary macronutrients that provide energy, along with fats and proteins. Carbohydrates are often classified as either simple (monosaccharides and disaccharides) or complex (polysaccharides or oligosaccharides), originally to create a distinction between sugars and other carbohydrates. However, there are many foods that contain multiple types of carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables, which can make the classification of certain foods ambiguous. Although carbohydrates are not essential nutrients (nutrients required for normal physiological function that the body cannot synthesize), they are an efficient source of energy that can potentially reduce risk of cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and type 2 diabetes if consumed in controlled amounts.1 The three main types of carbohydrates are sugar, starch, and fiber: Sugars are the simplest form of carbohydrates and can be found naturally in fruits, dairy, and vegetables; they can also be found in processed form in candy, cookies, cakes, and many beverages. Starches are complex carbohydrates that can be found naturally in many types of beans, vegetables, and grains. Fibers are complex carbohydrates that can be found in fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and many types of beans. Generally, complex carbohydrates have greater nutritional benefit than simple carbohydrates. Added sugars have little nutritio Continue reading >>
Can Diabetics Eat Bananas?
Can Diabetics Eat Bananas? How much sugar does a banana have? Perhaps these are the most frequently asked questions from people who are suffering from diabetes health condition. And the answer is Yes, as long as they are unripe or semi-ripe and you don’t overdo it and eat a whole dozen. The rest of this article explains why. Diabetics Need to Watch Their Carbs All carbohydrates we eat turn into sugar in our body. Insulin is needed to take this sugar into cells. People suffering from Type-2 diabetes usually have two problems; one, their pancreas don’t produce as much insulin as their bodies can use and two, their cells are not very sensitive to insulin. The result: blood sugar can shoot up. That’s why diabetics need to watch their carbs. Bananas are full of good stuff; in addition to carbs (around 30 grams in an average-sized banana), they are loaded with fiber, Vitamins B6 and C, manganese, copper and potassium. RELATED: 17 Ways To Lower Your Blood Sugar Without Medications Bananas Have a Low GI Index Overall, bananas have a low glycemic index (GI), the score that measures how much a food increases your blood sugar level when you eat it. The lower the GI, the better. Where a 30-gram serving of brown bread has a glycemic index of 69, a 120-gram serving of raw banana has a glycemic index of just 48. You can also create your own healthy dessert by sprinkling powdered cinnamon on sliced or diced bananas. The health benefits of cinnamon for a diabetic individual are explained here. Ripe vs Unripe: The Crucial Difference for Diabetics Ripe bananas contain 10% fiber, which is good for everyone, including people with diabetes; however, they also contain 8% carbohydrates, which increases blood sugar levels sharply. This is because the starch in the banana has been converte Continue reading >>
Reversing Diabetes | Carbs That Are Good For You
Do you have type 2 diabetes? Have you been told you have to give up juicy watermelon or sweet grapes? What if we told you those foods really aren’t taboo? Learn how participants at the Pritikin Longevity Center have success with their blood sugars… even while enjoying fruit! For people who need to watch their blood sugar, a high-carbohydrate diet is actually good for you. What’s critical is the type of carbohydrate. Certainly, if you’re eating refined carbs like white bread and sugary desserts, blood sugar levels can shoot up. But if the bulk of your diet is fiber-rich, unprocessed carbohydrates like vegetables, whole fruit, whole grains, and beans, you may be able to normalize blood sugar levels and even reverse the diagnosis of pre-diabetes and diabetes, scientists are now discovering. An investigation conducted by UCLA researchers followed diabetic men at the Pritikin Longevity Center for three weeks. It reported that the Pritikin Eating Plan, high in whole, fiber-filled carbohydrates, plus daily exercise, not only helped the men lose weight and improve cholesterol levels, it also decreased blood sugar levels by 20% and insulin levels by 30%.1 Reversing Diabetes What’s more, by the end of their three-week program, the majority of the men had controlled their fasting blood glucose, or blood sugar, so well that “they were no longer classified as diabetic,” wrote lead investigators Drs. James Barnard and Christian Roberts of UCLA. Some of the men left Pritikin completely free of their diabetic medications, and others had their medication dosages reduced. In addition to normalizing blood sugar and reducing classic heart disease risk factors like high cholesterol and high blood pressure, the Pritikin Program of diet and exercise also substantially improved r Continue reading >>
