Carbohydrate intake is important for everyone, not just those with Diabetes. Glucose is responsible for maintaining glycogen stores for energy during exercise. It is important for Diabetics to focus even more on their glucose levels due to the fact that they may become hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) during exercise. For those who are active diabetics, their consumption should be about 3.5 to 4.5 g of carbohydrate per lb of body weight per day. This is the same amount recommended to athletes who do not have diabetes. This is a guideline recommended to those who exercise at a minimum of 45 minutes per day. For those who exercise less than that may want to decrease their intake to about 3 - 4 g of carbohydrate per lb. of body weight.

Just as everyone is unique, so should there be an adjustment to tailor to the needs of the diabetic and their energy levels. Carbohydrate intake should be spread evenly throughout the day to ensure that there is a consistent level of blood glucose. Too much of a carbohydrate can cause a rise in blood glucose (hyperglycemic), and too little carbohydrate can cause blood glucose that is too low (hypoglycemic). Carbohydrates can and should be consumed before, during and after exercise, and blood glucose levels must be assessed daily in order to see what happens to the glucose levels during exercise. If exercising more than 45 minutes, consumption of carbohydrate during exercise may be appropriate to maintain blood glucose levels. Diabetics who self-monitor should have an idea of how much carbohydrate is required to bring their glucose levels back to where they should be. Research suggests that blood glucose concentrations should remain between 70 and 150 mg per dl (3.9 and 8.3 mmol per L) for best performance.

The type of carbohydrate is very important. Complex whole grains are far better choices than simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are more important because just as for non-diabetics they provide sustainable energy along with higher nutrients, and fiber. It is believed that fiber may help control blood glucose levels as well.

There is evidence that suggests that consuming carbohydrates that have a high glycemic index* within 30 minutes after exercise helps to replenish glycogen stores to be able to sustain energy throughout succeeding workouts and for the rest of the day that the workout was performed.

Foods with lower glycemic numbers taken in 30 - 60 minutes before a workout or competition can be muscle sparing and can result in little to no affect in blood glucose. This can lead to a higher concentration of fat released into the bloodstream, which in turn will be used for energy. It is the availability of this fat in the bloodstream that spares the muscles as the fat is used for energy and not the available glucose.

Experimentation is necessary of carbohydrates of differing glycemic indexes to find one, (or a combination) for both before exercise and after exercise recovery that works best for you.

*glycemic index refers to the blood glucose level increase which occurs after consumption of specific kinds of carbohydrates (measured over a 2 hour period after consumption); different carbohydrates have differing affect on blood glucose levels and so are therefore measured by how that certain carbohydrate affects blood insulin response. The responses are assigned specific numbers. Several factors can affect the response of the blood levels such as structure of the carbohydrate, the absorption rate, the time of consumption, the types of food consumed with the carbohydrate and individual body chemistries. For more information about glycemic index please go to www.glycemicindex.com

Carbohydrate intake is important for everyone, not just those with Diabetes. Glucose is responsible for maintaining glycogen stores for energy during exercise. It is important for Diabetics to focus even more on their glucose levels due to the fact that they may become hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) during exercise. For those who are active diabetics, their consumption should be about 3.5 to 4.5 g of carbohydrate per lb of body weight per day. This is the same amount recommended to athletes who do not have diabetes. This is a guideline recommended to those who exercise at a minimum of 45 minutes per day. For those who exercise less than that may want to decrease their intake to about 3 - 4 g of carbohydrate per lb. of body weight.

Just as everyone is unique, so should there be an adjustment to tailor to the needs of the diabetic and their energy levels. Carbohydrate intake should be spread evenly throughout the day to ensure that there is a consistent level of blood glucose. Too much of a carbohydrate can cause a rise in blood glucose (hyperglycemic), and too little carbohydrate can cause blood glucose that is too low (hypoglycemic). Carbohydrates can and should be consumed before, during and after exercise, and blood glucose levels must be assessed daily in order to see what happens to the glucose levels during exercise. If exercising more than 45 minutes, consumption of carbohydrate during exercise may be appropriate to maintain blood glucose levels. Diabetics who self-monitor should have an idea of how much carbohydrate is required to bring their glucose levels back to where they should be. Research suggests that blood glucose concentrations should remain between 70 and 150 mg per dl (3.9 and 8.3 mmol per L) for best performance.

The type of carbohydrate is very important. Complex whole grains are far better choices than simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are more important because just as for non-diabetics they provide sustainable energy along with higher nutrients, and fiber. It is believed that fiber may help control blood glucose levels as well.

