Carbohydrate Counting
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Ready, Set, Start Counting! Carbohydrate Counting — a Tool to Help Manage Your Blood Glucose When you have diabetes, keeping your blood glucose in a healthy range can help you feel your best today and in the future. Carbohydrate counting — or “carb counting” — is a fexible meal-planning tool (not a diet) that can help you understand how your food choices afect your blood glucose level. Carbohydrate and blood glucose Any carbohydrate food you eat (e.g., milk, fruit, r$POTJTUFODZIf you use diabetes medications bread and pasta) is digested into glucose, which or insulin, it may be important to eat the same causes your blood glucose level to increase. amount of food and carbohydrate at the same However, eating some carbohydrates time each day. Doing this can keep your blood throughout the day is important because they glucose from getting too high or too low. provide energy and essential nutrients for your r'MFYJCJMJUZ If your insulin plan includes body. To better manage your blood glucose, varying doses based on how much energy levels and weight, pay attention to how carbohydrate you are eating (carb/insulin much carbohydrate you eat. ratio), accurate carb counting can help you Maintaining the right balance between determine how much insulin to take. carbohydrate and insulin (whether your body produces it or you take it) helps to regulate 'PPETUIBUDPOUBJODBSCPIZESBUF your blood glucose level. Determining when rGrains (e.g., breads, crackers, rice, hot and and how much you eat — and whether or not cold cereals, tortillas and noodles) you have snacks — should be based on your lifestyle, medications and meal-planning rStarchy vegetables (e.g., potatoes, peas, goals. A registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) corn, winter squash, lentils and beans) may consider the following ways for you to rFruit and juices use carb counting to determine the healthiest rMilk and yogurt plan for you: rSweets and desserts r1PSUJPO$POUSPM Setting a maximum amount Non-starchy vegetables (e.g., carrots, broccoli of carbs for each meal within your healthy and tomatoes) contain only a small amount meal plan and/or taking diabetes of carbohydrates and do not afect blood medications can keep your blood glucose glucose when eaten in small portions. from getting too high. Carbohydrate choices and LearnLearn how toto read read food food labels labels CarbohydrateCarbohydrate choices choices Learn how to read food labels andportion portion sizes sizes and portion sizes HereHereHere areare tips forto keep reading inin mindmind food when labels.when reading reading food food labels. labels. 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