Type 2 Diabetes: Keeping Count of Carbs

Being diabetics, we all know how important it is to limit the amount of carbs that we consume.  We also know how difficult it is to actually keep track of this.  I’ve stated before that I never once counted carbs prior to being diagnosed with diabetes, but coming out of a period where my glucose readings were higher than normal, I’m starting to keep count now.

I realize that a lot of unwanted or empty carbs can be found in juice and other sugary drinks.  To quote a doctor from a past visit, “you can eat carbs as a diabetic but you cannot exceed your body’s threshold for processing them”.  While cinnamon, chromium, and a few other natural remedies help metabolize sugar in the body, limiting my carbohydrate intake will be beneficial to my blood sugars.

The approach that I intend to use for tracking my carbs is to follow a strict dieting plan where I per-measure my servings of the same healthy food every day.  Beans, fruits, tuna, vegetables and all of the these whole foods will start being part of my daily diet.  One of the things that I was told during my last exam was that I should eat plenty of nuts because of its nutritional value.  So I’ll be adding a large serving of nuts to my daily diet as well.

As the saying goes, it takes 21 days to form a new habit.  So theoretically, if I can stick to a diet for three weeks, it should become second nature and I’ll be on cruise control. Right?

I am concerned that the low carb foods are bound to get old after a while.  However, I can look to charts and other tools available for more ideas and to keep track of carb intake. Allowing me to pay more attention to counting carbs.

It will take me time to change and create a new daily habit.  I have to admit that I was  surprised how many carbs I consumed on a daily basis when I was not keeping track.  What I use to call a meal has changed drastically.  But, I would rather have better blood sugars than feel horrible and return to my old meal plan.