Carbohydrates and Diabetes

Carbohydrates and Diabetes
People with diabetes must pay close attention to their dietary intake, portion sizes, and meal frequency. What you eat, or specifically the carbohydrates in the food you eat, are the body`s main source of glucose. Foods with high dietary carbohydrates are sugar, starchy foods like potatoes and pasta, and grain based foods like breads and cereals. Carbohydrates can also be found in diary products and fruits and vegetables, as well as many beverages.

Diabetes does not mean that these carbohydrate-containing foods must be completely cut out of diet, in fact many of these foods contain nutrients that are essential to good health.
However, their intake must be carefully controlled and other blood glucose lowering tools such as exercise should be used to balance out their effects. For most people special treats like a slice of birthday cake can be an occasional indulgence as long as portions are controlled and they are figured into the overall daily carbohydrate and calorie allowance. Careful postprandial (after-meal) blood sugar monitoring and logging is an excellent tool for understanding the impact of new foods on blood glucose levels.