Download Insulin - Diabetes Bits and Pieces

FOOD FOR PEOPLE ON INSULIN
Insulin
Carbohydrates
IT’S ALL ABOUT BALANCE
Balance Your Carbohydrates with Your Insulin
 Eat the same amount of carbohydrates every meal.
 Use your fist to help estimate your portions. If you choose to eat 2
fists carbohydrates for breakfast you need to eat 2 fists of
carbohydrates for lunch and supper every day. If you choose to eat 4
fists carbohydrates for breakfast you need to eat 4 fists of
carbohydrates for lunch and supper every day.
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 The worst thing you can do when you are taking a fixed dose of
insulin is to eat very different amounts of carbohydrates at different
meals. This will make your blood sugar go up and down too much.
The dose of insulin should match the amount of carbohydrates in your
meal.
 Two to three fists of carbohydrates every meal is a reasonable amount
of carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates include the following
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Bread
Pasta
Cereal
Fruit
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Crackers
Beans
Potatoes
Corn
 Peas
 Plain/lite yogurt
 Milk
Sweets and desserts are also carbohydrates. Half a fist of a dessert is
equivalent to one to one and a half fists of the other carbohydrates. It is OK
to include sweet treats in your diet every once in a while, but make sure to
watch your portions.
Sugar-free foods are not necessarily carbohydrates free. Remember sugarfree cookies contain flour and sugar-free pudding contains milk. Some of
the sugar-free foods are sweetened with sugar alcohols such as sorbitol,
mannitol and xylitol, which may cause diarrhea and gas. These foods may
still have lots of calories and fat.
Fruit juices and regular pop are also carbohydrates. An 8 oz cup of juice
or regular pop is equivalent to 1 fist of carbohydrates.
Keep Your Overall Diet Balanced
 Eat a variety of foods.
 When awake eat every 4-6 hours.
 Include fiber rich foods like beans, fruits, vegetables, whole grains
and nuts.
 Choose lean meats.
 Choose liquid fats.
 Limit deep frying.
 Remember, no food is totally forbidden.
Meat and Meat Substitutes
Choose 2 to 3 portions every day (1 portion is as big as the palm of a hand)
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Beef
Cheese
Eggs
Fish
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Peanut butter
Pork
Poultry
Nuts
 Tofu
Fats
Choose 3-4 portions a day.
One portion of fat is equal to
 The equivalent of the tip of a thumb of oil, butter, regular mayo and
margarine.
 The equivalent of 1 thumb of regular dressing or cream cheese
 1 slice of bacon
 A small handful of nuts
Free Foods
Vegetables low in starch
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Beans, green
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
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Celery
Cucumbers
Mushrooms
Okra
Onions
Peppers
Other
 Unsweetened coffee and tea
 Diet pop
 Sugar-free gelatin
 Herbs and spices
 Vinegar and lemon juice
 Garlic
 Splenda (yellow packet)
 Equal (Blue packet)
 Sweet ’N Low (pink packet)
 Asulfame K
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Radishes
Salad greens
Tomatoes
Turnips
Zucchini
FOOD LABELS
Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 cup (228g)
Servings per container 2
Amount per serving
Calories 250
Fat 110
Total fat 12g
Saturated fat 3g
Trans fat 0g
Total carbohydrates 31g
Dietary fiber 1g
Sodium 470 mg
Calories from
% Daily Values
18%
15%
20%
Look for the serving size and the total amounts of carbohydrates in grams
(g).
Thirty grams of carbohydrates are equivalent to one fist.