question about carbs?

[Carina1962]

I'm just a bit concerned as to whether i'm not eating enough carbs in a day. What i have found is that i need a small amount of carbs to keep my BS levels down to the low to middle 7's which is approx about 25g, sometimes i can get away with 30g (per meal) but i'm just concerned that it's not enough. What is the RDA amount for carb intake for diabetics?

 

[katie]

RDA for Diabetics? Who knows, but it's probably rubbish advice 😉

30g sounds fine, as long as your levels are good and you feel full enough and you have enough energy then it's probably the right amount.

 

[C*5_Dodger]

I'm just a bit concerned as to whether i'm not eating enough carbs in a day. What i have found is that i need a small amount of carbs to keep my BS levels down to the low to middle 7's which is approx about 25g, sometimes i can get away with 30g (per meal) but i'm just concerned that it's not enough. What is the RDA amount for carb intake for diabetics?

Dear carina62,

You should be eating sufficient carbs to keep your blood sugar on target. The actual amount is different for all of us, and it changes with time. The more carbs you eat the more difficult it will be to get down to your targets. What is the reading "middle 7's" - fasting, 1 hour after eating or 2 hours after eating?

Warmest Regards Dodger

 

[Northerner]

I'd agree with what Toby has said, as I've also heard the figure of 130g as a lower limit. It is possible to eat less, of course, but other food sources are more difficult to convert to glucose, so this can mean that the whole system becomes less efficient. I think the 'normal' recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 230g, which is about what I eat - but I can cover this by injecting insulin.

 

[C*5_Dodger]

Carb RDAs are not relevent to Type 2s

Dear carina,

What Toby and Northerner have said regarding carb consumption is what the "authorities" recommend and as such is clearly not relevent to you. I am assuming the the BS level is a post meal number and that to achieve that your daily consumption is 25 to 30gms a day. If this is the case Northerner and Toby's experience is irrelevent - you need to do what works for you. Don't worry about RDAs, as Katie says if you feel OK and a BS level of 7 is within your target every thing is fine. Here's something else that is not relevent to you - it's questionable if I eat 130gms of carbs in a week - just did a 10 mile hike in the snow and my brain feels fine! LOL 🙄

Warmest Regards Dodger

 

[Carina1962]

Although at first i was aiming for post-meal levels of 8.5 (according to the NICE guidelines for Type 2's) i now aim for between 7.8 - 8.5 (i eat out quite a lot and sometimes i go higher even though i try and choose carefully from the menu) but in general i try to keep to my aims. Today at lunchtime i had a mixed salad with 30g of feta cheese and 2 hour post-meal my reading was 6.1, my lowest post-meal reading to date. I think if i try and stick to 20 - 30g of carbs per meal that will give me a total of 90g for the day but if that is what my body can cope with comfortably then that is what i will stick at.

 

[Northerner]

Although at first i was aiming for post-meal levels of 8.5 (according to the NICE guidelines for Type 2's) i now aim for between 7.8 - 8.5 (i eat out quite a lot and sometimes i go higher even though i try and choose carefully from the menu) but in general i try to keep to my aims. Today at lunchtime i had a mixed salad with 30g of feta cheese and 2 hour post-meal my reading was 6.1, my lowest post-meal reading to date. I think if i try and stick to 20 - 30g of carbs per meal that will give me a total of 90g for the day but if that is what my body can cope with comfortably then that is what i will stick at.

Looks like a very sensible plan Carina! Well done to you for getting things sorted so well, it really isn't an easy thing to make such adaptations to a diet you formerly enjoyed for many years - the best of luck to you, let us know how things go🙂

 

[C*5_Dodger]

Thanks C*5_Dodger,

As we are all individuals, there isn't a set amount of carbs or diet that can be said to work for everyone. As someone who has had diabetes a number of years, and have experimented eating various foods and diets, I can say that I found a level that keeps my blood glucose stable and seen a improvement in my hba1c. I would never suggest that my consumption of carbs is suitable to all, as there are different ways of treating diabetes, such as insulin, meds, insulin and meds or diet only. Also, other health issues need to be addressed, such as weight and previous medical history.


