Carbs & Cals Carb & Calorie Counter: Count Your Carbs & Calories with Over 1,700 Food & Drink Photos!

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A starting ICR for most people is one unit of bolus insulin for every 10 g of carbohydrate (or one CP). This is based on the fact that 10 g of carbohydrate (one CP) will increase blood glucose by 2–3 mmol and one unit of bolus insulin will reduce blood glucose by the same amount. Restricting carbohydrate intake can lead to nutritional deficiencies or insufficient fiber, which can lead to constipation, diarrhea and nausea. Restricting carbs to less than 20 grams a day may lead to ketosis, which leads to nausea, headache, mental fatigue and bad breath.

Choose whole grains. Whole grains are better sources than refined grains of fiber and other important nutrients, such as B vitamins. Refined grains go through a process that strips out parts of the grain — along with some of the nutrients and fiber. This means if you were planning to cook and eat 80g of rice the amount of carbohydrate you would count is 61.9g not 77.4g. It's important to invest in a good set of scales that are flat based, digital and can be zeroed. It is also important that your scales are accurate to within 5g. Potatoes are a healthy choice when boiled, baked, mashed or roasted with only a small amount of fat or oil and no added salt. Wholegrain, wholemeal and brown breads give us energy and contain B vitamins, vitamin E, fibre and a wide range of minerals. This is the amount of bolus insulin you need to inject at meals for a certain amount of carbohydrate.

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To work out the most suitable starting ICR for you, you should talk to a member of your diabetes care team. For the above lunch of 80 g of carbohydrate (or 8 CPs), with an ICR of one unit for every 10 g (or one CP), the required bolus dose is 8 units. Once you’ve got to grips with estimating the amount of carbohydrate you are going to eat and drink, you'll need to know your insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio. Your diabetes care team will talk to you about which counting method is used at your centre. The following example shows how to count grams of carbohydrate.

Restricting calorie intake excessively, especially eliminating the use of oils that are good for the body can lead to malnourishment and deficiencies in vitamins and nutrients, which in turn can cause chronic health problems, include heart issues. It can also cause hair loss, skin irritation, muscle cramps, menstrual problems, brittle nails and bones, tooth decay, and extreme fatigue.

Tips for more accurate carb counting

Diabetes diet, eating, and physical activity. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/diet-eating-physical-activity. Accessed Feb. 24, 2022. For a more in-depth look at carb counting, have a look at our ' Carbohydrate Counting' eLearning course which will guide you through the process step by step.