Carbohydrate Advice

[Gillian2Mc]

How can I tell how much carbohydrate is too much? I usually check levels of sugar and salt in food, as well as fat, but don't know what level of carbohydrate is too much.

Advice needed please!

Gillian

[Bassetmommer]

Too many carbs? You would benefit from seeing a renal dietician to help give you amounts of fat, protein, carbs, salt and all the other nutrient components. Carbs get such a bad rap but they are the foundation of many diets. Consumption should be based on your dietary needs. Are you diabetic? What stage CKD? Do you want to lose weight? All these are part of the discussion when developing a life long diet. You are going to get tons of answers from people who swear carbs are the devil's food. But.... with CKD, protein is actually more damaging than carbs. And you have to eat something. Carbs are in everything. So trying to avoid them can lead to malnutrition. Talk to a professional.

[Gillian2Mc in reply to Bassetmommer]

I am Stage 3 CKD. No, I am not diabetic. I am not trying to lose weight, although I could probably do with losing a bit. My husband died less than a year ago, so I have other things on my mind apart from losing a bit of weight. I have always believed in the importance of the right kind of carbs - bread, rice, potatoes, pasta - I especially love my bread - but I began to wonder if I should be eating less and checking the level of carbohydrates as a whole and not just the sugar content. From what you say, I don't need to worry so much about carbs as about protein, but I would still like to know what is considered a high level of carbs in any given food.

Gillian

[Bassetmommer in reply to Gillian2Mc]

I am going to make this simple..... Good carbs are fruit, veggies such as carrots and beans which have more carbs than others, and "bad" carbs are cookies and candy. Anything that spike glucose can be considered bad carbs. But since you do not have diabetes, that really is not a concern for you as much. But any thing with high sugar load puts stress on the kidneys since sugar is eliminated by through the kidneys. Here is some guidance

"The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that carbohydrates make up 45% to 65% of total daily calories. So if you get 2,000 calories a day, between 900 and 1,300 calories should be from carbohydrates. That translates to between 225 and 325 grams of carbs a day."

mayoclinic.org/healthy-life....

[Darlenia]

Hi Gillian2Mc. Sugars and carbs (which digestion turn to sugars) can be measured in your blood glucose readings - using either finger sticks or a sensor or by checking your lab reports. "Fasting" levels of glucose levels of 100 or lower is considered normal for those who are non-diabetics. A1C data, which presents your glucose average over 3 months, is considered normal if it's below 5.7%. Your A1C figure, too, should be on your lab report. If you're a diagnosed diabetic, you'll want to talk to your doctor about what all of this means to you in your current situation. We are so very different - comorbidities, age, certain medications, and more influence outcomes as well.

As you may know, high glucose levels stiffens, narrows, and compromises the blood vessels throughout the body - in the kidneys, its impact can be measured by increasing protein spillage, etc. due to damaged filtration. Your medical professionals will happily give you a daily allowable number of daily carbs appropriate for your condition. In my hubby's case, our renal dietitian was of little help - she had little expertise in blending a diabetes diet and a renal diet - so our primary doctor took over with our nephrologist's approval. For diabetics, cutting back carbs and sugars are exceptionally important to prevent more damage happening to the organs. High carbs are largely found in a western diet with a heavy focus on processed foods. Becoming a label reader and making food substitutions for high carb items is essential - cauliflower rice for rice, sliced or spiralized zucchini for pasta, etc. I'm thrilled to hear that you're interested in working with your diet - I've watched my hubby go through kidney failure, dialysis, and transplant. It's been hard on both of us. You're showing immense courage in wanting to improve your life. My hubby's mother did that and lived well into her 80s never having to take meds. There are some in this community that I've noticed have turned around their lives too. Hope to see you in that group soon!

[Gillian2Mc in reply to Darlenia]

Hi Darlenia and everyone else,

I decided to give up trying to find out what percentage of carbs in a food item was high and just take guidance from the DASH Diet, which tells you how many servings of carbs you're allowed on this diet, which is 3-4 servings. I've found that food plays a very important part in managing many conditions -in my case CKD and Afib - maybe CKD more so.

It must have been very difficult for you to watch your husband going through all that. I hope his kidney transplant has given him a new lease of life.

[Darlenia in reply to Gillian2Mc]

Thank you. It was very difficult, but we're on the other side of that at the moment. I'm glad to hear you've found a technique for controlling carbs that works for you. Keep it up! Your kidneys and other organs will appreciate it.