Keto Diet For Type 2 Diabetes: Pros And Cons
Ketogenic diet is a catch-all term for any diet that pushes your body into the natural metabolic state of ketosis, which means burning fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. Though theres no set formula for keto, generally, the diet works by cutting back on carbohydrates, to about 20 g of net carbs to start, and replacing those with mostly fat and a moderate amount of protein, according to the popular website Keto Connect. Net carbs are the total number of carbs minus the fiber and sugar alcohols, according to the Atkins website.
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When Stephanie Lofton was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2015, she knew she needed to make some big changes to her diet. But after cutting her carbohydrates down to just 60 g per meal didnt help her lose weight or manage her blood sugar, she turned to a more intense diet.
Lofton, a medical biller in Marysville, Washington, says she decided to try keto in spring 2017 after seeing how some of her Facebook friends had lost weight on the diet. She was desperate to try something different because she couldnt get her blood sugar under control even with insulin and after trying several types of diets, she says.
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Im feeling fuller for longer periods of time, she says, and I dont feel like Im deprived at all. I dont miss rice, I dont miss potatoes I dont miss those things.
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What Are Atkins Low
Atkins Nutritionals manufacturers meal and snack bars that are marketed to those following low-carb diets like the Atkins Diet.
The meal bars are higher in calories and protein and meant to replace a light meal, while the snack bars are slightly lower in calories and protein.
For example, the Atkins Chocolate Crisp snack bar contains 140 calories and 10 grams of protein, while the Chocolate Peanut Butter meal bar offers 250 calories and 16 grams of protein .
All Atkins bars are low in carbs, providing 24 net carbs per bar depending on the variety. Net carbs, which is calculated by subtracting the total fiber and sugar alcohol content from the total carb content, refers to the number of carbs your body absorbs from food.
That said, the term is not recognized by the Food and Drug Administration . Also, experts argue that counting net carbs is not accurate due to individual digestive responses and the different types of fiber and sugar alcohols used in processed foods (
| 20% of the DV | 15% of the DV |
The bars are not only high in vitamins A and C but also B vitamins, vitamin K, magnesium, and zinc, thanks to a vitamin and mineral blend thats added during processing.
Theyre also low in calories and carbs, yet high in satiating nutrients like protein, fiber, and fat.
However, just because these bars fit into a low-carb diet plan, theyre not necessarily a healthy meal or snack.
Understanding What You Are Feeling
For diabetics, it is very important to control their blood sugar levels throughout the day. It can be dangerous to have blood sugar levels that fluctuate wildly. This fluctuation can cause you to feel ill or that you might pass out. It is likely caused by either hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia.
Hyperglycemia is experienced when blood sugar is very high. If you might be experiencing hyperglycemia, you should check your blood sugar level and adjust your insulin.
Signs of Hyperglycemia:
- Unintentionally losing a lot of weight within a few weeks
- Noticeable loss of energy, muscle weakness
- Nausea and stomach ache
- Poor concentration
- Confusion or drowsiness
If you are having these symptoms and are not diagnosed with diabetes, you should talk to your doctor about your symptoms. Beebe Population Health offers free blood glucose screenings at health fairs throughout Sussex County. Learn more: www.beebehealthcare.org/calendar.
If you are diagnosed with diabetes and experience hyperglycemia, drink plenty of water, go for a walk, and make sure you are taking your medication as prescribed. If your blood sugar is 300 or above twice, call your doctor immediately or seek medical attention.
Hypoglycemia is experienced when blood sugar is very low. If you might be experiencing hypoglycemia, your best course of action is to eat or drink something with some sugar in it such as orange juice or a piece of candy.
Signs of Hypoglycemia:
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Did You Know There Are A Ton Of Great Protein Bars For Diabetes Available Out There
But, you need to know what to look for in a protein bar, or any other type of bar, to know if itâs a good protein bar for diabetes. In this article, I break down what to look for and my favorite protein bars, energy bars, and low glycemic bars for diabetes.
*Disclaimer: This blog post is not sponsored in anyway. These are all truly my favorite bars for diabetes. However, I do work with some of these brands occasionally. Thatâs actually one of my favorite things about my job⦠some of my favorite foods to eat are also my clients! And some of the links in this post are affiliate links. What does that mean? It means that if you click on a link and end up purchasing that product, I may get a small commission, but it doesnât cost you anything extra.
Also, this article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services. This article and the links contained in it provide general information for educational purposes only. The information provided in this article is not a substitute for medical care, and should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or registered dietitian.
How Many Carbs Can I Have With Type 2 Diabetes
Most people with type 2 diabetes should stick to eating around 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per meal. For foods that have nutrition labels, add up the grams of carbohydrates per serving and, generally, stick to one serving size. If you eat more than one serving, youll have to take this into account.