A Diabetes Diet Is Different From And Easier Than A Weight Loss Diet
Weight Loss Diets Usually Fail but Diabetes Diets Can't Afford To Fail. The stakes are too high! Did your heart sink when you learned that the best way to control diabetes was with "diet?" Of course it did. Almost everyone diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes has a long history of trying to diet off weight and failing miserably. If you believe that your health depends on even more dieting, it is easy to give up hope. But it turns out that a diabetes diet is very different from a weight loss diet of the sort you can see illustrated in the photo above. The point of a diabetes diet is not to lose weight. The point of a diabetes diet is to bring your very high post-meal blood sugars down into the normal range. You can eat as much food as you want on a diabetes diet, as long as the food you eat is food that doesn't raise your blood sugar. What comes as a surprise, however, is that many people with Type 2 diabetes find that when the adopt an effective diet that lowers blood sugar, they lose weight, sometimes a lot of weight. One reason for this is because high blood sugars make us more insulin resistant than we would otherwise be, which promotes weight gain. But there's another reason why diabetes diets can help you lose weight without trying: when you flatten out your blood sugar after meals, you eliminate the overwhelming hunger that often goes along with blood sugars that surge very high. When you aren't starving all the time, losing weight is a lot easier. But that's just a nice plus. You can eat a totally successful diabetes diet that gives you back your health without losing a pound. The Diabetes Diet is All About Carbohydrates It's the carbohydrates you eat that raise your blood sugar, the starches and sugars of all types. No other nutrient raises blood sugar to any signific Continue reading >>
How To Manage Diabetes With A Carbohydrate-friendly Diet
Eating right is essential to the treatment and management of diabetes. For people with diabetes, managing carbohydrate intake and making healthy food choices is helpful and important. What Is Diabetes? Diabetes can be thought of as a disease caused by the body’s inability to process carbohydrates properly. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, enables the body’s cells to absorb glucose (blood sugar). In people with diabetes, the cells don’t respond properly to insulin. Or, in some cases, the body doesn’t produce any or enough insulin to properly manage blood sugar levels. For many with type 2 diabetes, it’s both. The result is that blood glucose levels become abnormally high, potentially causing serious complications. Managing carbohydrate intake is one of the best ways to avoid these complications and control blood glucose levels. What Is a Diabetes-Friendly Diet? The key to managing blood sugar levels is managing carbohydrate intake. This is because carbs are responsible for raising blood sugar levels. Managing the quantity of carbs is the primary goal, although choosing slow-digesting, high-fiber carbs is helpful too. Besides carbs, you may also need to limit your sodium intake, limit saturated fats, and avoid trans fats. It’s also important to incorporate fiber and healthy fats into your diet. People with diabetes are at significantly higher risk for hypertension, high cholesterol, and heart disease than the general population. It’s important to take these risks into consideration when planning meals. What Should I Limit? Certain foods are harmful to your health if you have diabetes. Limit the following foods as much as possible: Trans Fat Listed as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats on a label, these are best avoided or limited to less Continue reading >>
American Diabetes Association: Help For Diabetics?
