Dan Abel wrote:
> In article >,
> (Steve Pope) wrote:
>
>> "Dan Abel" wrote
>>
>>> Both my nutritionist and my diabetes nurse are telling me that 1/3 cup
>>> of cooked pasta is a carb portion. Three carb portions are a meal,
>>> depending on some other factors. A cup of cooked pasta means no other
>>> carbs for that meal (no dessert).
>> Wouldn't it be simpler to just measure this in terms of
>> calories of carbohydrates, rather than relying on inexact
>> terminologies like "cups of cooked pasta" and "portions"?
>
> I think that would be too complicated. People can visualize a cup of
> cooked pasta. Some of these diabetics don't cook, and the people who do
> the cooking may not be diabetic.
>
On my soap box:
My DH is diabetic. I weigh dry pasta on my kitchen scale. If the package
says it is so many grams of carbohydrates per 2 ounce serving, I'll be
able to tell exactly what damage the pasta will do and adjust the
serving size accordingly.
Cooking for diabetes is a serious science. I read all the package labels
and even have downloaded the USDA nutrition file so I can check
carbohydrate counts for myself when planning a meal with ingredients I'm
not familiar with, especially vegetables.
Of course most diabetics and their care-givers don't have a clue as to
how to count their carbohydrates because 1) the medical profession is
horrible at educating patients and 2) the American Diabetes Association
hasn't a clue that their dietary advice mostly works for type-1
diabetics who can cover all those nasty carbs with insulin. Your 45
grams of carbohydrates for a meal might be too many for some people.
Most type-2 diabetics get a diagnosis and a pamphlet along with a
prescription. Maybe a few get a meter, but most don't get educated in
how to properly use the meter testing their post-prandial blood glucose
readings to see how different foods effect their blood glucose. No
piece of paper with a "meal plan" is a substitute for one's own
metering. Trust me, I've been feeding and caring for this man for 22
years (and he's doing quite well)
A recipe for diabetics should not just substitute artificial sweetener
for sugar. A slice of white bread and a tablespoon of refined sugar have
exactly the same carbohydrate count. Carbohydrates are found in
starches, starchy veggies like potatoes, corn, peas, winter squash,
fruit and dairy products.
The best way to feed a diabetic is to minimize the carbohydrates in the
meal.
Rant over.
Texas Janet
--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life