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Can Diabetics Drink Boost
BOOST Glucose Control® is a balanced nutritional drink specially formulated for people with diabetes. It provides a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat which are designed to help manage blood glucose levels as part of a balanced diet with just 1 Carb Choice per 8 fl oz bottle.
- ZonePerfect Keto Shake. In keto-speak, macros refer to macronutrients found in carbs, protein, and fats.
- SlimFast Keto Meal Replacement Shake.
- Keto Cheesecake Shake Mix.
Does Anyone Eat Atkins Bars: Diabetes Community
I am wondering if anyone eats Atkins bars?I have been the last week one a day it is sugar free it does not bring up my sugarsI just was wondering if anyone eats them? I have not had any real sugar since I was diagnosed and that was November 2008. I have stopped all sugar and only eat carbs in veggies and berries and low carb bread. My blood sugars are mostly in the 90s and 80s in the mornings and in the day times usually under 110 and 105 some times gets to 125 but not often.My doctor says to keep doing what I am doing cause my numbers are non diabetic he says.Today I am going to a diabetic class 4 hours today and tomorrow my insurance is paying for it.I eat less carbs then the class will say cause I went for my first appointment with the teacher and she told me I am eating less carbs she told me to up my carbs to no less then 90 a day she said if my sugar goes up then to up my meds but I do not agree with that I do not want to take more meds so I can eat more. That to me makes no sense. My doctor does not agree with that either.Any way thought I would share this with you all.Have a great Easter Weekend everyone.Hugs AngelaContinue reading > >
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Granola Gourmet Energy Bars
Price: $14.46
The Granola Gourmet energy bar is the perfect diabetic diet bar and was originally conceived by a diabetic. The bar is 100 percent natural and does not contain any dairy product or wheat. A single bar of the Granola Gourmet energy bar will provide the body with 590 mg of omega 3s, 12 grams of whole grains and 20 mg of sodium. The prime ingredients of this energy bar are organic oats, blueberries, organic agave syrup, apple juice concentrate, sunflower oil, olive oil, almonds, strawberry extracts, soy protein isolate, and organic flax and sunflower seeds. This bar is a perfect snack for the diabetics who can not afford to eat something leading to blood sugar spike.
The Reason For Confusion
As with all the low-carb products, the box says “3g of net carbs”, but when you look at the nutrition information, it says 23g of carbs and 2g of sugar.
What’s up with that?
Obviously following keto means that you need to keep your carbs down as much as possible and avoid every kind of sugar.
- To clarify the situation, when you check the carbs of any product and evaluate its keto-friendliness, you need to calculate the net carb count, not the total carb count on the package.
- How should you do that? The calculation is simple. You subtract the fiber and sugar alcohol from the total carb count, and you will get net carbs per product.
Net Carbs = Total Carbohydrates Fiber Sugar Alcohols/Glycerin
So in this example, the calculation would be:
3g = 23g – 12g – 8g
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Buyers Guide: All You Need To Know About Best Protein Bars For Diabetics
In this section, youll get to know how to choose the best protein granola bars to stay healthy and energetic. Actually, it is a general guideline, maybe youll have to go through some trials and errors before you find a bar that will meet all your needs. Nevertheless, do pay attention to the following criteria:
- Sugar content must be less than 10 grams the lower, the better
- Carbohydrates less than 30 grams
- Protein content not less than 5 grams. Youll fill full and manage blood sugar levels
- Fiber not less than 3 grams for better digestion
- Calories less than 250 itll help to prevent weight gain.
Elan Granola Shot Paleo Mix
ELAN is made with over 80 percent seeds and nuts, including brazil nuts, flaxseed and cashews. Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and coconut are the other ingredients. Its only got 4 grams of net carbohydrates per serving. The nuts and seeds make the granola in this bar, therefore there isnt any wheat used in making it.
What are net carbohydrates?
Net carbohydrates are the number of carbohydrates that are in food once you take into account the fiber in the food. To get the net carbohydrates for a food, take the total carbohydrates and subtract grams of fiber.
Fiber helps to keep your blood sugar steady. Its a carbohydrate, but it is not digestible, so it wont raise blood sugar at the same rate. Therefore, it is low glycemic. Fiber in food matters. Eating high fiber foods can help your blood sugars.
Good for diabetes?
This snack option is loaded with healthy nuts, as listed above.
It contains 4 grams of protein, and only 7 grams of total carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, bringing it to eight net carbohydrates. It has the lowest carbohydrates numbers in comparison to the other products reviewed here. It does have 15 grams of fat: 5 grams from saturated fat, 4 grams of polyunsaturated fat, and the remaining from 6 grams of monounsaturated fats.