So, I have based my diet on experience, advice and the help of my DSN. I take it that you are indeed more qualified than those ''authorities'' as you call them. I mean, these people have studied for many years, gained new knowledge by working closely with people with diabetes each and every day.
Should you be more experienced than those whom you mock, well I shall take your views more seriously, otherwise say what you have to say, but don't dismiss what others have written, or suggest that people seeking advice should do likewise.

Toby

Dear Toby,

If you thought that I was mocking you then I will just say I was not. You seem a little touchy about this and have written a post that is clearly mocking me. All I am saying is that everyone elses experience, including my own, is irrelevent to carina - she must find what works for her. I'm happy that your DSN gave advice that you could accept - mine didn't. I have had type 2 for 16 years and am still diet only controlled, so yes, as far as my diabetes is concerned I am the expert, after all it isn't them that will have to suffer the consequence of future complications. Whether you take me seriously or not is something for you to decide, I won't lose any sleep either way. 🙂

Regards Dodger

 

[Northerner]

Toby, I did ask you not to turn this into a confrontation with Dodger. If you re-read his last post, he says clearly that he is speaking of his own experience. He is not telling anyone to ignore the advice of the professionals UNLESS it proves to be ineffective in helping them control their diabetes. You appear to have been fortunate in that you are one of the (many) peopel who have found that such advice works for you. Some people have found that the advice does not work, that they become increasingly medicated and with a steadily worsening HbA1c.

We have all agreed that everyone needs to find what works for them, with the guidance of professionals, but also through our personal experience. It may be, as in Dodger's case, that you find reducing your carb intake below the 'minimum' level is what works - as it clearly does for him (15 years diet-controlled). Not everyone is willing or able to make the adaptations to diet and lifstyle to achieve this.

Carina has already stated that she is discovering what works fr her. This will be fine-tuned as time goes on and she fnds a happy compromise between eating the foods she enjoys, activity levels, and acceptable levels.

 

[C*5_Dodger]

🙂

Once again, thank you Dodger!

In Carina62's original post, advice was sought asking what the RDA intake of carbs were for diabetics, which Northerner answered correctly at 230g, and I mentioned that the minimum amount of carbs should be, after consulting my DSN was 130g per day. AS you can see, we offered advice on the RDA of daily carbs, and one that I have gained through my own experience of carb reduction. Incidentally, I also had this clarified by a dietitian on a DAFNE course I attended, and by my own diabetes consultant, that is how I know that 130g is the minimum.

As you have obviously not read Carina's post correctly, you yourself have seen fit to refute the advice given by specialists in the field of medicine and nutritional expertise. Telling someone to ignore RDA's, and offering your own personal experience as a alternative is somewhat dangerous. As you do not know this person personally, and no nothing about their medical history either, it would be wise not to tell someone to ignore professional advice and simply answer the question which was asked. Furthermore, I can see that you didn't read the original post correctly, as Carina has said that she eats 25-30g of carb per meal, which would total 75-90g of carbs per day based on three meals, or 50-60g on two meals daily. So, why did you 'assume' that her carb intake was 25-30g daily...............enough said!🙂

Toby

Dear Toby,

I will follow Northerners advice and not turn this into a confrontation. Your last post was correct in that I did indeed make a mistake - I meant to say per meal rather than per day LOL 🙂 However, My underlying point was, and still is, we each need to find what works for us and in that context anyone else's experiences are irrelevent. That doesn't mean we should not write about them - I always find them of interest. Your trust in the medical profession is fine but please remember that we are not all as lucky as you - mine, with the exception of my doc, are terrible. I have spent many years studying the science relevent to our condition and have come to the conclusion that the "establishment" has got a lot of it wrong (just my opinion). For example, that we need at least 130g of carbs a day is not what I have found e.g the traditional Inuit eat hardly any and they believe carbs are food for animals. Finally, you need to reread my post for what I did say was that we each need to work out what works for us..... enough said 😉

Regards Dodger