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Can you "diffuse" carbs?

N

nannoo

Well-Known Member
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I'm just back from my diabetes doc, having a long chat about carbs, and how I am finding my way but it's taking a long time.

My doctor is of the opinion that as long as carbs make up around a quarter of each meal, your BS levels shouldn't rise that much. She says they only shoot up if the whole meal is carb based (as in my having porridge for breakfast which shot my BS levels through the roof). How do others feel about this? (I can only say from my own experience that I am very sensitive to carbs however I eat them). I would be interested in your comments.
 
Hi nanno,
I would agree with your Dr. A carb based meal doesn't work in stabalising your blood sugars. You need protein in some form and a portion of fruit and/or veg.
My opinion....... :wink:
 
The quantity of carbs is obviously very important, however what does he mean by a quarter of a meal? A quarter is a rather a subjective concept if quantities aren't discussed, additionally the quality of carbs is important too - there's little point in filling a quarter of your plate with high GI carbs if a lower GI food is more acceptable.

Regards, Tubs
 
Yes tubs,My previous posted should have reflected the G.I. of the foods. I was basing my view on the fact that the poster had eaten porridge, a low G.I. food.
 
I have found that veg based carbs don't affect my sugars but many starchy carbs do. I am still learning about my reactions to carbs and am very careful with pasta, rice, potatoes, bread and flour based products. For instance I can have a normal tortilla with chili or fajita but only one. Dreamfields pasta is ok too. Potatoes sometimes send me soaring but I haven't figured out why and when so am generally avoiding potatoes at the moment. Rice I haven't had at all yet... So I suppose with me, carbs affect me differently depending on the protein and fat load of the meal.
 
Bl**dy difficult disease, this! I had pasta with sauce last week and my BS hardly rose at all. Does anyone have a surefire solution (probably impossible)?
 
I'd volunteer to eat and test in front of your doctor

"My doctor is of the opinion that as long as carbs make up around a quarter of each meal, your BS levels shouldn't rise that much."

Mine would take-off well above my personal target. and I don't eat that much.
For a big eater, that advice could be catastrophic.
 
If a quarter of my food was veg.based carbs then maybe I would get away with it.If a quarter was a starch based carb.my BS would rise into the teens,an unacceptable level for me.
 
This thread again shows that we are all different. Porridge on it's own would send my blood sugars up. Porridge with nuts and berries would be O.K. The addition of the nuts and berries slows the digestion of the porridge. If I tried potatoes and protein and veg then I would have high blood sugars. You have to test for what is right for you.
 
So how do people feel about the GL index (or even the GI index) - do you think that this is a method of eating that would even out carb problems and therefore BS levels?
 
In conjunction with testing, yes, it can work. It may ultimately work out that you need to reduce carbs even further than a low GI approach suggests, but each of us is different.

Regards, Tubs.
 
Don't ask us, ask your meter <G>

By doing this

http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/NewlyDiagnosed.htm

I discovered my own personal idiosyncrasies as to what and how much I can get away with, and when.

I can do oatcakes even at breakfast so long as I have two or less. I can't eat any form of wheat at all except in the evening, and then I need to NOT mix it with other carbs.

Curiously though I *can* eat pizza, so long as I have less than 20g carbs and dilute it with plenty of salad and red wine. The fat slows down the wheat to a level where my pancreas can produce enough insulin.

Carbs from leafy veggies rather than starch are much easier to handle, presumably because of the fibre and water content. Bizarrely sweet potato spikes me less than ordinary potato. A friend's BG goes into orbit from parsnips.

You have to find your own Best Practice, GI and GL tables can be a start as can be absolute numbers of carbs at different times of day, but what works for you may be completely different from what works for me
 
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