Hollyhandi
05-31-2007, 07:16 AM
good carbs and bad carbs.
I know whole wheats and grains
nuts
fruit and veggies.
( the one fruit my fiance can't eat is bananas( they skyrocket his BS )
thanks
princesslinda
05-31-2007, 07:48 AM
"Bad" carbs are the simple carbs which are more quickly digested...because they are so quickly digested, they can cause spikes in blood sugar. Things such as fruits, fruit juices, sugar.
"Good" carbs are the complex carbs which digest more slowing, causing less spiking of blood sugar....things like fiber, veggies, beans.
When determining what to eat, I don't actually think of it in terms of good or bad carbs. I try something I want to eat, check my blood sugar 2 hrs after the first bite and if i'm high, I know this is something that I should avoid. If i'm at a normal post meal range, I know this is something I can have regularly. I have found that if I am going to have something higher in carbs, I add a protein and it will slow the blood sugar rise.
Everyone will have different foods that affect them badly. For me, bread is a BIG trigger. I can eat a small banana without problems, but grapes will raise my blood sugar if I have more than 4-5 of them.
I try and eat a lower carb diet...I avoid breads, pasta, white rice, potatoes and sugar as much as possible. If I have bread, I buy the Nature's Own double fiber bread which, after subtracting fiber, comes out at 5 carbs/slice. I've not had pasta since my diagnosis (8/06) and have had a 1/2 baked potato on a few occasions (i'm not a big potato fan). I have had long cooking brown rice (1/4 cup) without problems as well.
Again, this varies from person to person, so the best thing to do is eat by your meter. This involves a lot of testing, particularly at first. I kept a log in a composition book of what I ate and what my results were after the meals for the first few months. I eat a lot of the same things, so now I know what most of what I eat does to my blood sugar. Anytime I have something new, I test 2 hrs after first bite. I generally test 4-6 times a day.
Gary_W
05-31-2007, 01:41 PM
Go and google for glycemic index and glycemic load.
Glycemic index is all about how quickly carbohydrate from certain foods is likely to be absorbed. Whilst we are all different, it's a really good guide to get you started. In summary, the things that absorb more slowly (those which have a low glycemic index (low GI foods)) will tend to spike your blood sugar less quickly hence keep you on a more even keel.
Glycemic load takes into account the amount of carbs present in a food and then applies the GI fiddle factor. Take pineapple. It has a high GI, but for every 100g of pineapple you eat there are only about 10g of carbs. That 10g gets into you pretty quickly, but it should tell you that a smallish portion of pineapple probably won't bite you too hard. YMMV!
Gary