I have been compensated by Glucerna for this post; however, I am sharing my own thoughts. All opinions are my own.Talk with your health care provider about a diabetes management plan that’s right for you. #GlucernaHungerSmart #CollectiveBias
10 Steps to Understanding Carbohydrates & Managing Diabetes
20 years ago I walked into my doctor’s office feeling worn down, tired, thirsty and just not “right.” I thought my body was fighting the flu and I just couldn’t get over it. The doctor did a normal checkup and a couple of in-office tests and sent me away with orders for blood work. We didn’t know what was going on yet, but we were going to figure it out. Before I even got back home, the office called and left me a message. “Please add this blood glucose and A1-C test to your blood work list. We think you may have diabetes.”
Diabetes: One word that changed my life. While I was happy to at least have a diagnosis, I was scared about what having diabetes meant. What could I eat? How do I manage it? I had so many questions. Thankfully, I had a doctor and medical team that wanted to make sure I had all of the information I needed to manage my diabetes. One of the first things they did, and probably one of the most important things for a new diabetic to do (in my opinion) was to send me to a diabetes education class. Most insurance plans will cover this, and even if it doesn’t, I cannot recommend these classes enough. I learned so much about what to eat, how to exercise, what non-food things could impact my blood sugar, how to check my blood sugar and so much more.
Probably the most important things I learned from that class were
- What is a carbohydrate?
- How to read a food label?
Believe me those two items will help you so much in managing your diabetes. When I talk to other diabetics, I am always amazed how little people know about carbohydrates. Most diabetes management plans are based on a certain number of carbohydrates at each meal. No matter if you are a type 1 like me, or a type 2, your meal plan, medication schedule or insulin dosage is based on a certain number of carbohydrates. So it is important to know how to identify them and how to read a food label. Any changes to your diabetes management plan should be made under medical supervision.
Here are some tips on carbohydrates and reading food labels.
1.“Carbohydrates are candy or sweet sugary food” – Yes, and no. A carbohydrate is anything that contains sugar, sucrose or starch. So yes, that piece of candy is a carb, but so is a potato or a serving of rice.
2.Here is a listing of common carbohydrate containing foods.
- Dairy – Milk, yogurt, and ice cream
- Fruit – Whole fruit and fruit juice
- Grains – Bread, rice, crackers, and cereal
- Legumes – Beans and other plant-based proteins
- Starchy Vegetables – Potatoes and corn
- Sugary Sweets – Soda, candy, cookies, and other desserts
3. “If I cut out all sweets I’ll be able to control my diabetes” – You need to control your overall carbohydrate consumption. Now, if you are addicted to sweets like me, yes, you will need to find ways to curb those cravings but it is your overall carb consumption that needs to be managed.
4. A serving of carbohydrates is considered 15 grams. So if your diabetes meal plan includes 4 servings of carbs, this means you can have 60 grams of carbohydrates with your meal. It is important to stick with your meal plan to avoid diabetic complications.
5. Here are some examples of what 15 grams of carbohydrates looks like:
- A small piece of fruit
- 1 slice of sandwich size bread
- 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal
- 1/3 cup cooked pasta or rice
- 4 to 6 crackers
- 1/2 cup black beans or other starchy vegetable
- 1/4 large baked potato
- 2/3 cup nonfat yogurt
- 2 small cookies
- 1/2 cup ice cream
6. When purchasing packaged food it is important to look at the food label to determine the serving size and the carbohydrate content. Below is a food label from bread. This bread contains large slices, not normal sandwich size slices. You’ll see that the total carbohydrate content is 21 grams per slice. That means each slice is about 1 ½ carbohydrate servings. If you made a sandwich with this bread using two slices, you would have 42 grams of carbohydrates or almost 3 servings.
7. Sugar Free, No Sugar Added items – Don’t be confused by products that say they are sugar free or no sugar added. These products still contain carbohydrates. The label just means that no additional sugar has been added to the product. Below is a label from a popular ice cream treat that says “no sugar added” on the label. Notice a serving of 2 pops still has 18 grams of carbs or about 1 serving.
8. A note about fat-free or reduced fat packaged foods – If you choose to purchase reduced fat or fat free labeled packaged foods, make sure to double check the food label even if it is a food your regularly eat. Many companies replace the fat by adding more sugar, which increases the carbohydrate content of the food. Look at the photo below. This is for a container of peanut butter, both from the same manufacturer. The label on the left is the regular peanut butter; the one on the right is the reduced fat variety. The carbohydrate count is doubled because more sugar was added when the fat was reduced.
9. High fiber foods are the best carbohydrate choices for a diabetic. High fiber foods such as whole grain bread and brown rice have less impact on your blood sugar than a low fiber choice. If you are looking for food to keep your blood sugar steady and keep you feeling full, look for high fiber foods.
10. One last note about carbohydrates and food, just like eating the right number of carbs helps you manage your diabetes, so does eating on a regular schedule. Now we are all busy and have hectic schedules. Just like me, you may not always have time to sit down and eat a meal. However with diabetes it is important to eat on schedule. This is where a product such as Glucerna® Hunger Smart™ Shakes. They are tasty and easy to grab on the go.
Whenever I am at Walmart buying my diabetic testing supplies, I pick up a couple of packs of Glucerna® Hunger Smart™ Shakes to have on hand. They are conveniently located in the diabetes care aisle of your local Walmart (usually close to the pharmacy.)
These shakes are formulated with diabetics in mind. They contain more protein to control hunger and about 66% less sugar than typical weight loss shakes and come in some really tasty flavors. My favorite is the rich chocolate. Glucerna® Hunger Smart™ Shakes contain CarbSteady which releases slowly and prevent your blood sugar from spiking. Please work with your doctor and use under his/her medical supervision.
Glucerna® Hunger Smart™ Shakes contain 25 vitamins and minerals and are a good source of fiber. As I said above, fiber helps your blood sugar remain steady and steady is good when you are a diabetic! These shakes are 1 serving of carbohydrate and are a great part of a diabetic meal plan for busy on the go people. Watching your weight is also important when you are diabetic and Glucerna® Hunger Smart™ Shakes are a great tool to help you manage your weight as well. I know they help me from stopping at a fast food place when I am on the go!
Managing your diabetes is important and so is saving money. So of course, I have a deal for you too. Right now at Walmart you can save $3.00 when you purchase 2 large packages of Glucerna.
Are you a diabetic? I’d love to know how you manage your hunger and blood sugar. Do you have any tips for fellow diabetics? Leave a comment below.
Shasta Spivey says
This is a great post and it is so informative! I love that you talk about reading labels because that can be so confusing! [client]
Debbie says
Thank you!