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Carbohydrates are not all made equal. Learn which to skip and which to green light.
To understand the function of carbohydrates in diabetes, you must first understand how your body converts food into energy. When you eat, your body converts the majority of the food into sugar (glucose), which is then released into your bloodstream. When your blood sugar rises, your pancreas releases insulin, a hormone that helps transfer sugar from your blood into your cells for energy. Diabetes occurs when your body does not produce enough insulin or does not utilize it as effectively as it should, leading sugar to accumulate in your system. So, what comes next?
What Causes Blood Sugar to Rise?
All nutrients can be converted to glucose, however some are more easily than others. Carbohydrate-rich foods (pasta, rice, and other starches) can be turned into glucose more quickly than protein. As a result, they have a disproportionate effect on blood sugar levels—which is especially dangerous if your insulin production is low or your cells become insulin resistant due to type 2 diabetes. As a result, your doctor has advised you to “watch your carbs.” But what exactly does that not imply? We asked the professionals to explain it to us.
Carbohydrates’ Function
Don’t believe everything you hear: Carbohydrates, despite their reputation as villains, perform an important role in giving energy to your organs, muscles, and tissues. “Carbohydrates are metabolized into glucose, and insulin transports glucose from your bloodstream into your body cells to be used for energy,” explains Dr. Soumya Hullannavar, Lead Ayurveda Endocrine Specialist at Diabetes Reversal Clinics & EliteAyurveda Clinics. That energy is what allows you to go up a flight of stairs, carry groceries, and even breathe. “Carbohydrates are found in breads, cereal, noodles, rice, grains, fruits, starchy vegetables, and more,” Allen notes.
Carbohydrates and Insulin
The issue arises when there is more sugar in your blood than insulin can transport into your cells. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, high blood sugar levels can lead to blood vessel hardening, kidney failure, and stroke over time. “By eating a lower carbohydrate diet, you lower the glucose in your bloodstream, allowing insulin to work more effectively,” Dr. Soumya explains. You may be able to control your diabetes by food changes, or your doctor may prescribe insulin, other injectable treatments, or oral diabetes medications to help you regulate your blood sugar and avoid complications.
How Many Carbohydrates Should You Consume?
According to Dr. Soumya, everyone is unique, as are their carbohydrate needs. “Your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian can provide you with specific carb requirements to meet your needs,” she explains. “The American Diabetes Association also offers a carb-conscious approach to meal planning, including recipes and plating guidance to keep carbs in check.” Because obesity and diabetes frequently coexist, your doctor may advise you to lose weight if necessary, according to Dr. Soumya.
Carbohydrate Timing Is Important
It’s not just what you eat, but also when you eat, according to Dr. Soumya. With diabetes, timing is critical for blood sugar regulation. “Usually, if carbs are eaten with protein or fat, blood sugar rises more slowly and to a lesser extent,” she says. “That’s why carbs eaten later in the meal can be more beneficial—glucose levels will rise more slowly because other things in the system will slow it down.” She recommends starting your meal with protein or vegetables and saving the bread for the finish (or skipping it entirely).
Examining Nutrition Labels
According to Dr. Soumya, learning to read food labels will help you keep track of your carbohydrates, but it may need some detective work. “For the nutrition label, focus on carbohydrate content, added sugar, and fibre,” she advises. “Select options that have less than 7g of added sugar per serving.” (Another way to put it: 5% or less of your DV for added sugar is considered low; 20% or more of your DV for added sugar is considered excessive.) Dr. Soumya emphasizes that it’s about more than just carbs: “High-fiber foods with six or more grams of fibre per serving are ideal for slowing the release of glucose into the bloodstream.”
Excellent Low-Carb Snacks
Snacking can help you eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats—foods that can offer you a boost of energy without increasing your blood sugar. According to the American Diabetes Association, lower-carb options include popcorn, sugar-free gelatin, celery sticks, carrots, cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, boiled eggs, and cheese sticks. Having fewer carbs, however, does not give you licence to ignore serving size. One whole wheat cracker, for example, may have 2.1 g of carbs, but who eats just one cracker? After a handful, you’ve eaten double or triple the amount of carbs listed on the label.
Breakfast Carbohydrate Swaps That Work
To help with glucose regulation, Dr. Soumya suggests skipping the Captain Crunch cereal in favour of something lower in carbs and higher in fibre for breakfast. “High fibre breakfasts like oatmeal with ground flax or a smoothie with berries and a healthy fat (i.e. avocado or almond butter) can be a great way to start the day,” she explains. Can’t live without them? In this high fibre, low carb pancake recipe, replace the sugar with a banana and the wheat flour with almond flour.
Carbohydrate Control during Lunch and Dinner
According to the American Diabetes Association, one approach to eating a sensible portion of carb-containing items at lunch and supper is to limit carbs to a quarter of your plate. The first step is to Avoid jumbo-sized plates; instead, seek for ones that are around nine inches across. Then, half your plate should include non-starchy veggies, a quarter lean protein, and a quarter carbohydrates. Eating out can be more difficult for carb control; minimise your restaurant visits, Dr. Soumya advises. “If you eat out for lunch frequently, start your meal planning by packing leftovers from dinner,” Baker suggests.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution.
With an expanding variety of treatment options accessible, diabetes and the amount of carbs that are prescribed for you are not one-size-fits-all. Based on your body size and activity level, your healthcare practitioner and a qualified dietitian will help you develop an individualized plan for how much carbohydrates you will need in your diet. Your appetite, hunger, and whether or not you need to lose weight will all be considered.
Our Outlook –
How are we able to Treat Diabetes Completely?
“Madhumeha” is the term for Diabetes in Ayurveda, which means ‘Sweet urine’. The manifestation of diabetes is through thirst or urination. According to Ayurveda, due to accumulation of Vata Dosha. Vata dosha accumulates in the large intestine and travels to the pancreas, which hampers its functioning.
Sometimes, Pitta Dosha also leads to diabetes. This is when Pitta gets accumulated in the small intestine before moving to the liver and may cause damage to pancreas. As the main constituent of Pitta is Agni, it burns out pancreas leading to Diabetes.
If the above things are taken into consideration, the treatment of Diabetes in Ayurveda starts with proper cleansing of the body and balancing of doshas. The treatment includes herbal combinations that are prepared based on individual Prakruti and Vikruti analysis. Ie. The treatment is based on a person’s body composition & which dosha is dominant. The treatments like Dhara, Udwarthanam, Thalam, etc are followed to reverse diabetes. The treatment also includes Panchakarma & Yoga procedures to address the root cause of disease. We have seen many patients successfully reversing Diabetes and now living a healthy life.
Unlike other treatment procedures that jump straight to symptom management, we address the root-cause of the disease. Our treatment for Diabetes has proved to achieve a near cure and symptom-free state. We focus on diet, use of potent herbs, meditation, massage with herbal oils and yoga. These classical ayurveda practices have proven & shown sustained results in our Diabetes Treatment.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Soumya Hullannavar, Lead Ayurveda Endocrine Specialist at Diabetes Reversal Clinics & EliteAyurveda Clinics. With over 15 years of experience in treating endocrine & diabetes cases
Visit diabetesreversal.clinic for additional details.
Know more about Ayurveda Diabetes Reversal.
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