I have been severely limiting my carb count for 2 years, since diagnosed with type 2 diabetes February 2021. I eat to my meter.

Many with diabetes can handle 100-130 carbs spread equitable throughout 3-5 meals and 1-2 snacks daily and have good diabetes outcomes.

But since we are all different and our diabetes journeys are unique and at different stages, I say eat to your meter.
Some can only tolerate 80 net carbs.
Some can handle only 50,
Some only 30 net carbs daily.
And then there is me at 15-20 net carbs daily, 5-8 per meal. I try to stick to 4-6 per meal.

The CDC diabetes carb recommendations and the American Diabetes Association's carb recommendations insure continued long term vascular damage to both small and large blood vessels. This causes diabetic complications and comorbidities.

These guidelines are what almost all doctors follow. Most know very little of the consequences of following these guidelines. Most doctors are also beat down from diabetics not complying with even these guidelines and medications.

Less than 126(7.0) morning fasting blood glucose numbers.
Less than 139(7.8) 2 hour number.
Hypoglycemic events are less than 70(3.9). I hate hypos and will do anything to avoid them.

My blood glucose meter, my blood glucose numbers spreadsheet, and my food journal tell me what foods I can eat somewhat freely, what foods I must limit, and what foods I must almost totally avoid.

I test 4-6 times a day.
When I awaken, morning fasting blood glucose number.
2 hours after beginning my most carb laden meal of the day.
Before exercise, looking for 120+(6.7+), if lower I eat a little something to raise it slightly.
Before bed, looking for 103+, if lower I eat a snack, to prevent an overnight hypo.

My liver function is good now since it healed a bit, so it dumps stored glycogen, when I need glucose.

My kidney function is good since it healed a bit.

My duodenum is screwed, since multiple duodenal ulcer bleeds starting when 15, till early 30s. The breakthrough studies on h-pylori and it's causality in ulcers, pushed me to coearse my new doctor to treat me with the recommended antibiotics for h-pylori elimination.

A serendipitous co result is that the sinus infections that I was blessed with 2-3 times a year for many years were also eliminated.

But since the duodenum, located just below the stomach, at the top of the small intestine, is the organ that tells the pancreas how much insulin to produce, based on the food it sees.

If you eat to your meter, and are accountable to others, you will not contribute to more vascular damage and will arrest diabetic complications and comorbidities where they are. Baby steps. I can do baby steps and you can too.

Do what you need to do.
And never give up, never surrender, never ever.
You got this.
Have a wonderful day.

I have a few health issues which makes the diabetes diet not good for me. I have gastroparesiss and many GI issues since birth. I chose to use Keto friendly foods (not Keto diet as way too low in Carbs, the real Keto is 20 Carbs and not recommended for people on insulin either, there is lazy Keto at 50 Carbs per day, but even that is too low Carbs for me as I tend to go hypo). Which is why I say Keto friendly foods and not Keto diet as I take in 90 to 110 g of Net Carbs per day. Spoke to my doctor in her office today and she had a student doctor so both were interested once they saw my labs what exactly was I doing, so I explained to them I take 100 Carbs per day but instead of using white or whole wheat flours I use Keto foods amde with almond flour, needless to say they both took notes as they were impressed with my labs especially the cholesterol and HDL and LDL everything has improved, yet as I told them I do the LCHF (low Carbs high fat) Keto foods, I explained to both of them that diabetes diet is nothing white as in bread pasta rice potatoes, and gastroparesis is everything white, so the 2 diets clash together, so I explain the in between diet that works for me. When 2 doctors tell you "wait a minute let me write this down", you know they are interested in what you are saying. My doctor stated she will follow me for now diabetes wise that all my labs improved so much I do not need an Endo right now, that to continue my diet as it is obviously working well for me.

Every diabetic is different, but when you add conditions such as gastroparesis or kidney disease it becomes complicated, my modified diet is closer to kidney diet then diabetic diet for sure. It takes time to figure out what works for your own diabetes. But the sooner a CKD (chronic kidney disease) patient switches over to kidney diet the better for their kidneys. A kidney dietician is best for kidney diseases.

Kidney disease diet and diabetes diet have some overlap, but do the Kidney diet pretty religiously. Kidney disease has immediate bad effects. Diabetes bad stuff happens years later.

Hi @A DiabetesTeam Member,
how can I help,
I'm diagnosed in February so I'm a newbie.

I've been controlling my diabetes with right eating, portion control, Japanese science and medicine,  exercise if your doctors allow, attitude, and a compelling reason to do what is necessary. I sleep 6-7 hours nightly, 8 is better. I do 10-15 minutes self care daily.

I plate my food before eating on a 7 inch plate --- portion control. The Japanese say 1/2 plate of very low carb vegetables, 1/4 plate of protein, 1/4 plate of high fiber or whole grain carb or carb friendly fruit.

The Japanese say to eat in this specific order. First 2 bites vegetables, eat slowly and savor each bite. Next protein, next carb. Repeat this order till done. Savor each bite, eat slowly. The Japanese surmise that your digestion rate is set by the first 2-3 bites it sees. So the body digests more slowly flattening the glucose spike.

The Japanese also say to walk 10-15 minutes immediately after eating. this redirects blood from digestion to your muscles and slows digestion, flattening the glucose spike.

Glucose spikes are the enemy and lead to many of the complications associated with diabetes. Such as neuropathy, retinopathy, kidney disease, heart disease, blindness, brain damage, etc.

My go to very low carb vegetables are cruciferous - cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, bok Choi, brussel sprouts, napa cabbage, Chinese cabbage, kale, etc. - and cucumbers, egg plant, zucchini, summer squash, some spaghetti squash, green beans, snow peas, sugar snap peas, mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots, parsnips, radishes, beets, turnips, rutabaga, asparagus, greens of all types including spinach, lettuces, collards, turnip greens, radish greens, poke weed, etc, young fiddlehead ferns, celery, green onions, leeks, chives, onions, garlic, parsley, mints, dandelion greens, endive, watercress, gourmet greens, ginger, cilantro, basil, some flower pedals like mints, pansies, chamomile and squash blossoms. I eat avocado too and put it in this category.

Welcome aboard and into our family. Praying for you. Love you. Want only the best for you. That's what family does.

Beat down your diabetes monster one baby step at a time. I can do baby steps. Don't let diabetes control your life. Enjoy your life on your terms. Rejoice in both the good times and the not so good. I wish for you more good days than bad and have many exceptional days too.

You are the warrior you never knew you were.
You got this.
Never give up, never surrender, never ever.
Have a blessed day.

Henry Kamei Curley Loves Heather Curley

Mentioned Users

A Diabete...

What do you eat. I've been in remission twice but by ONLY eating chicken, fish and green veggies. Can't sustain that over long periods. Everything else raises sugar.