WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH CARBS, FIBRE & CALORIES?

There are three types of carbs/sugar, fibre and starch. Out of which, sugar and starch are turned into glucose for energy.

Fibre doesn’t breakdown as we lack the enzyme to digest it. And so, it doesn’t increase blood sugar levels, it passes to the digestive system and forms bulk to be expelled as waste.

Fibre also doesn’t contribute to the calorie count. For this reason, diabetics are recommended to eat more fibre to keep the sugar levels under control.

Just think about it, fibre cleans out the system, can’t be absorbed as far as calories and fat gain are concerned and, we don’t count the grams of carbs from fibre when we carb count for our insulin doses.

As for the carbs, they convert to sugar, it’s important to choose carbs wisely. Pick the complex carbs as it undergoes slow digestion with steady increases in glucose levels instead of spiking glucose levels.

This is where the glycemic index and glycemic load come into play. I have an entire module of videos with me explaining fibre, carbs, fruits, vegetables, sugars and their different kinds of effects, inside my Diabetic Athletic 10-week program.

Rather than worrying about the accuracy of calorie-counting and the relatively small differences in calorie estimates contributed by the fibre in your diet, it may be best to focus on eating the recommended amount of fibre each day, which is 14 grams of fibre for every 1,000 calories you consume.

For those that adhere to their diet by tracking calories or energy balance, it may be better to count the calories from fats, proteins, and total carbohydrates and try to increase physical activity to burn more calories since these are activities you can modify and control.

The take away here is to control the elements you can. Everything else will fall into place.

If you’d like my help and guidance regarding your own specific diet and training plan visit my 3-week FREE training and nutrition plan for diabetics by clicking HERE.

If you’re interested in what carb counting is, why we carb count as diabetics and how you can apply carb counting to your life as a diabetic – you can watch my Carb Counting Masterclass HERE.

If you want to see what my Diabetic Athletic Mentorship Program is about, you can click HERE and have a look at what the Diabetic Athletic 10-week flagship program is all about.

If you want to talk to me and ask me any questions you can message me HERE