A guide on carb counting and insulin ratios

[Amity Island]

Carbohydrate Counting - Milton Keynes University Hospital

What is a carbohydrate? Carbohydrate is the term used for any food or drink which is broken down into glucose in the body. The type and amount of carbohydrates you

www.mkuh.nhs.uk

Having read the article, I made these observations. Please feel free if anyone else can make some suggestions.

It suggests that "beans" "nuts" shouldn't be carb counted, however some of these can contain considerable carbs.
It asserts that meats and fats have no bearing on blood glucose. Again, these can have a considerable affect on blood sugars and for some time. For some, these do need to be allowed for in their carb counting. (e.g pizza effect)

A very valid point made, is that it is difficult to work out a carb counting ratio before a basal dose is properly established.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

What do you do for pulses @Amity Island ?

I have spoken with more than one dietician who also suggests that pulses should not be included in carb counts because of the risk of hypos - so I wonder if it's a bit of a ‘thing’ among HCPs?

I have a bookmark squirrelled away somewhere which I will try to find and post which might be interesting. It goes into some detail about the way carbs are held very differently in pulses which affects the way they can be absorbed.

I certainly would get myself in bother if I allowed the full carb count for pulses (I generally consider half-count to be about right, which often makes them negligible when divided down per portion)

However @Drummer has said more than once that she reacts very rapidly and strongly to the carbs in pulses - so perhaps it’s another of those YDMV things?

As for nuts, I tend to keep peanuts in as my go-to nibble, and grab a handful or two when I’m peckish without worrying about bolusing for it

 

[Robin]

I got a surprise when I couldn’t buy my usual green lentils during lockdown, and bought another brand. The new ones cooked down to a much more floury consistency in my sausage and lentil casserole than my normal ones, which stay more whole, and my usual ‘count half the carbs and expect a dip after two hours' turned into a 'count for the whole lot and expect a slow but steady rise to three hours followed by a tailing off'

 

[Amity Island]

What do you do for pulses @Amity Island ?

Hi Mike,

I can honestly say I don't eat them, so I couldn't comment, i'm not a big fan of soups etc. If I do try them I'll certainly bear in mind your 1/2 dose "tip" for them and also @Robin experience too.

 

[stillgoing]

The problem I think is that we are all different. Lentils and such like are considered a complex form of carb which most people don't break down rapidly. This does not cause large spikes in BG so don't need to count for injection. Some people do however break it down without problem so do either need to count fully or in half whatever is right for them. Its a guessing game. Again most people can break down glucose quickly and spike their BG's. Helpful if having a hypo. Me on the other hand sometimes struggle to absorb glucose so to get out of a hype I end up having to take a large dose to shift my BG up and then I start processing it properly. As my DN says look for the spike after the hypo!

 

[Bloden]

I like beans n pulses but mostly don’t bother with them because I go hypo then hyper if I give them the full dose they deserve...maybe I’ll try half-dosing like you suggest @everydayupsanddowns, cos I do like ‘em!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Here's the link to the explanation of why beans are slower than wheat, and not all the potentially available carbs in them gets digested

All Complex Carbohydrates Are Not Created Equal - Cholesterol

Conventional wisdom proclaims that “complex” carbohydrates, such as whole grains and beans, are good for you, better than “simple” carbohydrates like white flour and sucrose. Is that true? Complex carbohydrates have greater fiber and nutrient content…

www.healthcentral.com