Post by Steve on Mar 18, 2017 15:24:11 GMT -8
Calories* get all the attention when people want to lose weight, and calorie-managed meals fill the freezer section at the grocery store; the top item on the nutrition labels tells us how many calories per serving and people eat several servings anyway. Carbohydrates seem less a concern, and one popular idea for weight loss is to shun carbs.I think we would all do better if we focused on carbohydrates sooner than we do. As you read about the problems of diabetes and how the disease develops, the common cause of most every problem is too much blood sugar over time! And a matching component is portion control. Eat all the right foods but double-dosing just fuels the problem of excessive blood sugar, and adds weight. There it is, the secret: Count carbs, measure portions. Bingo! You control diabetes. Now you don't need to buy a book.
Carbohydrates convert to blood sugar, excessive blood sugar will cause more damage to your organs than you realize[1]. People who don’t know about diabetes think sugary sodas and candy bars are the prime cause. Of course we come to know better. We learn that most all carbohydrates are the problem. Proteins and fats are the other components of our food, but only carbs convert to blood sugar. It’s so easy to over do it with carbs. Fast food and salty snacks are too tempting. It takes real effort to resist sneaky delicious foods like a Carl's Jr. Famous Star with 57g. of carbs. A large order of fries is 150g. Your lunch could hit you with over 200g of carbs! A proper meal should be 60g max. The secret is portion control. But look at what counts as a serving: a serving pf Cheetos is 21 pieces? Who counts Cheetos? Diabetics are advised to eat no more than 60g of carbs per meal (but CHECK THIS!). We can get by with 45g, but that’s the recommended range: 45g to 60g. But not just any carbs. Check the American Diabetic Assn. Meal Plan info...
Simple carbs are the ones that cause the sugar rush! Glucose (table sugar), fructose,, sucrose, and galactose are fast to convert and are so prevalent in processed foods. What we want are complex carbs (slower to convert), but even more specific, we want to choose foods low on the Glycemic Index (GI) a list of foods rated by how little they boost blood sugar levels. Check this list and shop with a plan. The idea is to keep your numbers from bouncing around, and a check after eating (two hours after) should be about 50 higher than before lunch, but no more than 180.
Here is a great list of foods that you can use to plan your grocery list: Harvard's Glycemic Index. Bon appetit. "Carbohydrates with a low GI value (55 or less) are digested more slowly, absorbed and metabolised and cause a lower and slower rise in blood glucose." TIP: Chocolate milk has 25g of carbs in an 8oz glass and is LOW on the GI list.
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1. When blood sugar reaches the tiny capillaries of the eyes, the feet, and the kidneys, the capillaries will be damaged over time. In the case of eyes, that can lead to blurry vision or even loss of vision. In the feet, that starts neuropathy; that in turn can lead to serious worsening of any wounds, infections, possibly amputation(s). Again, too much bad news from too many carbs.
2. 60g of carbs IS the suggested max, but it isn't hard to find examples of people who are doing fine with way fewer. You decide, but I'm cutting way back on carbs and my A1c shows it. Check this page for a video on NO carbs!)
Carbohydrates convert to blood sugar, excessive blood sugar will cause more damage to your organs than you realize[1]. People who don’t know about diabetes think sugary sodas and candy bars are the prime cause. Of course we come to know better. We learn that most all carbohydrates are the problem. Proteins and fats are the other components of our food, but only carbs convert to blood sugar. It’s so easy to over do it with carbs. Fast food and salty snacks are too tempting. It takes real effort to resist sneaky delicious foods like a Carl's Jr. Famous Star with 57g. of carbs. A large order of fries is 150g. Your lunch could hit you with over 200g of carbs! A proper meal should be 60g max. The secret is portion control. But look at what counts as a serving: a serving pf Cheetos is 21 pieces? Who counts Cheetos? Diabetics are advised to eat no more than 60g of carbs per meal (but CHECK THIS!). We can get by with 45g, but that’s the recommended range: 45g to 60g. But not just any carbs. Check the American Diabetic Assn. Meal Plan info...
Simple carbs are the ones that cause the sugar rush! Glucose (table sugar), fructose,, sucrose, and galactose are fast to convert and are so prevalent in processed foods. What we want are complex carbs (slower to convert), but even more specific, we want to choose foods low on the Glycemic Index (GI) a list of foods rated by how little they boost blood sugar levels. Check this list and shop with a plan. The idea is to keep your numbers from bouncing around, and a check after eating (two hours after) should be about 50 higher than before lunch, but no more than 180.
Here is a great list of foods that you can use to plan your grocery list: Harvard's Glycemic Index. Bon appetit. "Carbohydrates with a low GI value (55 or less) are digested more slowly, absorbed and metabolised and cause a lower and slower rise in blood glucose." TIP: Chocolate milk has 25g of carbs in an 8oz glass and is LOW on the GI list.
- - -
1. When blood sugar reaches the tiny capillaries of the eyes, the feet, and the kidneys, the capillaries will be damaged over time. In the case of eyes, that can lead to blurry vision or even loss of vision. In the feet, that starts neuropathy; that in turn can lead to serious worsening of any wounds, infections, possibly amputation(s). Again, too much bad news from too many carbs.
2. 60g of carbs IS the suggested max, but it isn't hard to find examples of people who are doing fine with way fewer. You decide, but I'm cutting way back on carbs and my A1c shows it. Check this page for a video on NO carbs!)
