Carbs/Salt/Sugar/Salt.

[Rosie16]

Good Morning Every one.
I would appreciate it if someone can tell me how many Carbs/Salt/Sugar/Fat i should be looking for i'm still finding it all so confusing.

 

[Inka]

Hi @Rosie16 I think you have pre-diabetes? There’s no one answer to that question as it depends on the individual. A good starting place is to look at what you’re eating now (write down 2 or 3 days of meals and snacks) and see where you can improve things.

There will be obvious things to cut out sometimes eg sweets and biscuits, and often places where you can make reductions eg if you were having cereal and toast for breakfast that would be quite carby, so you could look to reduce that by having eggs or whatever.

It’s not just about taking things out of your diet. Most of us could do with eating more veg, especially greens and coloured vegetables. Changing the balance of your plate is a simple way to start - ie adding more veg, reducing carbs.

 

[Leadinglights]

Although it sounds like a straightforward question it actually isn't.
The particular information for keeping your intake of carbohydrate at a level which your body can tolerate is the TOTAL carbohydrate content of the particular food.
The other things may be of concern but that would be a very personal thing to you.
Many people look for the lowest total carb value for a product and choose one with the lowest, but the portion size is also taken into account.
The book Carbs and Cals is useful for giving you the carb value or there are various apps free or otherwise.

 

[Rosie16]

Although it sounds like a straightforward question it actually isn't.
The particular information for keeping your intake of carbohydrate at a level which your body can tolerate is the TOTAL carbohydrate content of the particular food.
The other things may be of concern but that would be a very personal thing to you.
Many people look for the lowest total carb value for a product and choose one with the lowest, but the portion size is also taken into account.
The book Carbs and Cals is useful for giving you the carb value or there are various apps free or otherwise.

Hi
Thank you for your reply's i'm not really a sweet/biscuit eater i don't buy them because if i do i know i will eat them.I was just wondering if there is a certain number to look out for,for instants any thing below 5 is ok.I have muesli for breakfast but i always buy the no added salt or sugar one so that cereal is easy to work out i don't have toast with it.Every thing i buy i always buy low fat low sugar low salt.I have always had lots of veg with my meals and i have cut my portions down and i eat fruit and yoghurt after my meals.I'm not a drinker or a smoker i just don't like the taste of any of them i know i'm only at risk of diabetes 2 but i want to avoid getting it.

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi
Thank you for your reply's i'm not really a sweet/biscuit eater i don't buy them because if i do i know i will eat them.I was just wondering if there is a certain number to look out for,for instants any thing below 5 is ok.I have muesli for breakfast but i always buy the no added salt or sugar one so that cereal is easy to work out i don't have toast with it.Every thing i buy i always buy low fat low sugar low salt.I have always had lots of veg with my meals and i have cut my portions down and i eat fruit and yoghurt after my meals.I'm not a drinker or a smoker i just don't like the taste of any of them i know i'm only at risk of diabetes 2 but i want to avoid getting it.

You only mention things taking the sugar into account whereas it is total carbohydrate which will affect your blood glucose levels. There are many product which are low sugar but still high carbohydrate, some low fat but are more carbs than full fat versions. Cereals are a good example where they can be low sugar but still pretty high carb and it is the carbs that you need to be careful of.
If you are prediabetic then portion size is something to watch with the high carb foods.
I have either All Bran or Lizi's low sugar granola which is still 45g carb per 100g but only have 10-15g with full fat Greek yoghurt and blueberries of strawberries.

 

[DaveB]

Hi. As sugar is just a carb is best to think of it as a carb. Set yourself a daily carb limit. @Martin.A has suggested 130g/day as a start point which I agree with. Apart from blood sugar rise, Carbs are the main cause of weight gain so bear that in mind. Fats are not a problem for us either with regard to blood sugar or even weight gain or fat deposits. Fats also help you feel full so basically have what you want. I don't agree with the salt mantra as many of us don't have a genetic pre-disposition to high BP so only worry about the amount if you have high BP. In summary think carbs and what level you set yourself.

 

[Rosie16]

Hi, Rosie.

Carbs - no definite answer as it's a very individual thing. A low carb diet, which many of us follow, is generally considered to be less than 130g per day but some of us go lower and some a lot lower. For comparison a 'normal' diet would be between 200-300g per day.

Salt - there is an RDA for salt and it's 6g per day for adults.

Sugar - ideally none at all

Fat - the RDA for saturated fat is 30g for men and 20g for women. Don't know about unsaturated fat (the so-called "healthy" fats) but I did read somewhere that total fat intake should be 65g per day. However, if carbs are cut then the only other sources of nutrition are fats and protein, so many of us follow what's commonly known as a Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) diet.

Martin

Hi Martin
Thank you for your message that is just what i wanted to know.

 

[Mrs Mimoo]

Hi Martin
Thank you for your message that is just what i wanted to know.

try using myfitness pal or similar app and then you can put in what you eat and keep your carbs under control. Remember not just sugar, carbs in rice bread pasta pastry cereals etc.