The Crash Course in Carbohydrate Counting!

August 4th, 2011 | Posted by Trey Sanders in Student Blogger - (1 Comments)

Many people diagnosed with Diabetes might not be aware of how the diet can help control blood sugar. One of the best ways for people with Diabetes to control their blood sugar with their diet is through carbohydrate counting. Here are the basics of carbohydrate counting!

What foods are carbohydrates? In general, carbohydrates include any foods in the grain group (bread, pasta, noodles, rice, tortillas, etc.),  fruit group, starchy vegetables (potatoes, dried beans, corn, peas), milk, ice cream, and foods with added sugar such as colas, desserts, and candy.

What is a serving of carbohydrate? As a general rule of thumb, a 1/2 cup serving of a carbohydrate containing food or 1 slice of bread counts as a serving. 1 serving of a carbohydrate is 15 grams.

How will I know how much is a serving? If you are not able to use measuring cups, a 1/2 cup is about the same size as the palm of a female hand, a deck of cards, or a wallet. If the size of the food seems to be about the same size as a tennis ball or the fist of a female, then it is 1 cup.

How many servings of carbohydrates can I have per meal? This varies from person to person, but in general, women should aim for 3-4 servings of carbs per meal while men should aim for 4-5 servings per meal. The higher amounts are for more active males and females.

Does it matter how I choose my carbs? Technically not… a carbohydrate is a carbohydrate whether it is a cola beverage or a fruit. Because there are other benefits to some carbohydrates such as other vitamins and minerals in fruit, there are healthier choices. Regardless, too much carbohydrate, even if it is something containing other healthy nutrients, can raise your blood sugar.

What foods can I have that are not going to raise my blood sugar? Non-starchy vegetables including salad greens, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, and much more have about 5 grams of carbohydrate; that means you can have up to 1.5 cups of these foods before it would start to affect your blood sugar! Other foods that do not increase blood sugar include protein sources such as meat, fish, and cheese, fats such as butter and oils.

How do I carb count with packaged foods? Because of government regulations, every nutrition facts panel is required to list the carbohydrate content of its food. The number you’re looking for is total carbohydrate (not sugars). Do not look at the percent, look for the number in grams (g). It is important to also look for the serving size, which is located directly underneath the words “Nutrition Facts.” The serving size will tell you how much of the food contains the rest of the information located below it, including total carbohydrate. 1 serving of carbohydrate is 15 grams, so 30 grams would be 2 servings, 45 grams would be 3 servings and so on. Because the total carbohydrate content of foods will not be as neatly organized, use rounding to help identify how many servings of carbs you’re getting, assuming you eat the indicated portion size. For example, 22 grams of total carbohydrate would be about 1.5 servings of carbs!

Remember that counting carbohydrates is a process, so do not give up! For more information, check out the American Dietetic Association!

Eat Well & Eat Happy!

, ,

No longer afford to ignore the epidemic crisis called obesity

April 19th, 2011 | Posted by Melissa Nodvin in Blog - (2 Comments)

Response to : Georgia’s diabetes rate among highest in nation

As a health professional and registered dietitian for almost 20 years, I understand firsthand the difficulty individuals have trying to seek out preventative care for many preventable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, liver disease and high blood pressure.  According to the CDC, 9.7% of Georgians had diagnosed diabetes in 2009, up from 6.1% diagnosed a decade ago.  Dr. Kimberly Redding, director of the health promotion and disease prevention programs at the Georgia Department of Community Health states that obesity causes insulin resistance which leads to diabetes.  I applaud Dr. Redding and her willingness to tackle this problem through nutrition programs and healthy foods but when Georgia health insurance programs will not recognize the practitioner’s best trained to deliver these medical nutrition services (registered dietitians), the obesity and diabetes problem will continue to grow. 

According to Iowa Senator Tom Harkins, we have systematically neglected wellness and disease prevention.  We spend 95% of every healthcare dollar treating illnesses and conditions after they occur.  Basically, we spend peanuts on prevention.  In addition, 75% of healthcare costs are accounted for by heart disease, diabetes, prostate cancer, breast cancer and obesity.  These five diseases and conditions are largely preventable and even reversible by changes in nutrition, physical activity and lifestyle.  The United States of America and Georgia can no longer afford to ignore the epidemic crisis called obesity. 

Dr. Stanley A. Cohen states that the cost of obesity threatens to swamp health care reform.  We need to expand the coverage for the prevention and the treatment of obesity.  Surprisingly startling is the fact that many health insurance programs do not reimburse health practitioners for patient visits until other more serious problems have developed, such as liver disease and diabetes.  We have medically trained nutrition professionals here in Georgia and around the USA that can work with these populations but the health insurance community must ensure that preventative services are covered expenses when delivered by trained professionals such as registered dietitians.

There are real people living behind these statistics that need our help.  We can no longer ignore the fact that according to The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), American’s spend upwards of $174 billion dollars (both direct and indirect costs) on the treatment of diabetes.  Our healthcare system and insurance providers need to start helping patients before they become diabetic- paying for preventative visits and including registered dietitians as a practitioner of choice. 

