Carb minus Fiber

[payam7777777]

Is there any situation at all where we have NOT to subtract the fiber content of a food from it's carb content?

In other words is it the right practice to do to always subtract the fiber content of the food from it's carb content?

[Kirsten]

We always do.

Kirsten

[Ellen]

We always subtract the dietary fiber.

[CarrieP]

We also subtract the fiber, but I did find out that "officially" the ADA says that you can only subtract the fiber from the carb count if the fiber is over 5 grams....

CarrieP

[payam7777777]

Thank you all.

[Amy C.]

My son's experience is different -- I have never subtracted fiber. I haven't identified any lows with this practice.

[mmc51264]

No one ever told us to do that. I used to do that when I was trying the Adkins diet years ago :) , but no one has mentioned that for Zach. I'll have to see if that affects his unexpected lows. We're still honeymooning so it will be hard. It is definitely something I hadn't considered.

[Mom2Madi]

I was told that fiber does not digest so if it is 5 grams in a serving then I do subtract the fiber.

Jo Ann

[Momof4gr8kids]

Our diaticain told us to subtract all fiber.

[zimbie45]

we subtract all dietary fiber... regardless of amount.... DO NOT Subtract sugar alcohols...

[hartpukas]

Okay, so if the carbs count is 10 and the fiber count is 3, the actual carb count would be 7? I have never done this but am interested in trying it if it can better balance our carb counts...

[Momof4gr8kids]

Yep, carbs - fiber = total needed to bolus for.

[cydnimom]

One-half of the sugar alcohols should be subtracted - your body does not absorb all of the sugar alcohol. Make sure it is a sugar alcohol. (mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, isomalt, malitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (HSH).

ie. Diet popsicle - 8 g carbs per serving
- 4 g sugar alcohol

This would be 8 - 2 = 6 total carbs

What some diet candies using sugar alcohols have been touting is that they have no carbs, which is not true. They were subtracting the total amount of the sugar alcohols and people were wondering why their blood sugar was rising. If you happen to eat 5 sugar free popsicles - that would be 30 carbs -no wonder blood sugar was rising.

[EmeeSu]

Okay, so if the carbs count is 10 and the fiber count is 3, the actual carb count would be 7? I have never done this but am interested in trying it if it can better balance our carb counts...

I think that we use the same clinic for endos - right? I was never told to subtract the fiber nor the sugar alcohols. I just calculate the carbs and do the bolus based on that. :confused:

[sammysmom]

We have never subtracted anything...ever!! My son has really good a1c's for his age and his carb ratios have been dead on lately.....the subtracting might work for some, but we were never told to do this, even though i have heard about it. Do what you feel is best, but at this point, i am not going to change anything!!! we also have a really good endo in mighigan, she doesnt feel the need to do this, whatever we are doing, seems to be working...diabetes is sooo individual that i think that what works for one, may not work for another....just my 2 cents!!

shannon

[Twinklet]

I asked our Endo about doing this the first week. She said, "Don't worry about doing that right now." I forgot about it and haven't brought it up again, but maybe I'll ask next time.

Emily's numbers seem to be doing well, but she does have more lows that we'd like and we DO eat a lot of fiber (in breads and whole wheat pasta). Subtracting fiber may help with this.

I wonder how it would work if she eats 1 thing with low carbs and a lot of fiber combined with something higher carb and no fiber? Would you add the 2 together, still subtracting the whole amount of fiber?

[payam7777777]

I
I wonder how it would work if she eats 1 thing with low carbs and a lot of fiber combined with something higher carb and no fiber? Would you add the 2 together, still subtracting the whole amount of fiber?

Naturally.

[5miraclez]

I was never told to subtract fiber but then again, I started carb counting 16 years ago. Usually the fiber content isn't high enough to make a difference, at least for me. I'm sure if it were high enough it could in a child. I was just recently told to subtract half the sugar alcohols. I never did that before but I never liked the supposed sugar free candies and such.

[zimbie45]

We where told avoid the " sugar free" stuff, they are junk, go for "real" stuff ( we do, do diet sodas and low carb juices)... Subtracting out the fiber works great...

[MrsBadshoe]

We never eat sugar free food. YUCKY!!!! As far as subtracting fiber, we were never taught to do it so in 3 yrs we have never done it.

[Kaylee's Mommy]

we were never told to do this.. we were told to go with total carbos and thats it.. take nothing else (except serving size) into consideration.

[Momof4gr8kids]

I think it is ok to do all carbs unless you are eating say granola which is high carb, but extremely high in fiber as well. I would just say to be aware that fiber doesn't digest, and so if you are eating high fiber you may want to subtract them.

[EmmasMom]

I have to be very cautious when bolusing for high fiber or sugar free foods. Emma will be low if I bolus for all the carbs in high fiber bread or cereal, even an apple. I always subtract about 1/2 of the sugar alcohol from carbs too.
Things that are not digested do not affect BG the same. This may not be a big issue when she's older and eating more, but right now it makes a huge difference.

[LantusFiend]

When I was in the hospital my mother asked about fiber and they said it would make no difference, because it would be so little- they weren't counting on me being a vegan! Almost a third of my carbs are fibers, and I subtract 'em. In nuts, beans, some whole wheat breads, carrots, bananas, apples- most unprocessed plant foods- there is a considerable amount of fiber.
If you are consistantly not counting fiber and eat about the same foods, then it won't matter because you'll have about the same portion of the food being fiber.
Some really old cookbooks count fiber differently, and include digestible fiber in their fiber counts, so you can't subtract the fiber if you are using their nutrition information.
I subtract half of sugar alcohols.

[bonhamx4]

Our Dietician told us to subtract the fiber from the carbs if the fiber is 5 grams or more.