FoodBanter.com - starches foods

"riche" > wrote in message
...
>
> Let me know about alternative of starches foods rice and noodles..? and
> how dangerous are these foods for diabetic patient

It's really not that simple. Are you diabetic? Or caring for or cooking
for a diabetic?

First off, there are two types of diabetes. Type 1 which means that they
must inject insulin. Some type 1's are pretty much able to eat whatever
they want, provided that they use the correct dose of bolus insulin. Bolus
means taking insulin with each meal. I won't get into how to figure that as
there are various ways and it's really rather complicated. There is also
basal insulin. This insulin works in the background and is taken once or
twice a day.

Then there is type 2. These people may or may not use insulin and they may
or may not use other meds, either injectables or pills.

There is also something called an insulin pump that either type may use.

But other things affect BG (blood glucose) was well. This would include
hormone levels, illness or other medical problems such as thyroid, sleep or
lack of and activity level.

Some diabetics can manage with diet and exercise alone, at least for a time.
I did.

From there, there is the breakdown of the various foods.

First there are carbs. Foods that generally count as carbs would be sweets,
cereals, potatoes, pasta, bread, corn and other starchy foods. Beans
contain carbs but also protein. And some soups and sauces are high in
carbs. All vegetables contain carbs but many are non-starchy and those have
less carbs. You would really only need to be concerned there if you ate
something like 12 cups of lettuce at a time as those carbs will add up.
Also keep in mind the fiber content of what you are eating. Higher fiber is
better.

Carbs are what raise your blood the most. Keep that in mind. That doesn't
mean that you have to totally avoid them. But you may well have to eat less
of them than you are used to eating.

Then there is protein. Protein can raise blood sugar but at a slower rate
than carbs will. I say *can* because this can vary from person to person.

Then there are fats. Fats delay the absorption of carbs. And alcohol can
act in the body like fats can. So... If you are eating something like
broccoli along with a piece of cheese, you probably aren't going to get much
of a spike to your blood sugar. Yes, you are eating carbs but not many but
you are also eating fat and protein.

But eat a piece of pizza? You may then get what we call the pizza effect.
You might test your blood sugar at an hour or two after eating and your
numbers may be fine. But test again at 3 hours and you might see a nasty
spike! Because pizza is pretty high in fat, there is protein and there are
carbs. Sometimes more carbs than you'd think were there.

Fruit is another category and most fruits are high in carbs. Berries are
usually lower in carbs cup per cup than things like bananas and oranges.
Unsweetened cranberries and grapefruit are pretty low in carbs too.

And I did mention the non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, green beans and
lettuce. Then there are those fruits that we think of as vegetables like
tomatoes and cucumbers.

Lastly, dairy. Some things like milk are high in carbs and should be
counted as such. But most cheese are pretty low in carbs.

Many foods are a combination of things. Like nuts and seeds. High in fat,
some protein and also some carbs.

So... That's probably as clear as mud!

I have no clue what kind of diet you are eating now. But if you are eating
things like bread, pasta, rice, cereal, etc., it probably wouldn't hurt for
starters to cut these things back by half and increase your intake of
non-starchy veggies and protein. Ask your Dr. or CDE what your blood sugar
goals should be.

Get a meter and some strips. Test your blood sugar before eating and at one
and two hours afterwards, assuming that you have enough strips to do this.
If you don't, then try a few times and see whether you are getting a higher
number at one or two hours after eating.

Keep a food log of what you are eating. That way you can see how the
various foods affect your blood sugar. If you are still not getting the
results you should, then you need to find a way to cut those carbs back
further.

For instance, when I was first diagnosed, I made many things into casserole
form. It was easy for me to figure the carb count of the overall dish and
it was easy to cut back on the carbs simply by adding more non-starchy
veggies to the dish.

I also made soup. The overall dish contained nothing but broth or vegetable
juice, non-starchy veggies and perhaps some meat, or you could use fish.
Cook any starches such as pasta, rice or beans on the side, measure out your
portion and add it to your bowl. Or you may wish to keep the soup low carb
and eat a few crackers or a small roll or piece of bread on the side.

It all seems very overwhelming at first. Just take it one day at a time and
one meal at a time. Let your meter be your guide. And ask your Dr. about a
referral to a dietician if you haven't seen one already. But keep in mind
that the dietician is only a starting point. They can help explain things
to you like how to count carbs, read recipes, read labels on things, etc.