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Carbs from protein

vxrich

Well-Known Member
Messages
207
Location
Staffs
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
This might be a real daft question and I'll think I know the answer but I just want to check...... Do I count just count carbs from foods with carbs in or do I need to add protein that I bolus for in my daily carb count? ie I bolus for 50% of protein eaten.
Ketone reading is yoyoing and racking my brains out to why???
Ta
 
I'm T2 without meds but I do take protein into account when roughly estimating carbs, on the grounds that too much protein turns into glucose.
 
I'm T2 also and do LCHF which is moderate protein. I have seen the figure 7% bandied about as being how much of the protein you eat is actually used by the body and the rest can be used for gluconeogenesis. There is a WHO recommendation of daily protein per kilo but I can't find it sorry. I believe Dr Richard Bernstein does talk about this. Maybe T1s can help ?
 
Thanks fellas, that's the info that I need as I'm concerned that I'm eating more carbs (actual carbs + glucose from GNG) than I think I am. I know for sure that my actual carb intake is low, <30g but obviously taking GNG into account would probably double that??
 
i always take account of protein when low carbing but @tim2000s is the expert on this subject.
 
Typically those of us that eat lower carb bolus for protein at 50% of the rate of carbs, so if I had a meal that contained 60g of protein and 10g of carbs, I'd bolus for 10 + (60/2), i.e. 40g of carbs. You may also find that GNG pushes up your glucose levels around 2-3 hours after eating. I find this happens so when using MDI, I used to inject an additional 50% of my initial bolus at around 2 hours. On the pump I use a multiwave bolus to handle it.
 
Thanks tim2000s. That's what I've been doing but you don't actually count the carbs from protein in your daily carb count. ie that meal that you calculated for would be 40g of carbs even tho you'd only eaten 10g (the rest is just to combat GNG) Obviously 40g carbs in 1 meal wouldn't be low carb?
Ta
 
Thanks tim2000s. That's what I've been doing but you don't actually count the carbs from protein in your daily carb count. ie that meal that you calculated for would be 40g of carbs even tho you'd only eaten 10g (the rest is just to combat GNG) Obviously 40g carbs in 1 meal wouldn't be low carb?
Ta
It's a bit tricky - if you are trying to eat LCHF, typically if you eat more than 75g-100g of protein in a day, it seems to fuel the GNG process.

I haven't yet worked out how to trick the body not to notice the protein. I have read anecdotally on the web that having less than 30g per meal and eating multiple meals may be a way to combat this effect.

As for accounting for it in total carb intake, well it's not a carb you take in, but the effect it has on your insulin levels is as though you had eaten 40g of carbs. That's why the protein measure is important in LCHF eating. Due to the GNG your body continues to use carbs as a fuel source and the insulin you take to counter it blocks the use of fat as an energy source.
 
Tim200s, yes this is what Im a bit confused about. As discussed on other posts regarding protein my actual carb intake is <30g per day but if I added the GNG figures it would be much higher. My ketone reading is 0.5 today but I know after I exercise later it'll be around 2.0. Is this normal to go in and out of ketosis throughout the day? And if my ketone level is 2 I take it my body is using fat for fuel? Ta
 
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