Carbs - how much to have?

[Carina1962]

I don't know if i should be worrying about this just yet but i'm T2, diet and excercise controlled but looking at other posts it seems some people have to 'control' how much carbs they have. How much should we have or is it just an individual thing ie the amount of carbs in grams to what it does to BS levels by testing? am i more or less correct on this?

 

[Pumper_Sue]

With your A1c you are doing just fine on the amount of carbs you are eating.
Everyone is an individual so what suits you wont suit someone else 🙂 All people with diabetes do a lot better by reducing the amount of starchy carbs eaten though.

 

[DeusXM]

The issue of carb control is based around the fact that it is carbohydrate intake that directly influences your blood sugar level. The more carbohydrate you eat, the most 'stuff' you put in your body that becomes blood sugar.

In T2, the issue is that the insulin produced by the body isn't enough to offset the load placed from diet. So many T2s reduce the amount of carbs they eat, thus reducing the overall quantity of 'stuff' that can become blood sugar and overload their system. If you've already made dietary amends such as cutting down the number of sweet things you eat, you are already essentially controlling at least some types of carbs.

Those who manage their diabetes the best are those who find how many carbs they can cope with while maintaining normal blood sugars.

It's worth noting that the human body has no actual need for carbohydrates - everything you get from carbs can be derived from other food groups. There is a common assertion that your brain needs carbs but this isn't true. Your brain needs blood sugar, which can be easily derived from protein.

The situation gets a bit more complex for those with T1 as it is very difficult to dose insulin for no-carb meals. However in your case, managing your carbs should be much easier and I would suggest with an A1c of 6.3% there's no real need for any change on your part.