The carbohydrate counting diet groups foods into three main groups: carbohydrates,
proteins, and fats. You dietician will provide you with the number of carbohydrates you
can have in a day and how that is divided up amongst your meals and snacks. Your
dietician will also educate you on how you can determine the numbers of carbohydrates
are in some of your favorite foods by reading food labels.
The biggest benefit of the carbohydrate counting diet is that it does not eliminate any
foods. A diabetic can choose any food they wish to eat as long as they only eat enough of
it to meet their carbohydrate needs. The trick to this is to choose wholesome foods that
will fill you up longer. The same amounts of carbohydrates that are in a small handful of
potato chips are not equal to the two slices of bread you can have instead. But it is nice
to know that if you really want to – once in awhile – you can treat yourself.
Another benefit is keeping a consistent amount of carbohydrates in your body. This can
help regulate your insulin needs and control. If your body has the same amount of
carbohydrates to process at the same times each day it will be beneficial to your health
and blood glucose readings.
When you choose a carbohydrate counting diet it is important to make sure you are doing
it correctly. If you don’t you can too much or too little and both situations can be
detrimental to your diabetes. Have a dietician teach you how to properly count
carbohydrates and closely monitor your blood sugar levels to make sure the diet it
working for you.
As with any new diet, give it time for you to adjust and learn how to plan your meals
properly.
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