diabetes Using Diabetic Exchanges with Whole Foods

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This article is just meant to give some background for people who may wish

to use more whole foods in controlling diabetes, or who want to use counting

carbs to control weight. If you have problems with blood sugar control, see

a doctor.

According to the ADA, carbs are carbs. We disagree, we feel that some carbs

will help you balance your blood sugar better than others, but we also know

that sometimes counting carbs is essential in controlling Type II diabetes,

and is absolutely necessary in balancing blood sugar when insulin dependent.

If you use insulin, or if your blood sugar has been uncontrolled, or if you

are required to lose weight fairly rapidly for health reasons (sleep apnea,

diabetes, blood pressure, heart health, and many other conditions are very

often affected by weight), then counting carbs may help you to control your rate of weight loss or to keep your blood sugar in optimum balance. It can

also help to control weight gain during pregnancy.

If you are diabetic, it is important that any time you make any kind of

change to your diet, that you test your blood sugar regularly to learn the

effect that the changes are having on your blood sugar control. And do not

make changes without talking to your doctor. If I suggest something that you are skeptical about, test your blood sugar and see if it worked. As long as you follow the rules that you have learned about portion sizes, total carb exchanges per meal or snack, and as long as you use whole foods within the guidelines your doctor or diabetic counselor has given you, you can experiment with types of foods to see which ones give you the best overall blood sugar control.

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1. Pay attention to portion sizes! Buy small fruits, or use half a fruit,

measure juice and milk, and stick to proper serving sizes of breads and

other critical items. Use a small glass for juice and you won't be so

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2. Potatoes have less of an effect on blood sugar if you EAT THE SKINS. It

is not just fiber. We make hashbrowns, potato soup, baked potatoes, and

casseroles with skin-on potatoes. Make sure you stick to a 1/2 cup serving

size, or a small potato (we buy bags of small potatoes on purpose). When we

make a casserole, we micro-bake the potatoes - just one per person, cut them

up in chunks, and then mix them in with the other ingredients. Then when we

serve it, we divide it equally by the number of potatoes used so the potato

portion is controlled.

3. VARIETY! I am not sure why this is, but my blood sugar is better

controlled when I use a variety of carbs. During pregnancy I can have 4 carb

exchanges per meal, so I can have a glass of milk, a piece of fruit, a slice

of bread, and a potato at a single meal, along with a protein and veggies.

If you are limited to just 2 carbs per meal, you may need to use half

portions if you want that much variety, but the real trick is to not have

more than one serving of any single carb, unless it is something like two

slices of bread for a sandwich, or a double serving of pasta. Some types of

carbs are REALLY picky about this, and you just don't do more than one

serving of them per meal - more on that in the next point.

4. Beans, Rice, and some types of Bread are very reactive. Fruit and juice

are also ones you must be careful with. These items are ones that you should

never have more than one portion of during a single meal. Even if you use

brown rice, fresh cooked beans, and whole wheat bread, they tend to have

carbohydrate that absorbs very quickly. Combine them with lots of fresh

veggies, a good solid protein (nuts, egg, or meat), and a little fat to slow

them down a bit. Slice your bread thin, or make an open-face sandwich to

avoid overload.

5. Get your veggies. I also noticed that when I ate fresh veggies with a

meal it was easier to control my blood sugar than it was when I ate the SAME

MEAL without veggies! I tested repeatedly to verify that result.

6. Watch the Freebies! Some items are considered free foods. Fresh

non-starchy veggies, condiments or other items with less than 4 gms of carb

per serving are considered "free" foods. BUT, if you have more than about

two of them, you HAVE to count them as one exchange. I don't count free

veggies at all because they tend to not affect my blood sugar even in high

amounts, and they even help balance my sugars, but you may need to. Things

like ketchup and steak sauce have sugar in them, and you need to limit the

portions if you want to keep them "free". Some low carb candies and snacks

also fit this category.

Generally if you have a diagnosis of diabetes, you will be instructed by

your doctor in how much carbohydrate you are allowed. Here is what my sister

and I have experienced:

I am pregnant. At 60 grams of carb per meal (4 exchanges), and 15-30 (1-2

exchanges) per snack, if I ONLY eat when I am hungry (and my blood sugar is

low enough to eat), I maintain my weight. With one 75 gm meal per day, I

slowly gain, which is appropriate for pregnancy.

At 3 exchanges per meal, and 1-2 per snack, I lose at a rate of about a half

pound a week if I am eating only 3 major meals a day.

At 2 exchanges per meal, and 1-2 per snack, I lose at a rate of 1 or more

pounds per week.

I have not counted carbs when I am not pregnant, so I don't know how my

metabolism might change and affect weight loss amounts.

My sister, who also has diabetes, more severe than mine, can control her

diabetes well on 3 exchanges per meal, 1-2 exchanges per snack.

We generally do not count fat and protein - you may need to, so follow your

doctor's advice. We do not count the carbs in nuts, non-starchy veggies, or

condiments with less than 4 gms per serving, but we do limit ourselves to a

single serving. We have found though, that when you balance your meals, even

when you limit your carbs quite a bit, overeating is not really an issue,

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Approximate Portion Sizes - There are exceptions to these, so do some more

research!

Carbohydrates are needed for proper health. Too little is as dangerous as

too much. You can limit them strictly while you are getting your blood sugar

under control, or losing weight, but even when you are trying to lose

weight, you still need to be sure you have some carbs with every meal.

Improve the quality of carbs, and your body can better process the ones you

give it. Lose weight, and you body will get better at processing carbs too.

Owner of Natural Diabetes Control - http://www.naturaldiabetics.com/ - Laura

writes instructional materials, produces infosites, and builds affordable

websites for her business startup clients. Her varied experience allows her

to give exceptional service, and to produce instructions on a surprising

range of topics. Laura is a busy mom of eight, homeschooler, and home

business owner.

This article may be reprinted if it is unaltered, and if the signature line

is included with the article.

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