Carbohydrates, or ‘carbs’, play a large part in our diet. Many people rely on carbohydrates as their main energy source, and carbohydrate containing foods can provide important nutrients for good health. The body breaks down the carbohydrates you eat and drink into a sugar called glucose. Glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream and sent around the body to provide energy with the help of a hormone called insulin. People with diabetes have problems with insulin that may make it difficult to keep their blood sugar stable. People with type 1 diabetes may not be able to make insulin. For people with type 2 diabetes, the body may not be able to respond normally to the insulin that is made.
There are three types of carbohydrate: sugar, starch and fiber.
Carbohydrates in foods can be broken down further into simple and complex carbohydrates.
Simple carbohydrates include sugar and are found in cake, cookies, candy and white flour products such as rice, bread and pasta. Simple carbs digest rapidly in the body into glucose, causing the potential for blood sugar spikes.
Complex carbohydrates include starch and fiber. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that is hard to digest. When we increase the amount of fiber in food, blood sugar spikes are less frequently seen. Complex carbs are found in legumes, whole grain and whole meal products, fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds.
We all need some carbohydrates in our diet, but the actual amount we need depends on our age, activity levels and health goals. For example, a person with type 1 diabetes has to calculate carb intake very carefully, as they depend on injected insulin to convert foods consumed into usable energy with minimal glucose spikes. A person looking to lose some weight may be advised to reduce the amount of carbs they eat as part of a weight loss regime.
Because carbohydrates have the potential to impact blood sugars the most, keeping track of carbohydrates is helpful for people with diabetes to regulate their blood sugar.
- Keep in mind that carbohydrates are not only included in bread and pasta, but are also present in fruits and vegetables.
- Remember to count carbs in beverages. Fruit juices and alcoholic beverages, such as beer and sweet mixed drinks, add lots of carbs.
Note: Protein is often overlooked as having an impact on blood sugar, but some protein does get converted into glucose and more importantly, is absorbed slower so this can cause raised blood sugar over a period of several hours (1). The effects of protein on blood sugar can be seen for up to 3-4 hours after eating.
The amount of fat consumed also affects blood sugar, increasing insulin requirements, and therefore should be considered when evaluating a meal for quality. Meals high in fat content have been shown to increase insulin requirements (2).
What is carb counting?
Carb counting is a useful tool to help plan meals and keep blood sugar levels within a healthy range for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Carb counting involves keeping track of the amount of carbohydrate in the foods you eat each day.
When starting to count carbs, your healthcare provider will give you a target number per meal or snack that has been chosen just for you. Generally, you can find carbohydrate values on most product labels, and after a while you will learn to count the carbs simply by looking at a plate of food.
Some simple carb counting tips:
- A serving of fruit, milk or starch generally has about 15 grams of carbs, for example–a slice of bread, a small piece of fruit or a small ear of corn, 1/3 cup of pasta, 1/3 cup of rice, 1/2 cup of pinto beans or 3/4 cup of dry cereal or 1/2 cup cooked cereal all contain about one serving of carbohydrate.
- Vegetables don’t have a high carb value (except for peas and corn which are starchy). Two to three servings of non-starchy veg such as greens usually equates to about 15 grams of carbs.
- Most adults with diabetes aim for about 45-60 g of carbs per meal and 15-20 g of carbs per snack.
- Check portion sizes, one cup of cooked pasta or rice for example equates to around 45 grams of carbohydrate. Measuring portions is very important!
- Lastly, you can help your healthcare team better understand your blood sugar by providing information about your meals and how they impact on your blood sugar levels. You can do this by “tagging” your meals in the Dario app. The more information that you provide, the better your team can help you keep blood sugar in range.
If you need to look up carb values, you can refer to the website below provided by
The American Diabetic Association
How can carb counting help me?
Carbohydrate counting can help keep your blood sugar levels within a healthy range and may help you stay healthy longer and prevent or delay problems related to diabetes. You may also need to take diabetes medicines or have insulin shots to control your blood sugar levels. Discuss your blood sugar targets with your doctor.
1 “Estimating insulin demand for protein-containing foods using the food insulin index.” Bell KJ, Gray R, Munns D, et al. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2014; 68:1055-1059.
2 “Dietary fat acutely increases glucose concentrations and insulin requirements in patients with type 1 diabetes: implications for carbohydrate-based bolus dose calculation and intensive diabetes management”. Wolpert HA, Atakov-Castillo A, Smith SA, Steil GM. Diabetes Care. 2013;36:810-816.
3 https://www.niddk. nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/
Units of measurement, which are shown in some of the photos and videos, represent US standard units
DAR-0137 RevB