The American Diabetes Association was founded in 1940. Their mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. Diabetes is a disease in which the body cannot metabolize blood sugar correctly, which leads to a buildup of excess sugar in the bloodstream. This excess sugar accelerates the symptoms of heart disease and damages other body systems. Let’s take a look at what the American Diabetes Association recommends in terms of nutrition, and see if these policies can be trusted as the best advice for diabetic care. On their website, the American Diabetes Association directs diabetics to eat between 45-60 grams of carbohydrates at each meal. Assuming a person eats three meals a day, this advice works out to telling diabetics to eat a minimum of 135 grams to a maximum of 180 grams of carbohydrates per day. Now, 180 grams of carbohydrates works out to 720 calories (1 gram of carb=4 calories). In a daily diet of 2000 calories, eating the minimum recommended carbs would set the daily percentage of carbs at 27% (540/2000) and the maximum carbs would be 36% (720/2000). But in addition, the American Diabetes Association recommends that diabetics reduce their intake of saturated fat and cholesterol, and eat more non-starchy vegetables. Although non-starchy vegetables are lower in carb than cereal foods, they still do have carbs in them, so the ADA diet is actually about 55 percent carbohydrate, 20 percent protein, and about 25 percent fat, expressed in a ratio of 55:20:25. Does the ADA Diet Help Diabetics Control Blood Sugar Levels? Let’s determine whether this diet composition of 55:20:25 is good advice for helping diabetics with controlling their blood sugar, one of the most critical components of managing diabetes. Below are Continue reading >>
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Carbohydrates And Diabetes: What You Need To Know
Carbohydrates are our main source of energy and provide important nutrients for good health and a healthy, balanced diet. All the carbohydrates you eat and drink are broken down into glucose. The type, and amount, you consume can make a difference to your blood glucose levels and diabetes management. The two main types of carbohydrates Starchy foods: these include bread, pasta, potatoes, yams, breakfast cereals and couscous. Sugars: these can be divided into naturally occurring and added sugars: Naturally occurring: sugars found in fruits (fructose) and some dairy foods (lactose). Added sugars: found in sweets, chocolate, sugary drinks and desserts. Fibre This is another type of carbohydrate, which you can’t digest. Insoluble fibre, such as is found in wholemeal bread, brown rice and wholegrain cereals, helps keep the digestive system healthy. Soluble fibre, such as bananas, apples, carrots, potatoes, oats and barley, helps to keep your blood glucose and cholesterol under control. Make sure you eat both types of fibre regularly. Good sources of fibre include fruit and veg, nuts and seeds, oats, wholegrain breads and pulses. How much? Everyone needs some carbohydrate every day. The actual amount that you need to eat will depend on your age, activity levels and the goals you – and your family – are trying to achieve, for example trying to lose weight, improve blood glucose levels or improve sports performance. The total amount of carbohydrate eaten will have the biggest effect on your glucose levels. Insulin and carb counting If you’re living with diabetes, and take insulin, you’ll need to take that into account when eating carbs. Learn about which foods contain carbohydrates, how to estimate carbohydrate portions and how to monitor their effect on blood glucose 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 Much Sugar Can A Person With Diabetes Have?
How Much Sugar Can a Person With Diabetes Have? If you have diabetes , you have probablybeen told to watch your sugar intake or to eliminate sugar altogether. But does that mean you can never eat any sugar ever,or might you still be able to enjoy a sweet every now and then? Generally speaking, the chances are good that some added sugar will be allowed, although the amount can vary significantly from one person to the next. The larger problem is that, as Americans, we consume far too sugar as it is and don't seem to know where to draw the line whether we have diabetes or not. A national survey released in 2016 showed that American adults consumed no less than 77 grams of added sugar per day, while children consumed a startling 82 grams. That's far in excess of the recommended intake of 50 grams for men, 25 grams for women, and less than 25 grams for children as issued by the American Heart Association (AHA). Unfortunately, these statistics reflect the habits of the general U.S. population, not people with diabetes. If you have diabetes, your daily intake would clearly need to fall beneath the AHA recommendations. Putting this into context, 4 grams of sugar equal one tablespoon. Based on your doctor's recommendations you may fast approach your maximum intake with just a breakfast pastry and a couple of cups of sweetened coffee. As consumers, we don't often realize how much sugar is hidden in packaged foods and drinks. Even if we religiously read food labels, we may not be aware that certain ingredients are, in fact, sugar by another name. These include honey, molasses, fructose, sucrose, maltose, maple syrup, agave nectar, rice syrup, and high-fructose corn syrup. While different types of sugar can have a lesser or greater impact on your blood sugar, don't get hung up on Continue reading >>
