Last night I admitted a women with type I diabetes who decided to follow a vegetarian diet (lots of carbs). She has an insulin pump and she counts carbs so controlling her diabetes should be easy, yet since changing her diet her glucose levels have been all over the map. As it turns out, humans can survive nicely without a lot of carbs or perhaps with no carbs. We can make glucose from protein and fat–ask the eskimos. Although this is obviously not practical for most people, I mention it to make a point. Most of your carbs should come from fresh fruit and vegetables, not grains or legumes. Avoid milk but I think some cheese and no sugar yogurt is OK.
When you do consume grain, stick with the lowest glycemic variety. Do whatever it takes to slow the absorption of the carb–take Cinsulin, combine the carb with a healthy fat like olive oil or an acid like vinegar or lemon juice. I don’t always live like a saint. When I’m out with friends and they serve french fries, I’ll eat some topped with vinegar–I never consume ketchup.
Most of the information about counting carbs comes from organizations like the American Diabetes Association and other groups and their recommendation are based on fantasy science, not real science. If you like to read I recommend any of Michael Pollan’s books or “Real Food” by Nina Planck. Our ancestors didn’t count anything–they just ate when they were hungry and stopped when they were full. It was easy to do because they were eating real food, not fake food. Nobody had to “educate” them about what to eat.