longer-acting carbs
Drat! Just when I think I’ve got the idea of carb counting, along comes
a phrase "longer-acting carbs like pasta" and I realize there’s yet
another concept I haven’t learned.
Where can I find the difference between short and long-acting carbs? (I
didn’t see it on the diabeteswell site, but I might’ve been on the wrong
screen.)
Laurie, starting MiniMed 508 in September
June 24th, 2004 at 5:01 am
I cannot think of a concise reference, but you might start with Pumping
Insulin (Walsh, available from Minimed, among others) , and for sure talk to
your CDE or a dietician experienced in these matters…
David
June 24th, 2004 at 1:08 pm
Longer-acting carbs or denser carbs or heavier starches:
rice, no matter what color
grains
beans
corn
squashes - winter
just to name a few.
It also depends on how you metabolize them.
Best way to know what impacts on you is to experiment.
Some of us can eat pasta and glucose stays ok.
Some of us eat rice and it will shoot to the sky….it takes time to learn
all that is carbs, so be patient…Joan
June 24th, 2004 at 11:56 pm
The correct terms are Simple and Complex carbohydrates. S
imple refer to refined carbohydrates including but not limited to: Sugar
(Fructose, Sucrose, Lactose, Dextrose, etc.) and easily digested
carbohydrates and are absorbed almost directly into the blood stream (when
eaten without fat & protien).
Complex carbo’s include those with dietary fiber, and are harder to digest.
The digestion proces converts most carbohydrates to simple sugars
(dextrose). The complex carbo’s are digested in the intestines, and
therefore take longer to enter the blood stream affect your blood sugar.
Pasta is almost always eaten with a sauce (with fat) and cheese (protien &
fat) that causes digestion to take longer. Extending the time of
absorption. I consider pasta to be a simple (flour & water) carbohydrate.
Try a search engine, and look for: +complex +carbohydrates +digestion.Ten
use the word simple instead of complex for a second search. My first shot on
altavista lead to the following:
The Glycemic Index
People with diabetes, athletes, and people who are overweight all can
benefit from a knowledge of the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a
ranking…
URL: www.mendosa.com/gi.htm
The Glycemic Index is related to the amount of time it takes to absorb a
carbohydrate. Anyway:
Good luck.
On Mimimed pump since 1991. I owe my life to the pump!
Keith
June 25th, 2004 at 9:40 pm
Yes, be patient!
Everybody is different. Somedays pasta is just fine with me, other days it
is a disaster. Moral: Always test 2 and 4 hours after any high carb meal
(I check 6 hrs, too, sometimes).
June 26th, 2004 at 8:21 am
This is s true David, I have little problems with Pizza and Burger
King but Pasta is a nightmare for me. I go low then high.
June 28th, 2004 at 11:54 am
I guess ya need to refer to the glycemic index.
fp