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minimum dose?
- Thread starter Patricia
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aymes
Senior Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
It's not that the carb content of the potato changes, as such, it's that the weight of a potato will change during cooking. For example if you boil the potato in water it will take on water during cooking so the potato that may have weighed 100g pre cooking will weigh a lot more, so the carb content dosen't change but the carbs are 'spread' (for lack of a better term) across the greater weight. Other methods of cooking may cause the weight to decrease due to the loss of steam for example but the amount of carbs in it when you started cooking will remain the same. It can be really confusing which is why I always weigh before cooking and go on the uncooked weight so I know what ever I choose to do to that potato I'm confident of the carb content when I start so regardless of what it may weigh later I know what I've had carb wise.
(hope that makes some sense!)
Depending on the way the spud is cooked depends on the amount of starch in the end product. ie chips are 10 carbs for 6 medium chips 😱 Mash/boiled/roast/baked all have dif carb values once cooked.
Starch is a major blood sugar raiser.
They also all have varying effects on blood sugars.
Everyone is an individual so we all react differently to how our body reacts to different products.
So newbies need to keep a diary and then they can look back on that meal and think aah I need more insulin to carb for roast spuds or baked spuds etc
or the dose needs splitting.
Diabetes control is just trial and error not a science.
Having the basics is fantastic, this enables you to work from there and fine tune things.
If the result isn't as expected, don't stress over it. Tomorrows another day 🙂
Starch is a major blood sugar raiser.
They also all have varying effects on blood sugars.
Everyone is an individual so we all react differently to how our body reacts to different products.
So newbies need to keep a diary and then they can look back on that meal and think aah I need more insulin to carb for roast spuds or baked spuds etc
or the dose needs splitting.
Diabetes control is just trial and error not a science.
Having the basics is fantastic, this enables you to work from there and fine tune things.
If the result isn't as expected, don't stress over it. Tomorrows another day 🙂
tracey w
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
no im confused with this
lol!i dosed for my spud after microwaving and weighed it, but it would have been heavier before and i would have needed more insulin right? but i went low after 1 hour, soooo🙄🙄 i presume just my ratio was wrong maybe??
Tracey,
I think Aymes was saying to weigh the spud before cooking - as you will lose water etc through the steaming /microwaving method of cooking? So, if a spud weighs 200g before cooking - it may only weigh 170g after cooking through loss of water or steam - so you will by calculating 30g less than what you should be! (?) i think???? Can someone help us? Bev
I think Aymes was saying to weigh the spud before cooking - as you will lose water etc through the steaming /microwaving method of cooking? So, if a spud weighs 200g before cooking - it may only weigh 170g after cooking through loss of water or steam - so you will by calculating 30g less than what you should be! (?) i think???? Can someone help us?
Bev
aymes
Senior Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
no im confused with this
i dosed for my spud after microwaving and weighed it, but it would have been heavier before and i would have needed more insulin right? but i went low after 1 hour, soooo🙄🙄 i presume just my ratio was wrong maybe??
No, although it would have been heavier the proportion of carbs in it would have been less per gram so in theory the amount of insulin needed would have been the same. What I was getting at was that for most foods you should be able to find an uncooked carb content as well as a cooked figure so for a baked potato I would weigh it before cooking and use the uncooked figure rather than weighing it after cooking. I find this to be more reliable as the cooked figure could potentially be less accurate according to how long you've cooked it for etc.
no im confused with this
i dosed for my spud after microwaving and weighed it, but it would have been heavier before and i would have needed more insulin right? but i went low after 1 hour, soooo🙄🙄 i presume just my ratio was wrong maybe??
What's happened is that spuds take a long time to digest. So your insulin kicked in before the spud had time to release all it's carbs into your blood stream.
tracey w
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
aahh i see, i think🙄
i did weigh before and calculated, and then after too and yes was different, what you are saying is cooked not as accurate as you dont know what stage the carb is at, if you know what i mean. penny dropped, slowly
so, i have been weighing cooked rice and pasta too. should i do dry weight, will this be more accurate too? 🙂
tracey w
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
thanks, will give it a go next time i have a spud!
sofaraway
Senior Member
I go for uncooked weight too
I can really see the value of uncooked, but when cooking for family, just sounds like a nightmare! Bad enough to dish stuff up onto scales and say 'look about right?'! A single jacket pot is a good idea though, just to see how things measure up. Just can't imagine it with pasta and rice etc...
Sigh. Good control feels so elusive sometimes.
Sigh. Good control feels so elusive sometimes.
Copepod
Much missed Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I also usually use the "that looks about right" approach. I have weighed a few things that I eat lots eg bowl of muesli for breakfast. As most meals I cook are for 2 of us, it would be impractical to weigh before plating up. Meals outside the house can come from so many sources - often a huge pan of pasta / rice / pitta bread with sauce / curry when camping or virtually anything when visiting friends / relatives (and I like the variety) - so I just take a portion that looks about right and take insulin to balance, and can always take a correction dose if needed later. Seems to work for me, giving reasonable blood glucose readings and HbA1c.
