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Carb Count?

Deleted by a moderator - recommending dosages and giving advice which may not be appropriate.
 
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No one can say how much insulin you need with your meals, that is something you need to work out yourself or in conjunction with your diabetes team.

However if you register with the following it will help somewhat, it's an on-line carb counting course which goes into the basics and will discuss how to work out your insulin-to-carb ratio's:

http://www.bdec-e-learning.com/
 
As Noblehead has said, there's no prescribed dose of insulin that can deal with a certain amount of carbs. I could eat a meal and take 5 units whereas another Type 1 could eat exactly the same meal and need 10 units. It can vary a lot.

Do speak to your DSN or doctor and ask about a carb counting course. Your DSN may also be able to help you with your insulin to carb ratio (how much insulin you need to cover a specific amount of carbs).

Being able to carb count and adjust your insulin will improve control and give you more flexibility.
 
Download this app to calculate your portions. "Carbs & Cals"

*Edited by a moderator to remove dosage advice
 
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See above posts. We each need to find our own ratios.

*Edited by a moderator to remove quoted edited post and reference to it.
 
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Please can posters not recommend insulin ratios. We are all different, and what works for one person may be totally inadequate for another - or far too much.
 
azure said:
Please can posters not recommend insulin ratios. We are all different, and what works for one person may be totally inadequate for another - or far too much.
Click to expand...

I was just asking if people knew how too? I know how too just was interested with other people
 
Darwin195 said:
I was just asking if people knew how too? I know how too just was interested with other people
Click to expand...

Darwin, that was in no way aimed at you. Your question was fine :)

It was aimed at a few posters who have had their posts edited as they gave medical/dosage recommendations.
 
Darwin195 said:
I was just asking if people knew how too? I know how too just was interested with other people
Click to expand...
As Azure mentioned, it's not the question you're asking, but some of the responses that are the issue.

Artificial insulin should be used with a tremendous level of respect and no one on this forum is qualified to give specific recommendations on dosage. You should be working with your healthcare team to figure out your carb:insulin ratio.

Remember that our bodies each react differently to different foods meaning some people are more/less sensitive to certain types than others.

I'm in a very unusual situation given that I'm a type 1 honeymooner and I'm VERY sensitive to insulin. Consequently, my carb ratio is somewhere in the 35-40g per 1unit of insulin range(and possibly even more than 40g). That's incredibly low compared to most diabetics and if I tried to followed someone else's carb counting plan it could potentially kill me (too much insulin).

How I count carbs (which doesn't mean you should too):
1.) count total carbohydrates from nutrition label (I don't use apps like MyFitnessPal)
2.) subtract grams of fiber (our bodies cannot convert fiber into energy, but some people claim it still affects their blood sugar)
3.) subtract grams of sugar alcohol (at first, my doctor recommended I count 50% of the sugar alcohol content, but I've found it doesn't affect my blood sugar).
4.) I also have to consider the glycemic index of the carbs I'm eating. A sugar soda with 40g carbs would affect my blood sugar much faster than a sweet potato with 40g of carbs.
5.) Some people also have to account for the protein they eat as protein can be converted into glucose through the process of gluconeogenesis. I personally don't but many do.

Long story short: you're talking about an incredibly complex formula that needs to be customized to you and your body. There are a ton of different variables and some people have to consider even more than others. If you're looking for an easier method, I'd speak with your doctor about the Accu-Chek Aviva Expert. Your doctor can help you program it to assist with carb counting and insulin correction. Many people find it very helpful.
 
Hi. I was lucky that when my excellent DN started me on insulin and discussed carb-counting she gave me a leaflet by Roche which showed typical plates of a range of foods each being a 10gm portion. This was useful when I had some chips in a restaurant and had no idea what the carb content was. My DN also told me to Google the web for similar information on carbs for portion sizes. There will always be situations where you just need to guess (or as my DN said 'eyeball' it) when eating out but this comes with experience and you can always take a lower dose for that meal if in doubt to avoid a hypo.
 
Hello,
I think I understand what you are trying to figure out.

Regarding carb counting in foods there are two main categories:
1. The people who count every obvious and hidden carb and make a total in order to bolus (and it works great for them). For example, they calculate the carbs in all vegetables, (green vegetables included), nuts, the carbs in the amount of protein they consume, subtract fiber contents etc.

2. And there are those who follow the DAFNE guidelines and do not bolus for anything but “the obvious” carbs.
They do not include in their calculations the carbs in vegetables (other than some specific starchy ones) or nuts or meat/fish/poultry/cheese.

Diabetes is a “sur mesure” condition. Nothing is incorrect if it works well for each person specifically.

Regards
Josephine
 
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