Counting carbohydrates is one of the most accurate methods of managing meals and blood sugar impact for a diabetic. When you count carbohydrates, you manage your meals based on the carbohydrate grams that you are eating with each meal or snack. If you control your diabetes with insulin, counting your carbohydrates properly can help you regulate your insulin dosages more accurately, giving you tighter control of your blood sugar numbers.
Carbohdyrate Servings
When you count carbohydrates in a diabetic diet, every serving of carbohydrates you consume is based upon a 15 g carbohydrate serving measurement. Grains, dairy and fruit products all contain carbohydrates. Each single serving of bread, 8 oz glass of milk or small piece of fresh fruit is a 15 g carbohydrate choice.
Calculating Carbohydrates
Read the nutrition label for each item you want to eat at your meal. Check the serving size listed at the top of the label first so that you understand how much of the food is considered a serving, which the rest of the label refers to. Check the carbohydrate figure and make note of the total. Look for dietary fiber listed below the carbohydrates. If the food contains 5 g or more of dietary fiber per serving, subtract the dietary fiber from the carbohydrates. Look for sugar alcohol listed below the carbohydrates. Subtract half of the sugar alcohol content from the total carbohydrates. The final result is your net carbohydrates. Net carbohydrates are the direct blood sugar impact. Divide the net carbohydrates by 15 to determine how many carbohydrate choices the serving will consume.
Insulin and Carbohydrate Counting
Insulin-dependent diabetics can count carbohydrates and measure insulin doses based on the carbohydrate choices. Your doctor can help you develop a sliding dosage chart as a starting point, and advise you how to adjust your dosage per carbohydrate choice based on your post-meal blood sugar readings. Dosing insulin based on your actual carbohydrate intake can give you tighter control over your blood sugar numbers and more flexibility in the carbohydrates you eat. Never modify your insulin dosages without consulting your doctor first.
Considerations
Consult your diabetic educator or nutritionist to create a diabetes meal plan that best suits your treatment plan. Your diabetes meal plan will determine the best allotment of carbohydrates among your meals, and the total number of carbohydrate choices you should consume per day. When you calculate your carbohydrates for a meal, reduce your daily allotment by the total you eat in that meal. Carbohydrate counting allows you the flexibility to have one or two additional carbohydrate choices at a meal if you reduce a meal later in the day by the same amount to keep your total daily carbohydrate intake within the guideline established by your nutritionist.
