July 26, 2017

Got Diabetes and Want to Try a Low Carb Diet? Here’s How to Make Your Carbs Count!

Low carbAre you in this situation? You, a loved one or good friend, has prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. You’re constantly searching for answers to the all-important question: what and how much to eat. But you’re left scratching your head about whether following a low carb diet is a must. In my July Spenda living blog I sort it out with science and current recommendations from the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

Low Carb Diet Logic

Once you learn about how foods or beverages that contain carbohydrate raise blood glucose levels, it likely seems very logical to strictly limit the amount of carbohydrate you eat. However, and this is very important, resulting blood glucose levels do not solely depend on or can be controlled by the amount of carbohydrate you eat. To control glucose levels you must have a sufficient supply of available insulin (whether made by your pancreas or taken as the medication insulin) at the ready to help control your blood glucose levels after you eat.

No One Amount of Carbohydrate Is Right For Everyone…Individualize

While there’s lots of noise touting low carb diets for people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, the research evidence doesn’t make this a slam, dunk conclusion. In fact, according to the ADA “studies examining the ideal amount of carbohydrate for people with diabetes are inconclusive.” The amount of carbohydrate one eats should be individualized based on a person’s current eating pattern, food preferences and metabolic goals – or the blood glucose, lipid and blood pressure targets that you and your healthcare provider agree upon for you. Read more ...