Carbohydrate and Diabetes

People with diabetes always feel that they have a very limited choices for food especially carbohydrate food. Stop worrying it. It does not have to mean feeling restricted. Let’s learn more about carbohydrate food.

    

Carbohydrate counting is a meal planning technique for managing blood glucose levels. Diabetic patients have to count the intake of carbohydrate food since they have to control their sugar level. Carbohydrate contains sugar which can raise the sugar level in blood. Keep tracking carbohydrate amount intake is very important. Food that contain high carbohydrate includes starchy food like bread, cereal and rice, fruits, milk, dried beans, potatoes, corn and snacks like sweets, cookies and ice cream. The amount of carbohydrate can be known by reading the food labels. However, for food that has no label, estimation the amount is important. For examples, 15 grams of carbohydrate can be found in ½ cup rice, ½ cup mee hoon, 1/3 cup wet mee, ½ piece thosai, 1 slice bread and 3 pieces plain biscuits, to give a few examples.

Wheat is one example of carbohydrate. It includes bran, germ and endosperm. Bran is packed with fiber and vitamin B, germ has high essential fatty acids and vitamin E, while endosperm is located at the center of the grain which contains starch. Fiber helps to make people feel full and increase satiety. It also helps in reducing cholesterol level. It is also can prevent stomach irritation and prevent constipation. Food that contains high fiber include legumes, fruits, vegetables, grains and wheat. High fiber food can give a lot of benefits to diabetic patients.

Sugar is the other type of carbohydrate. It is better to get sugar from natural sources including milk and fruits. To include sugar in diet needs careful planning. Artificial sweeteners can be used to sweeten drinks and food with less calories. Small amount is needed when use artificial sweeteners. There are 5 artificial sweeteners that have been approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA); acesulfame K, aspartame, saccharin, sucralose and neotame. However, it is no benefit in long term used.

To eat a healthy carbohydrate food with control portion may help diabetic patient manage blood sugar level and reduce the risk of diabetes complications such as heart diseases and stroke. To choose a variety of carbohydrate nutritious food with rich vitamins and minerals can give more benefits. Not to forget to increase the fiber intake especially from vegetables. Limit the intake of high cholesterol, saturated fat and sodium food. For better information, see the dietitians to know the exact amount of carbohydrate that you can take per day.

References: 

American Diabetes Association

Malaysian Association for the Study of Obesity (MASO)