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food Labels on tins, boxes etc
- Thread starter Chas
- Start date
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trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Just go by the total carbs on the labels Chas - our bodies couldn't care less what the carbs are made of (eg treacle or lettuce) they just turn them all into glucose!
SB2015
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
All carbs that you eat will get converted to glucose which then needs some insulin to match it to get it out of our system. As TW said it doesn’t matter whether the carbs is sugar, potato, carrots, twirl, .... if lots of the carbs is in the form of sugar, it might just get converted to glucose more quickly depending on what else it is in with. I know absolutely nothing about calories,r anything else. I have enough to do with working out the carbs (and remembering important things like how many are in my favourite biscuits!)
So when you are working out your carb intake for a meal, just look at the total carbs.
That is still easier said than done sometimes as the information is given in different formats.
So when you are working out your carb intake for a meal, just look at the total carbs.
That is still easier said than done sometimes as the information is given in different formats.
SB2015
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Ps
Never worry about whether a questions seems silly. On here no questions are silly.
Just ask and someone will pop up with an idea to help.
Chas
Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Thank you very much for the support, this is all new to me and I am afraid my Practice Nurse is not very helpful
Sally71
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent of person with diabetes
Glucose is the simplest form of sugar, and it's what our stomachs turn ALL carbohydrates into. And it's also unfortunately what diabetic bodies struggle to cope with. So a lot of people know that they have to avoid obviously sugary foods, what they aren’t always told unfortunately is that starches are just as bad! Sugars are the simpler forms of carbohydrate which will probably break down quicker, but starches too will also raise your blood sugar in the end.
So in terms of food packaging, look for the “total carbs” and completely ignore the “of which sugars” which is a completely useless piece of information. Unfortunately the way packaging is done these days, the sugars are usually emblazoned all over the front of the packaging, but the useful total carbs are only in the small print on the back so you might have to hunt around a bit
I see @SB2015 got there before me, we must have been typing at the same time 🙄
So in terms of food packaging, look for the “total carbs” and completely ignore the “of which sugars” which is a completely useless piece of information. Unfortunately the way packaging is done these days, the sugars are usually emblazoned all over the front of the packaging, but the useful total carbs are only in the small print on the back so you might have to hunt around a bit
I see @SB2015 got there before me, we must have been typing at the same time 🙄
SB2015
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
SnapGlucose is the simplest form of sugar, and it's what our stomachs turn ALL carbohydrates into. And it's also unfortunately what diabetic bodies struggle to cope with. So a lot of people know that they have to avoid obviously sugary foods, what they aren’t always told unfortunately is that starches are just as bad! Sugars are the simpler forms of carbohydrate which will probably break down quicker, but starches too will also raise your blood sugar in the end.
So in terms of food packaging, look for the “total carbs” and completely ignore the “of which sugars” which is a completely useless piece of information. Unfortunately the way packaging is done these days, the sugars are usually emblazoned all over the front of the packaging, but the useful total carbs are only in the small print on the back so you might have to hunt around a bit
I see @SB2015 got there before me, we must have been typing at the same time 🙄
Docb
Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Can't figure out what you are getting at there Chas, but TW is spot on. Forget the labels and traffic lights and claims on the front of the package and go to the nutrition label. Sugars are carbohydrates and starches are carbohydrates. The nutrition label tells you what the total is.
The body runs on glucose and what the digestive system does is to turn all the carbohydrates into glucose so they can be absorbed and utilised. If, for some reason, your internal systems go wonk, the glucose can build up and you get ill with diabetes. So, if you are going to use diet to reduce the burden on the system then you do it by reducing carbohydrate intake and that is why you need the total carbohydrate content.
Consistent messages coming through to you Chas!
Chas
Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Thanks to all of you guys for your wonderful answers, The degree of help and expertise is astounding, thanks again. My HbA1c last week was 67 and people have said to go on a low carb diet. I don't want to start and injections I would prefer to let my diet help.
Docb
Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Many of us have found that reducing carb intake has been effective in getting blood glucose back to something like normal levels.
One way in is to look at what you ate in the last week and construct a retrospective diary. Need to include everything - biscuits, brews, snacks and nibbles as well as everything in your main meals. Then start looking at packets and googling so that you can put a carbohydrate content against each item. Add it all up for each day and voila you have a daily carb intake. You might expect that to be 200-400 g a day.
Whatever you get, set a target to cut it in half. How do you do that? Look at the high carb items in your list - cakes, breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, rice and stuff like that and see what you can eliminate. For example, if you are partial with a piece of flapjack with your tea, then give it up. If you like a full cappuccino with chocolate topping, then swap it for a cup of tea. Other things, like potatoes, simply eat less and substitute some leafy veg. If you like a tin of soup, then check the labels on the tins and pick the lowest carbohydrate offerings. As I say, with a bit of imagination you can cut carbs without feeling deprived.
