amount of carbs a Type II diabetic should eat

carbohydrates you're eating.

Most people when they first get diagnosed try to limit the amount of

carbohydrates to about 30 to 45 grams per meal. This can change as they

lose weight, gain muscle mass, and lower their insulin resistance.

Also, certain people notice that certain carbohydrates cause spikes.

Things like potatoes, white bread, and white rice have what is called a

high glycemic load. What this means is that they contain a lot of

carbohydrates and the carbohydrates in them convert very quickly to

glucose and causes your blood sugar to spike. Someone might eat 30

grams of carbohydrates in old fashion oatmeal and get a different

reaction than eating 30 grams of carbohydrates in mashed potatoes.

The only way you can work this out is by testing before and after each

meal. It sounds complex, but sooner or later you learn how your body

handles carbohydrates in various foods, and what you can eat to prevent

your blood glucose from getting too high after a meal.

Try starting out with about 30 grams of carbohydrates from fruits and

vegetables per meal and allowing for an additional 15 grams of

carbohydrates from other sources (like vegetables and milk). See how

your body responds. Try switching from products that contain white

flour to products that contain whole grain flours. For example, for

breakfast try Shredded Wheat, Bran Flakes, Puffed Kashi, Kashi Good

Friends, Total, and other whole grain products instead of something

like Special K, Rice Krispies, or Corn Flakes.

You've got to be careful because some products like Cracklin' Oat Bran

are high in fiber, but also contain a lot of fat. Some products like

most multi-grain "health" breads don't contain whole grain flours and

may even contain more carbohydrates per slice than regular bread. Learn

to read the Nutrition Guide on the label. Also look closely at the

"serving size". For example, a bottle of Snapple Tea contains 130

calories per serving. However, if you look closely at the number of

servings per container, you'll see that the standard 16 ounce bottle is

2 1/2 servings. That means a bottle of Snapple contain not 130 calories

but 325 calories.

Also, if you always seem to be spiking after certain meals, try

dividing the meal up into smaller portions. For example, I had a hard

time with breakfast when I ate my fruit and cereal. So, I ate the

cereal in the morning at about 7am, and then had the fruit for a snack

at 10am. You can also time your exercises during the times you're blood

glucose tends to be high to help lower your blood glucose readings.

So, in reality, how many grams of carbohydrates you should eat per meal

depends upon you, what you plan to eat, and even any medication you

happen to be on.