Are low carbs equivalent to low sugar?

[Erin]

I do eat carbohydrates but a small amount. I find that eating high sugar (except for hypo necessity) results in much higher blood sugar numbers on my meter, than low carbohydrate snacks or meals. Is this safe? Or is there a formula of low carbohydrates diabetics should follow?

 

[lucylocket61]

I do eat carbohydrates but a small amount. I find that eating high sugar (except for hypo necessity) results in much higher blood sugar numbers on my meter, than low carbohydrate snacks or meals. Is this safe? Or is there a formula of low carbohydrates diabetics should follow?

I am sorry, but I dont understand your question. I imagine that the carbs are necessary to treat your hypo and a low carb snack wont do that? I may be completely misunderstanding this. Are you on insulin or hypo risking medication?

 

[LittleGreyCat]

Sugar is a very fast acting carbohydrate.
Low carbs implies low sugar, but you would generally be better off eating non-sugar carbs where you do eat carbs.
The main thing to beware of is foods labelled low or no sugar, because these can have all sorts of other carbs in.
Edit: the only time for sugars is when you need a fast reaction to an episode of hypoglycemia.

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @Erin Your question seems to be phrased rather opaquely.
Type 2 Diabetics need only to consider Carbohydrates rather than sugar. However if they are on medication (such as Insulin or Glic) that can cause hypos, then they will need either glucose tablets, jelly babies or something else fast acting in order to get them out of a hypo state. These tend to be sugary foods.

However they will also need something slower acting (starchy) if it's at night in order to keep them safe from further hypos as their medication continues to reduce their BG while asleep.

In the UK fibre is automatically subtracted from the Total Carbs (unlike the USA) so during the day all carbs should be treated more or less equally (unless you have tested them with a BG meter and know that certain ones don't affect you so much as others do). Sugars, like whole grains are just forms of carbs and so low carb means low sugar, but low sugar doesn't necessarily mean low carb because starches like flour, potato etc are carbs.

 

[Deleted member 527103]

However they will also need something slower acting (starchy) if it's at night in order to keep them safe from further hypos as their medication continues to reduce their BG while asleep.

Please take care when offering advice to people with type 1 diabetes.
It is not always the case that we need slow acting carbs as well as fast acting. But if we do, we need slow acting carbs during the day and night.
The difference is with the type of treatment we use to manage our Type 1 diabetes.

Incorrect advice, such as this, can lead to dangerously high or low blood sugars.

 

[Erin]

I am sorry, but I dont understand your question. I imagine that the carbs are necessary to treat your hypo and a low carb snack wont do that? I may be completely misunderstanding this. Are you on insulin or hypo risking medication?

Sorry, my question puzzles you. To restate it, I eat carbohydrates because they are so versatile and part of my dietary habit, and easy to prepare. But I eat a smaller "dose" of carbohydrates, i.e. instead of one hamburger, or slice of quiche, I eat half or a quarter of what a non-diabetic person would eat, and supplement that with carrots, peas, protein foods, yoghurt, etc. I find that the amount plays a significant and good role on my blood sugar meter, but sugar in itself, i.e. chocolate, cakes, etc. really boosts the number and I only eat those if I reach a hypoglycemic state. I hope I am doing the right thing. P.S. Iove your aluminumated cat Like father like son?

 

[Erin]

Hi @Erin Your question seems to be phrased rather opaquely.
Type 2 Diabetics need only to consider Carbohydrates rather than sugar. However if they are on medication (such as Insulin or Glic) that can cause hypos, then they will need either glucose tablets, jelly babies or something else fast acting in order to get them out of a hypo state. These tend to be sugary foods.

However they will also need something slower acting (starchy) if it's at night in order to keep them safe from further hypos as their medication continues to reduce their BG while asleep.

In the UK fibre is automatically subtracted from the Total Carbs (unlike the USA) so during the day all carbs should be treated more or less equally (unless you have tested them with a BG meter and know that certain ones don't affect you so much as others do). Sugars, like whole grains are just forms of carbs and so low carb means low sugar, but low sugar doesn't necessarily mean low carb because starches like flour, potato etc are carbs.

Great advice. Thank you. I think I am going in the right direction, according to your post. Yes, I am on insulin, and I do eat more carbs for supper and a carb snack before bed to avoid "dead in bed" blues. As for quantity, feedback on Meter is the best for me, and personal attention to exercise, amount of food, and amount of insulin, and glyclazide. Thank you. Sorry, my question was opaque - you're very tactful.

