Sunday, February 8, 2015

Carb Counting Tips for Diabetics

But not all carbs are equal.

"For example, 1/2 cup of orange juice with pulp (fiber) and enhanced with calcium offers more nutrition than 1/2 cup of orange drink, which gets most of its calories from corn syrup," Moskowitz says.

Simple carbohydrates are sugars – glucose, sucrose, lactose and fructose – found in refined sugar products, such as candy, cookies, pies, cakes, chips and soda.

Complex carbohydrates, found in beans, nuts, vegetables and whole grains, contain fiber and are digested more slowly, providing a steady energy source.

"Whole grains and high-quality carbs – such as oatmeal, yams, whole-wheat bread and pasta, brown rice, quinoa, beans, legumes, fruits and vegetables – help control blood sugar levels," says Connie Guttersen ^[1], R.D., Ph.D., author of The New Sonoma Diet ^[2] (Sterling), a nutrition instructor at the Culinary Institute of America and a speaker for the Harvard Medical School Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives program.

So look for easy, flavorful ways to trade bad carbs for good ones.

"Swap baked sweet-potato fries or a baked potato for regular greasy fries," suggests Robyn Webb, M.S., a Virginia-based dietitian, author of Diabetic Meals in 30 Minutes or Less ^[3] (American Diabetes Association) and associate editor of Diabetes Forecast magazine, published by the ADA.

"Use Stevia instead of sugar for sweetening foods, and go for whole-grain breads, couscous and rice instead of white bread and rice that have been stripped of fiber and nutrients," she says.