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CARBOHYDRATES

Carbohydrates are NOT ideal for prediabetes.

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Having said that your body does need some carbohydrates as they play an important role in your body. Carbohydrates are digested and break down to produce glucose.  This glucose goes into your body cells to give them energy.  Cells are everywhere in your body, including your muscles and brain. So when they have a good supply of glucose, you can carry out your daily activities and you can concentrate properly.

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Insulin lets your body use the supply of glucose. When you eat foods that contain carbohydrate your blood glucose/sugar will rise - so your body needs to have insulin with foods that have carbohydrate in them.  Thus the more carbohydrate you eat, the more insulin you will need to keep your blood glucose within target range. Therefore, the aim is to keep your carbohydrate portions similar at each meal.

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The main carbohydrates consist of bread, pasta, noodles, potatoes and rice.  These are also known as a the "starchy food group".

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Carbohydrates are often an important source of fibre, vitamins and minerals for example the vitamin B group, iron, calcium and folate.  

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Carbohydrates are a good source of fibre if eaten as wholewheat pasta, brown rice, wholemeal bread and potatoes with their skin on etc rather than refined white pasta, white rice and white bread.  The wholegrain version is much better for your general health and if you have prediabetes will be better for your diet.

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For a good healthy diet you should eat approximately 3-4 portions of starchy food per day.    Examples of portion sizes for adults are:

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  • Two handfuls of dried pasta shapes or rice - approximately 75 g

  • A baked potato about the size of your fist - approximately 220 g

  • Three handfuls of breakfast cereal - approximately 40 g

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Many people ask how many grams of carbs a day can be eaten - the recommended minimum is 130 g of carbs per day depending upon your activity levels. You need to aim for 40-50 g per meal or a fist sized portion.  This is a good healthy minimum for the majority of people. They can enjoy some of the carbs they used to without going over the top.

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Having said that some people wish to cut carbs further than this and go down to 30-80 g per day which is a moderate amount.  If you want to go fully keto this is less than 30 g of carbs a day and will bring quick results, but may not be for everyone, especially as your body does need some carbs to do its job.

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Some handy information on carbs here:

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  • 2 medium slices of bread (30g carbs) are approximately equal to 3 medium serving spoons of rice, pasta or mashed potato or 3 egg sized potatoes (all 30g Carbs).

  • 1 piece of fruit (15g carbs), or 1 fruit yoghurt (15g carbs) or 1 small packet of crisps (15g carbs) are all roughly equal to 1 medium slice of bread (15g carbs).

  • A meal containing 2 slices of medium bread, a piece of fruit and a yoghurt is roughly equal to 6 serving spoons of pasta, rice or potatoes (60g carbs).

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​Ultimately, a low-carb diet does seem to help you lose weight which will help with your prediabetes.

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There are several different types of low-carb diets, but all advise restricting starch laden foods like bread, pasta and rice.  

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Some people with prediabetes like to cut all carbohydrates they possibly can.  Others like to keep them in their diet with moderation and changing to wholegrain versions.  If you decide to take the route of cutting out as many carbohydrates as possible you need to make sure you eat enough fibre to fill the gap where starchy foods have been omitted.​

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HOW CAN SLOW AND FAST ABSORBING CARBOHYDRATES AFFECT MY BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS?

 

  • Glycaemic index (GI) is a measure of how quickly carbohydrates are broken down into glucose and how quickly the glucose levels rise.

  • Carbohydrates with a low GI are preferred, as they are broken down more slowly and cause a slower release of glucose into the bloodstream and a gentle rise in blood sugar.

  • Carbohydrates with a high GI are broken down quickly, causing a rapid rise in blood glucose levels.

  • Choose low GI options more often. Examples include: granary bread, granary crackers, basmati rice, wholegrain cereals, new potatoes with skins, oats, bran flakes, wholemeal pasta, etc.

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