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Steff
Little Miss Chatterbox
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
thats how i will be cooking mine tonight lol, bit of cottage cheese on the side nice , altho i do miss my butter .like cope says skin is the best bit for me
thats how i will be cooking mine tonight lol, bit of cottage cheese on the side nice , altho i do miss my butter .like cope says skin is the best bit for me
Butter wont hurt you. The Jacket spud is the one going to do the damage.
Hi Steff, Carbohydrates are your enemy Spuds will do you no good at all until you have your numbers down.
You need to have a good look at your diet and see what carbs you can reduce. This will help you no end.
But most of all you need to see a diabetes specialist.
I personally think you are a type 1 and the rate you are going will end up in hospital in a coma.
From reading your posts you GP and practice nurse seem outstandingly ignorant.
Please would you do yourself and the forum a big favour and present yourself to A&E so you can be fast tracked through the system.
Sue
Spuds will do you no good at all until you have your numbers down.You need to have a good look at your diet and see what carbs you can reduce. This will help you no end.
But most of all you need to see a diabetes specialist.
I personally think you are a type 1 and the rate you are going will end up in hospital in a coma.
From reading your posts you GP and practice nurse seem outstandingly ignorant.
Please would you do yourself and the forum a big favour and present yourself to A&E so you can be fast tracked through the system.
Sue
Steff, many of us find that potatoes become a rapidly absorbed carbohydrate and so lead to a surge in our blood glucose - if you like jacket potatoes you might want to try yams or sweet potatoes instead that are more slow release. Best form of ordinary potatoes seems to be small portion of boiled new potatoes with skins on.
However, minimise that butter - for Type 2s already at risk of heart disease it is a saturated fat and so something else we are advised to avoid
Do remember though that no food is "forbidden" - we just need to find the balance that is right for each one of us (and that seems to be through trial and error together with lots of finger pricking) so we can treat ourselves to the odd indulgence every now and again
However, minimise that butter - for Type 2s already at risk of heart disease it is a saturated fat and so something else we are advised to avoid
Do remember though that no food is "forbidden" - we just need to find the balance that is right for each one of us (and that seems to be through trial and error together with lots of finger pricking) so we can treat ourselves to the odd indulgence every now and again
Hmmm a slight difference here between T1 and T2. But theres an underlying problem with baked potatoes themselves. Boiled potatoes (depending on variety) can have a GI of around 80. Baked potatoes are well over 100 (up to 158). So would you be better just eating the contents of the sugar bowl? Quite possibly yes.
For those finding problems with the timing of insulin for baked spuds, thats because of the high GI. Baked potatoes hit the BG hard and fast. Butter and other fats will slow it down slightly but its still likely to throw off your calculations with regard to timing. Slower GI foods are easier to plan for. Doesn't mean they should be on a banned list, but its one to be careful about. As usual, managing the quantity (GL) and speed (GI) of carbs can mean better control.
As for the T2 viewpoint, I have very few banned foods, but baked spuds are in there along with cereal bars. I tend to start a meal around 5mmol/l. My one and only incident with a baked potato shot me up to 12, followed by a crash to below 4 a couple of hours later.
Despite the dieticians' one-size-fits-all-whether-you-have-diabetes-or-not diet sheets, having a lot of starchy carbs with every meal is not actually mandatory - so long as you do not fill the gap on the plate with pure lard. Its just a question of finding alternatives which do not cause a problem - other veggies with less carb in them for example or benecol instead of butter.
So every T2 in particular should be aware of GI and GL. David Mendosa's site is as always a good place to start: http://mendosa.com/gi.htm And of course its also important for T1s.
But for T2s in particular, the bottom line is how a particular combination of foods affects your body. And only your meter will tell you that. The important thing being to learn from the results and see where you can improve a particular meal the next time.
For those finding problems with the timing of insulin for baked spuds, thats because of the high GI. Baked potatoes hit the BG hard and fast. Butter and other fats will slow it down slightly but its still likely to throw off your calculations with regard to timing. Slower GI foods are easier to plan for. Doesn't mean they should be on a banned list, but its one to be careful about. As usual, managing the quantity (GL) and speed (GI) of carbs can mean better control.
As for the T2 viewpoint, I have very few banned foods, but baked spuds are in there along with cereal bars. I tend to start a meal around 5mmol/l. My one and only incident with a baked potato shot me up to 12, followed by a crash to below 4 a couple of hours later.
Despite the dieticians' one-size-fits-all-whether-you-have-diabetes-or-not diet sheets, having a lot of starchy carbs with every meal is not actually mandatory - so long as you do not fill the gap on the plate with pure lard. Its just a question of finding alternatives which do not cause a problem - other veggies with less carb in them for example or benecol instead of butter.
So every T2 in particular should be aware of GI and GL. David Mendosa's site is as always a good place to start: http://mendosa.com/gi.htm And of course its also important for T1s.
But for T2s in particular, the bottom line is how a particular combination of foods affects your body. And only your meter will tell you that. The important thing being to learn from the results and see where you can improve a particular meal the next time.
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