Pre-diabetes is a condition in which individuals have blood glucose, also called blood sugar, or A1C levels higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. People with pre-diabetes have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.  Studies have shown that people with pre-diabetes who lose weight and increase their physical activity can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and in some cases return their blood glucose levels to normal.

Health practitioners such as Registered Dietitians are medically trained to offer medical nutrition therapy for conditions such as obesity, diabetes, liver disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and many others preventable conditions because of their extensive evidence-based care which includes nutrition assessment, determining the nutrition diagnosis, implementing a nutrition intervention and monitoring the patient’s progress. 

We can no longer ignore obesity and the healthcare providers medically trained to offer counseling and support to them.

, ,

Debunking Myths: Diabetes and Diet!

March 23rd, 2011 | Posted by Trey Sanders in Blog - (3 Comments)

Diabetes affects many people in this country, from children to older adults and everyone in between. As health professionals have learned more about Diabetes over the past decade, it is time to address and debunk some of the old myths associated with diabetes and diet!

Myth 1: If you have diabetes, avoid white foods!

Fact: Some people have heard this from doctors, but there are many other foods that can raise your blood sugar. What affects your sugar are carbohydrates, found in fruits, grains, dairy products, starchy vegetables, and sweets. Too much of any of these foods will affect your blood sugar, not just white foods like sugar.

Myth 2: It is okay to save up your carbohydrate servings for one big meal or entree.

Fact: When you have diabetes, maintaining a consistent blood glucose (sugar) throughout the day is one of the most important things you can do to control the disease. Trying to save your carbohydrate servings for one meal would negatively affect your blood sugar, so spread them throughout the day for a better balance!

Myth 3: I have diabetes, so I can’t eat carbohydrates anymore.

Fact: Most diabetes patients do need to limit their intake of carbohydrates, but carbohydrates are important energy sources for everyone. It is best to identify how many servings of carbohydrates are best for you to meet your blood sugar goals!

Myth 4: When you’re sick, it is okay to stop taking your diabetes medication and meal plan.

Fact: Even when you are sick, it is still best to continue taking your diabetes medications as well as sticking to your diabetic meal plan. Keep in mind that your blood sugar may go up when you are sick, so test your blood sugar every 2-4 hours for monitoring. Continue to drink at least 8 oz of fluid every hour while awake, and let your blood sugar decide your drink choice (If your blood sugar is over 240 mg/dl, choose sugar free fluids; if it is under 240, choose fluids with 10-15 grams of carbohydrate).  Try to stick to your normal eating plan, but if you can’t, aim for about 45-50 grams (about 3 servings) of carbohydrates every 3-4 hours.

Myth 5: Fiber does not help with controlling blood sugar.

Fact: Fiber has been shown to help lower blood sugar and manage the impact of other carbohydrates on your blood sugar. Choosing beans, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains are good sources of dietary fiber. For more info on fiber, check here.

Myth 6: You can’t tell how much carbohydrate are in foods.

Fact: Carbohydrates are labeled on nutrition facts panels! 1 serving of carbohydrate is about 15 grams. The amount of carbohydrates people need can vary based on age, weight, and blood sugar goals. In general, males should aim for about 2-3 carbohydrate servings (30-45 grams) for breakfast and 3-4 servings (45-60 grams) for lunch and dinner. Females should aim for about 1-2 carbohydrate servings (15-30 grams) for breakfast and 2-3 carbohydrate servings (30-45 grams) for dinner.

So, how much is 1 serving (15 grams) of carbohydrate?

These are broken up by food group, but ALL are carbohydrate sources!

Grains: 1 Biscuit, 1 slice of Bread, 1 Dinner Roll, 1 Doughnut, 1/2 Bagel, 1/2 large Muffin, 1/2 cup of Cooked Noodles, 1/2 cup of Cooked Rice, 1/2 cup Cooked Cereals (Cream of Wheat, Grits, Oatmeal, Cream of Rice), 3/4 cup Cold Cereal, 6 vanilla wafers, 6 saltine crackers, 3 graham crackers, and 8 animal crackers.

Starchy vegetables: 1/2 cup Mashed Potatoes,  1/2 cup Beans, 1/2 cup Corn, 1/2 cup Peas, 1/2 cup Lima Beans.

Dairy: 1 cup Plain Yogurt, 1 cup Milk, 1/2 cup Ice Cream, 1/3 cup Frozen Yogurt.

Fruit: 1 small Apple or other Whole fruit, 1/2 Banana, 1/2 cup Applesauce, 1/2 cup of Fruit Juice, 1 cup of Chicken Noodle soup, 10 Grapes, Muscadines, or Cherries, 1/2 cup (canned or frozen) of the following: Blackberries, Blueberries, Pineapple, Strawberries, or Raspberries.

Beverages: 1/2 cup Tea or Coffee with sugar, 1/3 cup Kool-Aid with sugar, 1/2 cup non diet Soda or Gingerale, 1 cup Gatorade or Powerade

These are just a few basic tips; for more help information about diabetes and diets, consult a Registered Dietitian. 

Need help locating one?  The American Diabetes Association and The American Dietetic Association can help you locate a provider in your area.

Remember, read the nutrition facts panel and watch your portion sizes!


Eat Well & Eat Happy!

, ,