Type 2 Question re: carbs

[zagor]

Hello. My mother who is 64 has been diabetic T2 for about 20 years. She is somewhat overweight. I have been trying to learn about low carb diet for her but with no luck. Can someone explain to me or direct me to a link where I can learn about a) how much carbs a person uses per day approximately, b) how to count carbs in foods and, c) how many carbs per day should she use to try and lose a few lbs along with some exercise?

Thank You

PS. She has been on metformen ever since but her blood sugar is ussually around 10. (Normal is around 5.5 here)

 

[Mike d]

The net is just swamped with that information and so is this site. Use the search field as it'll throw up a ton of posts

 

[Goonergal]

Hi @zagor and welcome to the forum.

As a starting point, please have a read of this useful information: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.26870/

So far as a low carbohydrate way of eating is concerned, for someone with type 2 diabetes the main benefit is in blood glucose control. All carbohydrates turn to sugar in the blood, so by reducing them the burden on the body is lessened.

Weight loss often accompanies this because for many type 2s one of the drivers of the condition is insulin resistance - i.e as the body struggles to deal with too much sugar/too many carbs, it produces more and more insulin to try and bring blood sugar levels down. This can lead to weight gain. By reducing the carbs eaten, there is less demand for insulin which can help to restore insulin sensitivity.

I’d recommend visiting dietdoctor.com for further detail on this as well as for recipes and food ideas. Also look up Dr Jason Fung - he has written extensively on the subject.

 

[DumfriesDik]

Giving up carbs can be easy in the short term, the novelty of having fatty stuff instead is a joy. However, after a while, my experience is that I crave carbs.

I think the usual daily amount is up near 300gms

Low carb is probably below 150gms

Very low carb below 50gms.

I just try to avoid carbs full stop.

You need to become obsessed with packing and reading how many carbs are in a product. You need to see how many grams of carbs per 100 grams there are in the product.

Some things have carbs but also have other benefits, such as fruit and veg of course. Some don't such as rice, pasta, potatoes and bread. I don't eat any of these if I can help it.

But you can eat meat and cheese together with red wine, so it's not all bad news! As @Goonergal recommends, read Dr Fung or watch some videos on YouTube. I found him very thought provoking.

I hope this is the start of your mums journey to a better BS level.

Out of interest, my hba1c went from 71 to 47 in three months on a very (ultra) low carb diet.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html might help a little to get you and your mom started. The amount of carbs per person varies as it also depends on what her insulin sensitivity is, as well as what medication she's on, so do be careful and make sure she's got a meter. Going low carb with heavy medication could mean she'll hypo. But all in all, 80 grams of carbs (and that's total carbs, not "of which sugars") is a decent starting point. Remember, there are NO essential carbs, a person can do without them entirely just fine. (As the body gets used to not having them around though, a person may feel flu-ish for a week or so.) You do, however, need fats and protein. Those are actually really, really important. I'm at 20 grams of carbs or less a day myself, which is called a ketogenic diet, but that's not for everyone I suppose. But anyway, I hope the link'll help, and you should really read Dr. Jason Fung's The Diabetes Code.

Good luck!
Jo

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Don't think of it as a low-carb 'diet' but a permanent low-carb way of eating. If not sure go for 150gm/day total or less but it will vary greatly for each person. Look at the back of food packs and Total carbs and not the front which never talk about carbs. Remember sugar is just another carb. To get an idea of carb content for non-labelled foods search the web or take advice from posters of where to look for carb content in various foods

 

[Resurgam]

I suggest that a blood glucose level 10 is too high and that by starting with the amount your mother is eating to reach that level, you begin to reduce or substitute lower carb foods.
The weight is a symptom of the high blood glucose, not the reason for it, and by reducing the carbs consumed there should be a restoration of more normal metabolism, often with a reduction in weight as well.
So often diet is worked out by magic - at least that is what it seem to be - rather than working from the person and their diet it is under such a number of something, over such a time of exercise, more than such a number of steps - a magic formula which so often doesn't work...
It is not difficult with modern electronic scales and a notebook to work out the carb content of a meal. Testing two hours after the first bite is the usual rule, and double figures would seem to indicate too much sugar or starch. The percentage of carbs in most foods can be found on the internet - be aware though that a US website gives the amount including fiber, which is not very helpful. A UK one doesn't include the fibre (note spelling) an I used to keep a list of different foods and their carb content.
As your mother has been experiencing high blood glucose for some time it might be wise to reduce slowly as a sharp reduction can lead to false hypos, which make you feel wobbly and sometimes quite unwell.

 

[mouseee]

If she wants to go carb that's great.
I have a badly managed t2 mum of 72 who's diet is awful and whose t2 in many ways now life threatening. I have learnt the hard way that she is a grown up and needs to continue to make her own decisions for as long as she can.
Much as I'd love her to embrace low carb she just isn't going to.

I hope you have much more luck than I have!