Diabetes: Constant Carbohydrate Meal Plan
With the constant carbohydrate meal plan, you count carb choices and eat the same number of carb choices at each meal or snack. You take insulin or other diabetes medicines at the same times and in the same amounts each day. The constant carbohydrate plan may be easier to follow than other plans because you do not need to track food groups or adjust your insulin with meals. What are carbohydrates? Carbohydrates, also called carbs, are a source of energy for your body. There are three basic types of carbs: starches, sugars, and dietary fiber. Starches are not digested and turned into energy as fast as sugars. Starch is found in plant-based foods such as pasta, bread, cereals, rice, potatoes, beans, and corn. Sugars such as glucose and fructose raise blood sugar very quickly. Sugar is found in foods such as fruit, milk, soft drinks, baked goods, and candy. Dietary fiber is the part of plants that cannot be digested. Fiber is found in whole-grain bread and pasta, beans, peas, leafy vegetables, raisins, prunes, apples, and berries. You can tell how much carbohydrate is in a food by reading the nutrition facts. You can find nutrition facts on the food label, in nutrition books or apps for your smartphone or computer, or on the internet. Fifteen grams of carbs equals 1 carb choice. A gram is a way to measure how much something weighs. Carbs raise your blood sugar level more than protein or fat. If you use insulin, you need to balance how much insulin you take with the amount of carbs you eat. This helps keep your blood sugar at a healthy level and helps prevent many health problems. How does the constant carbohydrate plan work? Your healthcare provider or dietitian will tell you how many carb choices you should eat, based on how many calories you need each day. Too many carbs Continue reading >>
Patient Education: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus And Diet (beyond The Basics)
TYPE 1 DIABETES OVERVIEW Diet and physical activity are critically important in the management of the ABCs (A1C, Blood pressure, and Cholesterol) of type 1 diabetes. To effectively manage glycated hemoglobin (A1C) and achieve stable blood sugar control, it is important to understand how to balance food intake, physical activity, and insulin. Making healthy food choices every day has both immediate and long-term effects. With education, practice, and assistance from a dietitian and/or a diabetes educator, it is possible to eat well and control diabetes. This topic discusses how to manage diet in people with type 1 diabetes. The role of diet and activity in managing blood pressure and cholesterol is reviewed separately. (See "Patient education: High blood pressure, diet, and weight (Beyond the Basics)" and "Patient education: High cholesterol and lipids (hyperlipidemia) (Beyond the Basics)".) WHY IS DIET IMPORTANT? Many factors affect how well diabetes is controlled. Many of these factors are controlled by the person with diabetes, including how much and what is eaten, how frequently the blood sugar is monitored, physical activity levels, and accuracy and consistency of medication dosing. Even small changes can affect blood sugar control. Eating a consistent amount of food every day and taking medications as directed can greatly improve blood sugar control and decrease the risk of diabetes-related complications, such as coronary artery disease, kidney disease, and nerve damage. In addition, these measures impact weight control. A dietitian can help to create a food plan that is tailored to your medical needs, lifestyle, and personal preferences. TYPE 1 DIABETES AND MEAL TIMING Consistently eating at the same times every day is important for some people, especially those w 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 >>
A Spoonful Of Sugar
