Has anyone gone sugar and carb free?

[poshpepper]

Date: 3/12/2009 12:31:35 PM
Author: lyra
Well, since I am diabetic, I am on a permanent low carb (not NO CARB) diet

To get the carb value of an item from the label, you do subtract the fiber value from the carb value. Eat your veggies!

Lyra... I am wondering something. I was given the opposite advise from a nutritionist (advising on diabetes) and she said that you should always take the total carbs and use that as your count.
Just wondering where you heard that advise, I am trying to learn all I can about this.
Thank you

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 3/12/2009 7:25:41 PM
Author: poshpepper

Date: 3/12/2009 12:31:35 PM
Author: lyra
Well, since I am diabetic, I am on a permanent low carb (not NO CARB) diet

To get the carb value of an item from the label, you do subtract the fiber value from the carb value. Eat your veggies!

Lyra... I am wondering something. I was given the opposite advise from a nutritionist (advising on diabetes) and she said that you should always take the total carbs and use that as your count.
Just wondering where you heard that advise, I am trying to learn all I can about this.
Thank you

Not all carbs are the same. Some spike your sugar more. A baked potato will spike it more than two slices of whole wheat You cannot really go by the carb count on a package of food to determine the amount that is okay.

 

[lyra]

Date: 3/12/2009 9:23:58 PM
Author: MC

Date: 3/12/2009 7:25:41 PM
Author: poshpepper

Date: 3/12/2009 12:31:35 PM
Author: lyra
Well, since I am diabetic, I am on a permanent low carb (not NO CARB) diet

To get the carb value of an item from the label, you do subtract the fiber value from the carb value. Eat your veggies!

Lyra... I am wondering something. I was given the opposite advise from a nutritionist (advising on diabetes) and she said that you should always take the total carbs and use that as your count.
Just wondering where you heard that advise, I am trying to learn all I can about this.
Thank you

Not all carbs are the same. Some spike your sugar more. A baked potato will spike it more than two slices of whole wheat You cannot really go by the carb count on a package of food to determine the amount that is okay.

Poshpepper: it depends on how you are formally taught to count your carbs for diabetic purposes. I was taught using actual values per item. Type 1 diabetics use a slightly different method as they must take different amounts of insulin following each meal depending on exactly what they have eaten. They need the most accurate numbers available, whereas I do have more leeway.

MC: I''m not sure I understand this statement. Glycemic index and carb values are completely different things although they are related. Yes you can rely on the carb amount on labelling, it is required to be measured per serving. How I may react to 20g of carbs from one source or another is an individual thing, that is true, but we''re talking guidelines. If you don''t have diabetes, and are not measuring your blood sugars several times daily and bi-monthly with an A1C blood test, you can''t know how you''re doing with your diet, or how your body reacts to different kinds of carbs. We are all different, and what works well for one person (low carb item) may not work well for another. This is why we do blood tests often. I may do better with a baked potato than I do with bread, in fact, in that particular example I KNOW that to be true. So I avoid breads other than the one very specific brand I found that didn''t affect my sugars so much. Some people can eat beans, which are high in fiber (fiber counteracts carb value), but for me they all raise my sugars except green beans. Luckily I could eat green beans every day and never get sick of them.

 

[Fly Girl]

Hubby and I went low carb about 5 years ago. We used the South Beach books. After a couple of weeks, you are free from the sugar cravings, and can walk right by the candy dish, the donuts, etc. It was amazing. We both lost weight, and his cholesterol level dropped from being in the stratosphere to normal. Diabetes runs in both families, so we figure it is better to watch our diet and prevent a disease, than to get the disease, then have to watch the diet after all.

I love having energy throughout the day, without the late afternoon tired spells I used to get. I just feel better, too.

We are careful to never buy foods with added sugars. It''s hard to do, since most processed foods have sugar added. We are real label readers, and are always on the lookout for brands without the added sugars. I really think that this is the cause of the obesity epidemic in this country.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 3/12/2009 10:05:34 PM
Author: lyra

Date: 3/12/2009 9:23:58 PM
Author: MC



Not all carbs are the same. Some spike your sugar more. A baked potato will spike it more than two slices of whole wheat You cannot really go by the carb count on a package of food to determine the amount that is okay.

Poshpepper: it depends on how you are formally taught to count your carbs for diabetic purposes. I was taught using actual values per item. Type 1 diabetics use a slightly different method as they must take different amounts of insulin following each meal depending on exactly what they have eaten. They need the most accurate numbers available, whereas I do have more leeway.

MC: I'm not sure I understand this statement. Glycemic index and carb values are completely different things although they are related. Yes you can rely on the carb amount on labelling, it is required to be measured per serving. How I may react to 20g of carbs from one source or another is an individual thing, that is true, but we're talking guidelines. If you don't have diabetes, and are not measuring your blood sugars several times daily and bi-monthly with an A1C blood test, you can't know how you're doing with your diet, or how your body reacts to different kinds of carbs. We are all different, and what works well for one person (low carb item) may not work well for another. This is why we do blood tests often. I may do better with a baked potato than I do with bread, in fact, in that particular example I KNOW that to be true. So I avoid breads other than the one very specific brand I found that didn't affect my sugars so much. Some people can eat beans, which are high in fiber (fiber counteracts carb value), but for me they all raise my sugars except green beans. Luckily I could eat green beans every day and never get sick of them.

Lyra -

All I know is my experience with gestational diabetes and the guidelines for keeping stable sugar levels are very strict during pregnancy!!! The best method *I* found was the glycemic index. If I stuck to the "per serving" amounts of foods high on the index, my sugars would spike and what kept me controlled by diet rather than insulin or the other med they suggested (I forget the name) was following that low-glycemic program rather than per serving nutritional guidelines.

I agree that everyone is different. . .I just think the glycemic index and a home One-Touch meter is an excellent way to begin the process of eliminating foods that cause problems. I believe that is more reliable than reading the back of a box and thinking a serving size is safe just because it's printed there.

 

[stepcutnut]

I have been gluten free for a year now. I try hard to eat low glycemic foods as well because I was experiencing low blood sugar. I actually have found for me, that just being gluten free has all but cleared up my hypoglycemia-hardly ever have issues any more. If I am going to have fruit or a piece a dark choco, I do make sure and eat some protein with it and that helped prevent any other blood sugar issues. It is such a personal issue with how your body responds to food.

 

[Upgradable]

I just think it is so important to KNOW what we''re putting into our bodies! So many people are so unaware of what is in the food and beverages they consume!

 

[Catmom]

Date: 3/13/2009 10:58:09 AM
Author: Upgradable
I just think it is so important to KNOW what we''re putting into our bodies! So many people are so unaware of what is in the food and beverages they consume!

I couldn''t ditto this enough!!! You must carefully read every label. I am continually surprised at the amount of sugar put into foods you would never think contained sugar not to mention sodium levels.