There is evidence that suggests that consuming carbohydrates that have a high glycemic index* within 30 minutes after exercise helps to replenish glycogen stores to be able to sustain energy throughout succeeding workouts and for the rest of the day that the workout was performed.

Foods with lower glycemic numbers taken in 30 - 60 minutes before a workout or competition can be muscle sparing and can result in little to no affect in blood glucose. This can lead to a higher concentration of fat released into the bloodstream, which in turn will be used for energy. It is the availability of this fat in the bloodstream that spares the muscles as the fat is used for energy and not the available glucose.

Experimentation is necessary of carbohydrates of differing glycemic indexes to find one, (or a combination) for both before exercise and after exercise recovery that works best for you.

*glycemic index refers to the blood glucose level increase which occurs after consumption of specific kinds of carbohydrates (measured over a 2 hour period after consumption); different carbohydrates have differing affect on blood glucose levels and so are therefore measured by how that certain carbohydrate affects blood insulin response. The responses are assigned specific numbers. Several factors can affect the response of the blood levels such as structure of the carbohydrate, the absorption rate, the time of consumption, the types of food consumed with the carbohydrate and individual body chemistries. For more information about glycemic index please go to www.glycemicindex.com

If you happen to be a diabetic or know someone who is suffering from the disease, then you know how important selecting the right food can be. You may be wondering how can I remember all the rules and still be able to keep my diabetes under control. Well the solution to planning healthy diets for diabetics, is all about learning about carb exchanges.

You see carbohydrates or carbs for short are responsible for the fuel that are body needs. Unfortunately, some of the carbs that we eat turn into sugar at a faster rate than others leaving us with high sugar levels after we eat.

There are two different types of carbohydrates simple and complex. With simple carbohydrates your blood sugar tends to spike after eating these because these type carbs turn into sugar almost immediately. This would include foods like table sugar, white bread, white rice, and almost any type of starch such as pasta. Now you also have some fruit that is considered simple carbohydrates as well, put they are low in the sugar department. These would include apples, cherries, oranges, plums, and strawberries just to name a few.

This is where knowing about the carbohydrate exchange system would come into play. For example for breakfast, if you were going to eat a slice a toast with an egg and include a few orange slices and then finish off with a glass of orange juice. You may be setting yourself up for a spike in your blood sugar levels. This is due to the fact that simple carbs tend to raise sugar levels. So if we were to make a simple change to this meal we would still include the slices of orange but eliminate the orange juice, because the slices have are lower in sugar and our aim is to keep our blood sugar level down.

That is just one aspect of diets for diabetics meal planning. As I mentioned earlier there are two different types of carbs. The next type is complex carbohydrates, these are the ones within the whole grain category. Foods like whole grain or whole wheat bread, beans, peas, lentils, brown rice, whole wheat pasta and oatmeal. These foods are turned into sugar on a more gradual basis and therefore tend to not cause the high spikes in blood sugar levels. Not to mention that fiber intake also helps with absorption of sugar

So the key here is to ensure that you are eating more whole grain food, fruits, vegetables, and of course drinking a lot of water. You can take the time to research the carbohydrate exchange and see how you can incorporate the system into your diets for diabetics meal planning. Your health is important and learning how to stay healthy and while dealing with diabetes can great increase you well being making your life more enjoyable.

Are you looking for best deals for purchasing diabetes testing equipment? If you are going to buy any diabetes supplies online, you need to be extra careful as it is observed that many of the online companies do not follow medical standards strictly. In the process of providing cheap or low rate medical supplies they usually compromise on quality. As these companies operate from different countries they are not subject to FDA standards. As far as possible try to purchase medical supplies from your own country so that you can be aware of your consumer rights and it will be easy for you to ensure that you are buying only standard supplies.

Another major problem noticed while purchasing diabetes supplies online is some websites do not check prescriptions thoroughly. You are seriously risking your health if you are purchasing any medical supplies from such companies who do not bother to thoroughly examine your prescription. If the website from where you are buying is operating from within US ask for their license and carefully scan through their sales returns policies. Many companies offer 60 to 90 day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the equipment.

Do not buy used diabetes testing equipment from websites like eBay unless you are completely sure that you are purchasing quality product. Though you may find very moderate rates on eBay, but it is observed that many fraudulent people also do business on such websites. It’s fine as far as you are purchasing electronics, iPods etc from such websites but if you are going to purchase some medical equipment, your health is at a risk so you should be extra careful. One best way to check the credibility of the seller is by scanning through the reviews posted the buyers who already purchased from the same seller. eBay has got a very good feedback system, make sure you go through all the ratings and purchase only from the reliable seller.