The ultimate route is to get a blood glucose measuring test kit. That way you can test before and after meals and find out what pushes your blood glucose up and what does not. One thing you will find out from reading around is that there are no fixed rules when it comes to the effect of carbohydrate intake on blood glucose, different people react differently to different carbohydrates. Blood glucose monitoring is a good way of finding out quickly what works for you.
Good luck, and go for it, I say.
One way in is to look at what you ate in the last week and construct a retrospective diary. Need to include everything - biscuits, brews, snacks and nibbles as well as everything in your main meals. Then start looking at packets and googling so that you can put a carbohydrate content against each item. Add it all up for each day and voila you have a daily carb intake. You might expect that to be 200-400 g a day.
Whatever you get, set a target to cut it in half. How do you do that? Look at the high carb items in your list - cakes, breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, rice and stuff like that and see what you can eliminate. For example, if you are partial with a piece of flapjack with your tea, then give it up. If you like a full cappuccino with chocolate topping, then swap it for a cup of tea. Other things, like potatoes, simply eat less and substitute some leafy veg. If you like a tin of soup, then check the labels on the tins and pick the lowest carbohydrate offerings. As I say, with a bit of imagination you can cut carbs without feeling deprived.
The ultimate route is to get a blood glucose measuring test kit. That way you can test before and after meals and find out what pushes your blood glucose up and what does not. One thing you will find out from reading around is that there are no fixed rules when it comes to the effect of carbohydrate intake on blood glucose, different people react differently to different carbohydrates. Blood glucose monitoring is a good way of finding out quickly what works for you.
Good luck, and go for it, I say.
Hi @Chas - Theres a lot to learn and it can be quite bewildering, but knowledge is power and im sure you will prevail.. I too am controling mine, so far, with diet, I used this site when I first joined here, and have found it very useful.
I thought i would post what i do, just to give an idea a new diets isnt boring.......
Breakfast 1 slice (livelife bread) found this at waitrose and its low carb but tiny in size, topped with sardine, mackerel, peanut butter, marmite, smk salmon, cream cheese. Or I have 4 tbs porridge with skm milk, almond or soya milk. Lunch is usually very low carb (i say low because most veg have a carb contents), I like to give my insides a rest. I use salads with sp onion, cucumber, olives & Olive oil along with some protein such as slices of cold meats or fish or various cheeses. I home cook everything and evening meal is normal and varied but i absolutely keep potatoes, rice, pasta, pastry (&flour products) bread etc to a minimum. Veg i use grow above ground (I find they are lower in carbs than the denser underground lot). I snack on unsalted mixed nuts and seeds. Keep boiled eggs in the fridge, celery and cream cheese. and have occasional sugar free jelly. I test myself with a glucose monitor and discard any foods that 'spike' me. You will need to find what suits you. Hope this helps you looking at my routine. You will make changes that suit your body just be sure to stick to them. Good luck.
Breakfast 1 slice (livelife bread) found this at waitrose and its low carb but tiny in size, topped with sardine, mackerel, peanut butter, marmite, smk salmon, cream cheese. Or I have 4 tbs porridge with skm milk, almond or soya milk. Lunch is usually very low carb (i say low because most veg have a carb contents), I like to give my insides a rest. I use salads with sp onion, cucumber, olives & Olive oil along with some protein such as slices of cold meats or fish or various cheeses. I home cook everything and evening meal is normal and varied but i absolutely keep potatoes, rice, pasta, pastry (&flour products) bread etc to a minimum. Veg i use grow above ground (I find they are lower in carbs than the denser underground lot). I snack on unsalted mixed nuts and seeds. Keep boiled eggs in the fridge, celery and cream cheese. and have occasional sugar free jelly. I test myself with a glucose monitor and discard any foods that 'spike' me. You will need to find what suits you. Hope this helps you looking at my routine. You will make changes that suit your body just be sure to stick to them. Good luck.
Ljc
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
I see you have been given lots of good advise so I won’t repeat it, Except to say that their is a lot of misinformation out there , so please take care where you do your research.
My advise is, Diabetes is a marathon, so it is important that the changes you make are sustainable long term, the last thing you need is to set yourself up to fail because you’ve been far to strict or forcing yourself to do / eat something you really dislike .
Their is a book called , Carbs and cals , which you might find helpful , it has plenty of pics to give you an idea of the portion sizes along with the info on carbs etc , it’s useful if eating out or having a takeaway .
My advise is, Diabetes is a marathon, so it is important that the changes you make are sustainable long term, the last thing you need is to set yourself up to fail because you’ve been far to strict or forcing yourself to do / eat something you really dislike .
Their is a book called , Carbs and cals , which you might find helpful , it has plenty of pics to give you an idea of the portion sizes along with the info on carbs etc , it’s useful if eating out or having a takeaway .
Chas
Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Thanks Tee G your a star
- Status