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How to calculate carb content of food/a meal

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
A

As I am

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1.5 LADA
Hi,
I was a T2 and have moved into T1 (I'm still producing some insulin, I'm called a LADA). I currently take 2 units of Novorapid before having a meal with carbs and 6 units of Levemir before bed.
My dietician sat down with me to show me how to calculate carbs in food in order to find out how much insulin I need to inject instead of injecting 2 units for 50gms of carbs. She didn't pressure me to start calculating that day, I have returned from hols and want to get my head around the calculations.
I've completely forgotten everything! Is there a YouTube video (visuals work better for me) anyone can point me in the direction of?
A bit more info:
I now have a Novo Pen Echo Plus allowing 0.5 units (I haven't started using yet - it looks very tecchy!)
I've been told my ratio (sorry I can't remember the correct terminology) is 1 unit of Novorapid to 20gms of carbs.

Thanks in advance.
(I'll put this on the general board as well).
 
Hi,
I was a T2 and have moved into T1 (I'm still producing some insulin, I'm called a LADA). I currently take 2 units of Novorapid before having a meal with carbs and 6 units of Levemir before bed.
My dietician sat down with me to show me how to calculate carbs in food in order to find out how much insulin I need to inject instead of injecting 2 units for 50gms of carbs. She didn't pressure me to start calculating that day, I have returned from hols and want to get my head around the calculations.
I've completely forgotten everything! Is there a YouTube video (visuals work better for me) anyone can point me in the direction of?
A bit more info:
I now have a Novo Pen Echo Plus allowing 0.5 units (I haven't started using yet - it looks very tecchy!)
I've been told my ratio (sorry I can't remember the correct terminology) is 1 unit of Novorapid to 20gms of carbs.

Thanks in advance.
 
Hi @As I am There’s a basic guide below but it’s pretty simple. You add up the carbs in your meal, then divide the carb amount by 20 (because your ratio is 1:20g). So, if you’re about to eat 60g carbs, 60 divided by 20 equals 3 units. As you have a half unit pen, that will allow you to give more accurate doses as you won’t have to round up or round down the insulin units.

If you’re about to take exercise, you might want to knock a bit off your calculated bolus amount so you don’t go low.

Sadly, lots of adults are misdiagnosed as Type 2, when they’re actually Type 1 (LADA is a form of Type 1). You can change your diabetes type on your avatar by clicking on your name at the top right of this page. Here’s the basic carb counting info:

The nuts and bolts of carb counting

When you live with type 1 diabetes, carb counting is a great way of managing your blood sugar or glucose levels. It can give you more freedom and flexibility in what you eat when you're preparing meals at home, grabbing food on the go or eating out. Carb counting does take some time and effort...
www.diabetes.org.uk www.diabetes.org.uk
 
As I am said:
I've completely forgotten everything! Is there a YouTube video (visuals work better for me) anyone can point me in the direction of?
Click to expand...

There’s a series of videos here which might help? (aimed at kids, but the basics are just as useful)

Carbohydrate Counting

National Children and Young People's Diabetes Network with a series of videos teaching carbohydrate counting.
www.t1resources.uk www.t1resources.uk
 
The other resource I would add for carb counting is Carbs and Cals.
This is available as a book and a phone app.
It contains pictures of plates of food with the number of carbs in the meal.

I found it rather annoying to use but others swear by it.

Over time, you will get used to carb guestimating by eye.
I was told most people only eat about 10 different meals so you will remember what the carbs are for those meals.
 
Would the Carb and Cals app be useful as that’s a very visual guideline perhaps?

I’m T2 and not on insulin so my knowledge is limited but I’m sure others will be along soon who can advise/help more ably than I.
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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