For diabetics, stabilizing blood sugar can help prevent the serious health complications associated with high blood sugar. Kidney failure, neuropathy -- diabetic nerve damage -- and blindness are caused by chronic hyperglycemia. The carb counting diet works by limiting the amount of carbohydrates eaten at every meal. The number of carbs you can eat depends on your total daily caloric intake, but approximately 50 percent of your calories should come from carbohydrates.
Only carbohydrates, not protein or fat, raise your glucose levels. Simple carbohydrates, such as refined sugars, white flour and starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn, raise your blood sugar very quickly. Complex carbohydrates include vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains. Complex carbohydrates are often high in fiber and raise blood sugar levels slowly.
Step 1
Calculate how many grams of carbohydrates you should eat daily. Start with the number of calories you want to eat, then divide that number in half -- that's how many calories from carbs you'll consume. Each gram of carbohydrate has 4 calories, so divide your carb calories by 4 and you'll know how many grams of carbohydrates to eat in a day. For example, if you were on a 1,600-calorie-per-day diet, 800 calories would come from carbs. 800 divided by 4 is 200, so you can eat 200 g of carbs daily.
Step 2
Choose complex, not simple, carbohydrates. Once you have the total number of carbs you'll eat in a day, it's still important to make healthy choices. Avoid refined sugars, and eat nutrient-dense foods high in fiber, such as legumes, vegetables and whole grains. Don't drink your carbs -- sodas and alcoholic beverages can be very high in carbohydrates.
Step 3
Space your carbs evenly throughout the day. Don't eat a majority of your carb allotment at any one meal. Make sure that you eat some type of complex carbohydrate every time you eat -- both meals and snacks -- to keep your glucose levels stable.
Tips and Warnings
- Just because a food is carb-free doesn't mean you can eat unlimited amounts of it. You still need to stay within your total daily calorie goals. Practice portion control and limit your saturated fat and cholesterol intake.
