Yum Drops® Flavoring

Foods that contain carbohydrate provide essential calories (energy), vitamins, and minerals important for both short and long term health. These foods are your main sources of dietary fiber- a weight-control, hunger-dampening, and blood glucose-friendly nutrient most Americans lack. Even more important, "research studies show that when people with diabetes cut back on carbohydrate, they eat more fat, often the unhealthy saturated fat, which has been shown to contribute to insulin resistance and less-well-controlled diabetes." Says Marion Franz, R.D. CDE, a nutrition and diabetes consultant from Minneapolis. Weight loss studies also discount low-carb diets (under 135 grams of carbohydrate daily). The food plan shown to truly work for weight control is easting less fat and getting about half of your total daily calories from carbohydrate.

Can following a low carb diet control my blood glucose and prevent me from needing blood glucose-lowering medications?

Doubtful, simply due to the natural progression of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. By the time most people are diagnosed with type 2, they've been losing insulin production progressively for 5-10 years and less than half of their insulin producing cells are working. Eating fewer carbs does nothing to halt this process, and eventually blood glucose-lowering medications are required. In fact, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) now recommends that people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes begin taking medication right away. To avoid complications, immediate and continued control of blood glucose levels is key.

How much carbohydrate do you need to get your essential vitamins, minerals and fiber?

Both the USA Dietary Guidelines and ADA suggest you eat 45-65 percent of your calories from carbohydrate sources. (Most Americans eat about 50 percent, but too much of that comes from refined, low-fiber, and added-sugar foods). If you eat fewer than 1,500 calories daily, you won't get the nutrients you need.

Johanna Burani, R.D., CDE encourages people to eat unrefined, nutrient-rich foods containing carbohydrate-whole grain, unprocessed, and fiber-filled foods-rather than refined starches and sugar-added foods and drinks, which contain few nutrients and lots of calories.

Should I count carb grams or carb choices?

They're essentially the same. The concept of carb choices morphed from the diabetes exchange system, which recommends a balanced eating plan using all food groups. In that system, one serving of starch, fruit, or milk is, on average 15 grams carbohydrate. Most people, however, read food labels and use nutrient databases ( see Carb Counting Resources" page 70 of the same issue, to count carb grams. Counting grams is more accurate-particularly important if you're determining doses of rapid-acting insulin.