Whenever I give a talk and make the statement that a normal blood sugar represents less than one teaspoon of sugar dissolved in the blood, I’m often met with scepticism. It really is true, however. Let’s go through the calculations so we can see exactly how this plays out. First, we need some basic measures. one liter (l)= 10 deciliters (dl) one gram (gm) = 1000 milligrams (mg) one teaspoon = 5 grams According to the American Diabetes Association the line between a healthy fasting blood sugar and a pre-diabetic fasting blood sugar is set at 100 mg/dl (pronounced 100 milligrams per deci-liter). A fasting blood sugar of between 100 mg/dl and 125 mg/dl earns a diagnosis of pre-diabetes, and a fasting blood sugar of over 125 mg/dl is diabetic. So how much sugar is 99 mg/dl, the highest fasting blood sugar you can have and not be diagnosed as pre-diabetic? Let’s figure it out. We know that a typical human has about 5 liters of blood, so we need to figure out how much sugar dissolved into this 5 liters of blood will give us a reading of 99 mg/dl. Since one liter contains 10 deciliters we multiply 99 mg/dl by 10, which gives us 990 mg, the amount of sugar in one liter. Multiply the 990 mg in one liter times 5, the number of liters of blood in the human body, and we have 4950 mg of sugar. If we divide the 4950 by 1000, the number of mg in a gram, we get 4.95 grams of sugar. Since one teaspoon contains 5 grams, the 4.95 grams of sugar in the blood of a person just short of being pre-diabetic equals a little less than one teaspoon. If you run all these calculations for a blood sugar of 80 mg/dl, which is a much healthier blood sugar than the 99 mg/dl one that is knocking on the door of pre-diabetes, it turns out to be about 4/5 of a teaspoon. If you run the calculations for Continue reading >>
Carbohydrate Counting With Chronic Kidney Disease
What is carbohydrate counting? Carbohydrate counting is a way for you to keep track of the amount of sugar, known as carbohydrates, that you eat. If you have diabetes, it is important to learn about carbohydrates found in food. Keeping track of your carbohydrate intake will help you control your blood sugar levels. A carbohydrate is a food that is turned into sugar (glucose) when you digest it. Any carbohydrate food will raise your blood sugar. Complex carbohydrates raise sugar more slowly (it takes your body longer to digest and absorb these) while simple carbohydrates or sugars can raise your sugar level more quickly. Carbohydrates are naturally found in many different foods. CARBOHYDRATE NOT A CARBOHYDRATE BREAD ROLLS TORTILLA RICE PASTA POTATO CORN DRIED BEANS SODAS FRUIT FRUIT JUICE MILK YOGURT CANDY CAKE COOKIES ICE CREAM BEEF CHICKEN FISH LAMB BUTTER MAYONNAISE CARROT CUCUMBER LETTUCE CHEESE EGGS PORK TURKEY MARGARINE OIL CAULIFLOWER GREEN BEANS ZUCCHINI Some carbohydrate foods may be used less often in your diet due to high potassium, sodium, or phosphorus content. Your dietitian will help you know which foods are best for you. A serving size of carbohydrate is the amount of food that will give you about 15 grams, or one serving, of carbohydrate. Serving sizes to reach 15 grams of carbohydrate vary between foods. The following foods are examples of one carbohydrate choice: 1 slice of bread 1 cup of fresh fruit ½ cup of canned fruit ¾ cup dry cereal ½ cup hot cereal ½ cup mashed potatoes ½ cup corn ½ cup of pasta 1/3 cup of rice 1 medium sugar cookie 1 small piece cake, no icing ½ cup non dairy creamer 4 oz. juice or regular soda 6 pieces of hard candy 1 Fruit = 1 Milk = 1 Starch = 1 Low Calorie Dessert Important things to remember when carbohydrate counti Continue reading >>
Why Eating Too Many Carbs Makes You Fat
Carbs and carbs alone, not fat, increase body weight. It doesn't matter whether the carbs are from sugar, bread, fruit, or vegetables: They’re all rapidly digested and quickly converted to blood glucose. A short time after a carb-rich meal, the glucose in your bloodstream rises rapidly, and your pancreas produces a large amount of insulin to take the excess glucose out. Just as eating fat doesn’t raise blood glucose, it doesn't raise insulin levels either. This is important because insulin is the hormone responsible for body fat storage. Because fats do not elicit an insulin response, they cannot be stored as body fat. Insulin takes glucose out of the bloodstream. It is converted first into a starch called glycogen, which is stored in the liver and in muscles. But the body can store only a limited amount of glycogen, so the excess glucose is stored as body fat. This is the process of putting on weight. When your blood glucose level returns to normal, after about 90 minutes, the insulin level in your bloodstream is still near maximum. As a result, the insulin continues to stack glucose away in the form of fat. Ultimately, the level of glucose in your blood falls below normal, and you feel hungry again. So you have a snack of more carbohydrates, and the whole process starts over again. You're getting fatter, but feeling hungry at the same time. Ultimately, insulin resistance caused by continually high insulin levels in your bloodstream impairs your ability to switch on a satiety center in the brain. You enter a vicious cycle of continuous weight gain combined with hunger. Under such circumstances, it is almost impossible not to overeat. Taking Off Weight: Only Cutting Carbs Can Do It So you've put the weight on–now you need to take it off again. Here again, “healt Continue reading >>
