This will shock you.
Despite being a Diabetes Dietitian, this is the smallest page on the blog!
Why?
I have created an Interactive carb counting guide packed with videos, examples, and little tests. Once you complete the guide, working out the carbs for any meal will be easy, then calculate the bolus insulin.
Here’s a taster of what’s included.
Basic table of what to count
Dani, I am sure you think these carb amounts sound high. After all, you have seen me do all sorts of low-carb testing. I did the 120-day from low to high carb experiment, I went full-on keto for six months, and I used to keep carbs to 150g or less until 2019.
In the Mealtime Insulin Guide and the 120-day experiment, I get into the details of the million-dollar food question of type 1 diabetes:
Should I go low carb?
If you had asked me before mastering Dynamic Glucose Management, I would have said to aim for 20% of daily energy intake from carbs, maximum.
That is what I followed until 2019, only having 150g per day maximum, because it made my glucose level really easy to manage.
Now, I use fast movers of glucose between meals to stop highs and prevent lows, I am much more liberal. I eat 250g per day on average, which is 35-40% of my daily energy intake. I hit 99% time in range (4.0-10.0mmol/L or 70-180mg/dL) and almost 80% time in non-diabetic range (3.3-6.7mmol/L or 60-120mg/dL).
Seems you can have your cake and eat it using Dynamic Glucose Management.
My position for Grace and Jude would be to aim for 40% of daily energy intake from carbs.
Working out carbs using the Carbs and Cals resources
Working out carbs from a food label
Working out carbs using food labels with 100g measurements
Dani, I hope you find the Interactive carb counting guide useful.
I think you may be surprised to hear my thoughts on carb counting.
The Pros:
- It helps calculate a mealtime insulin bolus that is close-ish to the glucose absorbed from the meal.
- It’s very simple to do and easy to teach to many family members.
- Children can get involved in working out insulin doses from an early age.
The Cons:
- The most important message of three balanced meals is often replaced by “eat what you like, like what you eat, just count the carbs and give the insulin” – Stinking advice!
- It’s far too simplistic.
- It creates a false sense of security.
- It does not account for the insulin resistance impact of high-fat meals and many other dietary factors that are detailed in the Mealtime Insulin Guide.
- It pushes people to eat processed and packaged food because it’s easy to count.
Rant over.
Let’s move on to the most important food message.
Next step: Three Balanced Meals.