Will I be able to stay in ketosis with ELAN?
This product offers a low glycemic and low carbohydrate option that works for ketogenic diets. Its our most ketogenic diet-friendly option here.
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How Does It Work
The Atkins diet doesnt limit the amount of fat you can eat. And you wont have to count calories or measure portion sizes.
But you will have to count carbs. Carefully. The Atkins diet severely restricts carbs, especially in the early stages. It uses a tracking method called net carbs, which is the total number of carbs minus its fiber content in grams.
Normally, your body uses carbohydrates as fuel, explains Smith. When you dont eat carbohydrates, your body turns to stored body fat, which the liver breaks down. This process creates ketones, which the body can then use for energy.
Can The Atkins Diet Help Diabetics
Dr Atkins was key in making the connection between obesity and insulin more widely spread. At this point, diabetes was often treated with a diet high in starchy carbs and sugar.
Atkins played an important role in understanding how restricting carbohydrates could result in more stable blood sugar and is an essential part of managing type 2 diabetes.
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Top 10 Best Meal Replacement Bars For Diabetics In 2021 Comparison Table
- As a part of the SlimFast plan, these diabetic meal replacement bars have the flavors you love and help manage carbs and sugar
- Contains 5 individually wrapped SlimFast diabetic weight loss meal replacement bars that are only 3g Net Carbs per serving
- With 7g of protein and 9g of fiber, these SlimFast diabetic meal replacement bars are packed with the low-carb nutrition you need
- Simply open the wrapper and enjoy the on-the-go convenience of a diabetic weight loss meal replacement with 24 essential vitamins and minerals, and the delicious, satisfying experience you will crave
- SlimFast diabetic weight loss meal replacement bars are free from gluten, artificial sweeteners, flavors, and colors
About Atkins Bars On A Low
Atkins bars come in a variety of types and flavors. Purchase trail, meal-replacement or snack bars all of which contain 2 to 7 grams of net carbs per item. The flavors range from harvest fruit and nut versions to chocolate-and-nougat options.
You might choose a snack or trail bar to tide you over until your next meal, while a meal-replacement bar is just that a bar that you can eat instead of a whole-food lunch or breakfast.
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What Sweet Things Can Diabetics Eat
Diabetics always try to and should consume products with a low glycemic index, low sugar, or no sugar at all. When you are craving something sweet and delicious it’s better to go for a diabetic-friendly snack. To serve and satisfy diabetics, candy bars with high protein and low carb ingredients are available.
When you want to buy the best snack bar for diabetics, you always consider an energy-efficient and protein-rich option that could provide energy and maintain your blood sugar levels.
Our Favorite Protein Bar For Diabetics
The best protein bars for diabetics are those low in sugar and have enough protein and carbs you need to stay energized throughout the day.
These are never going to be without risk, as we mentioned, but if you have diabetes, they can help you respond to sugar cravings in a positive way.
The Orgain Organic Protein Snack Bar is an ideal example of the type of well-rounded, healthy snack bars that most diabetics need to maintain adequate blood sugar levels.
It is packed with 10g of premium plant-based protein, 5g of sugar, and also one of the delicious tasting protein bars I’ve ever tried.
Our #1 Recommendation
- 10g of protein and 150 calories per serving
- 19 grams of carbs and high in fiber
- Sugar content is low
- Comes with a variety of tasty flavors
Cons
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Benefits Of The Atkins Diet
The Atkins diet has been around for decades, and it has some benefits. This diet works for some people because it:
- Wont make you hangry: Protein and fat suppress the appetite, which is an advantage for people who feel hungry on other diets, Smith says.
- Cuts calories: If youre restricting your carbs, youre also cutting out many unhealthy foods that are common in the American diet. Think white bread, fried foods and sugar. Most American diets are 55% carbohydrates or higher, Smith says. If you cut out all those carbs, youll probably eat fewer calories overall and lose weight.
- Controls blood sugars: Eating very few carbohydrates can help control blood sugar, especially in people who have diabetes.
Do Not Use Snack Bars To Treat Low Blood Sugar
When your blood sugar is low or when you are feeling symptomatic , it’s important to test your sugar and treat it right away with a fast-acting carbohydrate, such as 4 ounces of juice, 5 hard sugar candies, or 6 ounces of regular soda.
Eating a snack bar will not raise your sugar quick enough because fiber, protein, and fat delay carbohydrate metabolism and take longer to break down.
If, however, you’ve treated your blood sugar and your meal is going to be delayed you can eat a snack bar to stabilize your sugar and prevent it from dropping again.
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