Eating with Diabetes: Counting ''Net'' Carbs

I hope the author will expand on views of the health benefits of the various types of fiber that are noted on nutrition labels and made available as dietary supplements. - 3/22/2013 9:31:03 AM

Well, I'm surprised I actually agreed with most of what this article had to say!

I'm a type 2 diabetic, and I don't subtract fiber from my carb counts, but I would think it would be fine to do for non-diabetics who just want to eat low carb.

Atkins and such says subtract 100% of the fiber. So if something has 10 total carbs, but 6 grams of fiber, you'd count 4. I'd go ahead and count 10, because it's kind of life and death for me. Non diabetics? Not so much, so they can go ahead and subtract it all.

And of course, everyone absorbs fiber differently. Some people - diabetics included - really don't digest much of the fiber in foods. Some, however, do. I've had my blood sugar spiked by flax seed before!

In the end, we should all do what works for us, which is what this article says, which is why I agreed with it. - 3/22/2013 12:22:19 AM

thanks after all i have read that is the correct answer but if you read the article on carb counting above it says half is subtracted which will throw some people - 2/1/2013 8:45:14 PM

Not to repeat other posts, but net carbs are minus ALL the fiber! - 1/31/2013 3:03:07 PM

after reading all of this article i have one BIG question. every thing i read says subtract ALL fiber but this article says only half of the fiber is used so QUESTION IS WHAT HAPPENS TO THE OTHER HALF OF THE FIBER????????????
? does it turn into sugar in the blood or what???? - 1/29/2013 12:28:05 PM

As I help my dh on a low carb diet, I often refer to diabetes recipes and suggestions. The nutrition tracker does not always reflect the net carbs accurately - esp when I have a recipe or nut info from another source to compare with it. I know this can be reflected in any recipe we use on SPARK, but it doesn´t come out right on the tracker frequently . - 11/1/2012 10:10:49 AM

Each individual reacts to the different types of sugars in various ways. Fewer carbs as determined by the treatment team is always best. However, in my experience, after time, solely counting carbs is not what works best for me. A certain balance of different types, along with proteins, healthy fats, and the all important exercise is what helped me to lose weight, and rid myself of the need for medications. - 7/19/2012 9:22:08 PM

Every place I read or attended lectures on Diabetes everyone stresses that Carbs cause your blood sugar to increase – known fact. This is very true SO if you want to control your blood sugar the simple solution is to CUT the carbs out. My wife is diabetic and has kept her total daily carb intake to less than 20 grams each day and in 26 months has lost 110 pounds. IT WORKS for weight control but what is even better is she is taking 30% of the insulin that she was talking before the new eating plan. Keep the carbs down and the blood sugar and weight are down. - 7/19/2012 2:55:58 PM

Seems much more practical to eat simple, whole foods that aren't so over-processed - and look at all the totals -- protein, fat, and carbohydrate -- when planning a day's meals.
- 7/19/2012 10:45:10 AM

I have been to several diabetes classes and had been taught that as long as there are at least 5 grams of fiber the entire amount could be deducted. If there are less than 5 grams nothing could be could be subtracted. I wonder if this is new information. It has been several years since my classes but this would definitely make a difference. - 7/19/2012 10:00:35 AM

where on earth did the 'half of fiber' come from if it's not digested??? - 7/19/2012 3:38:30 AM

It's too bad that Sparkpeople's "Carbs for low-carb diet" calculation is not always accurate. It would be very helpful if SP could correct the errors in calculcation so users would get a real indication of their net carbs. - 7/19/2012 1:48:14 AM

I have had diabetes for almost 21 years but I still struggle with eating right. So I really liked this article. I see a new Endo Dr on May 3rd so am hoping for some more help with it.

Thanks for sharing. - 4/24/2012 6:51:14 PM

Great article. I hadn't heard of any of this information and I took a diabetes management course last year. Thank you for the education. - 4/24/2012 12:56:42 PM

I´ve read about this in many books that treat diabetes with vegetarian diets. However, I´ve always had my doubts. This article was quite helpful with clearing up some doubts I´ve had. Thank you. - 4/24/2012 11:30:56 AM