Sometimes all we fancy is a nice burger and chips, but the anxiety of our sugar levels spiking stops us.
Here are my top 5 ways to handle high carb meals, so you can eat that cheat meal and stay in range!
1. Nail your insulin to carb ratio
Finding your insulin to carb ratio should be part of your consultation with your endocrinologist.
Insulin to cab ratio is essentially how many units of insulin you need per 10 grams of carbs. If you know this number, it makes it 10x easier to figure out how much insulin you need for each meal.
If you are unsure of your ratio, be sure to ask your consultant at your next appointment!
2. Pair it with protein and good fats
Having a balanced meal with carbs, protein and fat is essential. The presence of fat and protein slows down the digestion of carbs, slowing down the absorption of sugar. This really helps to keep sugar levels balanced post mealtime.
So ensure you are having a portion of protein – a palm sized portion of meat/fish/tofu, or 2-3 eggs for example.
Also ensure you are consuming good fats with your meals – by good fats I mean unsaturated fats. E.g. extra virgin olive oil, avocado, hummus, nuts, seeds etc.
3. Staying active is your bestie
Another trick I like to use when eating higher carb is to walk post meal.
I like to go for a leisurely walk with my family/friends for around 30 minutes, or until my glucose comes back down into range. I will usually begin walking when my glucose goes above 9mmol/L with sharp rise (arrow pointing up on my FGM).
This not only keeps sugars balanced, but it is also a lovely routine to get into for socialising and for mental health!
4. Go for brown carbs
If you can, opt for brown or wholegrain carb sources. I know this is harder when eating out, so don’t sweat it if you can’t – it is fine to eat white carbs every now and then!
The reason I recommend brown carbs is because they contain higher amounts of fibre, protein, essential fatty acids and micronutrients than white carbs.
Therefore, opting for brown for the most part of your diet is adding essential nutrients!
5. Give your insulin enough time to kick in
Another tip I have is to give your insulin enough time to kick in. This amount of time varies between individuals, but it is a tip that has helped me so much!
Before higher carb meals (for me that is 60g of carbs or more) I will inject about 20 minutes before eating. – This works wonders for me, if you want to try out this tip I recommend starting slowly to avoid hypo’s.
So start with injecting 10 minutes before eating, then increase or decrease this time if you spike afterwards. Set a timer straight after you administer the insulin so you know exactly when to eat!
Experiment and adjust this time until you find what suits you! – Using an FGM or CGM is especially helpful for this!
Thank you for reading 5 ways to handle high carb meals, I hope you found this useful! Be sure to subscribe and follow me on Instagram!
If you liked this post, be sure to check 5 ways to improve digestion! and 5 Easy ways to lower your HbA1c!