 

[Antje77]

Please take care when offering advice to people with type 1 diabetes.
It is not always the case that we need slow acting carbs as well as fast acting. But if we do, we need slow acting carbs during the day and night.
The difference is with the type of treatment we use to manage our Type 1 diabetes.

Incorrect advice, such as this, can lead to dangerously high or low blood sugars.

No-one mentioned T1, this is the T2 part of the forum.
While there are exceptions to the rule of thumb to always have something starchy after treating a hypo, this mainly applies to diabetics on a pump, which sadly isn't relevant on a T2 thread. Of course there are other exceptions as well.

I agree you'll likely need some slow acting carbs after a daytime hypo too.

 

[Erin]

Sugar is a very fast acting carbohydrate.
Low carbs implies low sugar, but you would generally be better off eating non-sugar carbs where you do eat carbs.
The main thing to beware of is foods labelled low or no sugar, because these can have all sorts of other carbs in.
Edit: the only time for sugars is when you need a fast reaction to an episode of hypoglycemia.

That makes sense. Thank you for your practical advice.

 

[lucylocket61]

Sorry, my question puzzles you. To restate it, I eat carbohydrates because they are so versatile and part of my dietary habit, and easy to prepare. But I eat a smaller "dose" of carbohydrates, i.e. instead of one hamburger, or slice of quiche, I eat half or a quarter of what a non-diabetic person would eat, and supplement that with carrots, peas, protein foods, yoghurt, etc. I find that the amount plays a significant and good role on my blood sugar meter, but sugar in itself, i.e. chocolate, cakes, etc. really boosts the number and I only eat those if I reach a hypoglycemic state. I hope I am doing the right thing. P.S. Iove your aluminumated cat Like father like son?

for me, the difference is the speed which my sugar levels go up with chocolate and anything with sugar, in any form really quickly and stay there for a long time before crashing down. Unlike wholemeal bread, for example, where i dont spike, I have a gradual rise and fall within safe levels. I got a sugar crash low after chocolate and cake. As far as I remember - its been years since I had anything like that. The rebound hypo is a consideration often missed when talking about sugary food and drink spikes.

PS I got my avatar off the internet, its not me and my cat lol

 

[lucylocket61]

Please take care when offering advice to people with type 1 diabetes.
It is not always the case that we need slow acting carbs as well as fast acting. But if we do, we need slow acting carbs during the day and night.
The difference is with the type of treatment we use to manage our Type 1 diabetes.

Incorrect advice, such as this, can lead to dangerously high or low blood sugars.

She is not a type 1. She is a type 2 who has insulin and other meds.

 

[ianf0ster]

Please take care when offering advice to people with type 1 diabetes.
It is not always the case that we need slow acting carbs as well as fast acting. But if we do, we need slow acting carbs during the day and night.
The difference is with the type of treatment we use to manage our Type 1 diabetes.

Incorrect advice, such as this, can lead to dangerously high or low blood sugars.

I do take care in differentiating about advice for Type 1's and Type 2's.
Are you saying that @Erin is actually a Type 1 rather than it says under her id?
Where did you get this information from?

Perhaps you are not aware that hypo awareness in Type 2's can be limited whilst asleep. Thus there is a tendency to take more carbs than actually required. Note that Type 2's don't get the detailed education on carb counting for units of Insulin that Type 1's usually get and indeed are often on a mixed insulin and fixed doses.
Perhaps you are also not aware that many Type 2's are tempted to overcompensate for a hypo using fast acting carbs alone not realising that this is just going to set themselves up for another BG crash.

 

[Erin]

I do take care in differentiating about advice for Type 1's and Type 2's.
Are you saying that @Erin is actually a Type 1 rather than it says under her id?
Where did you get this information from?

Perhaps you are not aware that hypo awareness in Type 2's can be limited whilst asleep. Thus there is a tendency to take more carbs than actually required. Note that Type 2's don't get the detailed education on carb counting for units of Insulin that Type 1's usually get and indeed are often on a mixed insulin and fixed doses.
Perhaps you are also not aware that many Type 2's are tempted to overcompensate for a hypo using fast acting carbs alone not realising that this is just going to set themselves up for another BG crash.

Yup -- one of my phobia reactions when in hypo mode: overcompensating with too much food; just can't wait to reach normal before I pass out with nobody around to call 911.