• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Low Carb diets

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

Trish1011

New Member
I am confused by Diabetes UK's Low Carb diet plan.
Current thinking is that a low carb diet is beneficial in getting diabetes in check. Guidelines suggest below 20g per day for a true low carb diet, or below 50g per day for a more relaxed regime.
However the menu plan online suggests intake in excess of 100g per day.
Anyone have experience of low carb plans and could offer any advice?
 
I don't follow a plan, all I use is a strategy of not eating any bread, rice, pasta, cereals, fruit, & starchy vegetables.... replacing them with green leafy vegetables (grown above ground).... This naturally brings my carb count low without really thinking about it.
 
I try to do that myself Martin, (except I have been eating berries) but I have still had problems with readings being higher than they should be, I have problems with spikes. I'm on insulin and metformin. So I thought it may help to follow some sort of plan.
However I have just started on a new medication Jardiance. Hope this helps bring it under control.
 
I was pre-diabetic, got back to normal, now back to 42 again. I was told a max of 120g per day. I personally would not go to 20g or below of carbs but it is up to the individual.

I suppose the best thing is to test what foods suit you and how many carbs you can cope with.
 
Trish1011 said:
I am confused by Diabetes UK's Low Carb diet plan.
Current thinking is that a low carb diet is beneficial in getting diabetes in check. Guidelines suggest below 20g per day for a true low carb diet, or below 50g per day for a more relaxed regime.
However the menu plan online suggests intake in excess of 100g per day.
Anyone have experience of low carb plans and could offer any advice?
Click to expand...
Strange ? Duk needs to have a look
 
The best thing is to have a meter and check that what you are eating doesn't raise your levels over your target levels.
I found that eating exactly the same diet as I used when doing Atkins to control my weight kept my BG levels normal, at 50 gm of carbs max per day, but all from low carb foods.
 
grovesy said:
I did not think there was any standard defination of a low carb diet.
Click to expand...

Correct, there is no agreement about the definition of a low-carb diet - but, anything providing less than 130g/day of a 2000kcal diet (26 per cent of energy) is considered 'low-carb'.

Low-carb diets can improve BG levels, but as you are managing diabetes with insulin @Trish1011, low-carb diets or very low-carb diets could increase your risk of hypos, so it is important that you speak to your GP or DSN first about different low-carb diet options, just to make sure that you are taking in enough carbohydrates to manage alongside your particular insulin dose.
 
I'm confused about carb limit as well. I asked a Diabetes support worker at our local NHS 70th Birthday party and they said 150g a day was recommended amount . But online it suggests between 20g if doing extreme or 50g if being more relaxed. Please can someone clarify which is correct?
 
Marianne Rickards said:
Please can someone clarify which is correct?
Click to expand...
There is no "Correct" it's what works for you...... I stay between 10 & 50 most of the time & my BG is under control.... Last night I has a rather more carby meal than usual (perhaps 120g or more) & was rewarded with a 6.7 this morning vs usually hovering around 5. The only sure way to find out what work is to test
 
Hannah DUK said:
Correct, there is no agreement about the definition of a low-carb diet - but, anything providing less than 130g/day of a 2000kcal diet (26 per cent of energy) is considered 'low-carb'.

Low-carb diets can improve BG levels, but as you are managing diabetes with insulin @Trish1011, low-carb diets or very low-carb diets could increase your risk of hypos, so it is important that you speak to your GP or DSN first about different low-carb diet options, just to make sure that you are taking in enough carbohydrates to manage alongside your particular insulin dose.
Click to expand...

Whilst I would violently agree that @Trish1011 should talk to whomever helps her manage her diabetes, to ensurer the approach is safe, my take would be that she is ensuring her insulin is matched to her chosen style or eating, not that she eats to match the prescibed insulin.

Eating up to match meds has never felt logical to me.
 
I have to say I eat berries. Lots of them. I am a blueberry addict eating a small carton for breakfast three days per week with two desert spoons of extra thick double cream. Two mornings per week its two sausages, two poached eggs, avocado with chilli and raw spinach. "living or what!"
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top