Susan Sorensen

Nutritious food is critical for our health and certainly does not decrease in importance when dealing with diabetes, but nutrition labels can overwhelm you with information.

This month we will talk about three facts that can enhance your health: serving size, total carbohydrate and total fiber.

For an example, I will refer to a nutrition label on brown rice.

Let's look at serving size first. Most labels will give the serving size in ounces in addition to a practical measurement such as 1/2 cup or five pieces. Read the serving size carefully; what you think is one serving may really be meant to be shared with two other people.



Fistfuls of food

For food that does not have a nutrition label, serving sizes can be assessed quickly:

_ 1 cup of food is equivalent to the size of your fist.

_ 3 ounces of meat is the size of the palm of your hand (do not include your fingers!)

_ 1 ounce of nuts or raisins is equal to a handful with your fingers cupped.

As listed on the brown rice container, a serving is 1/4 cup dry rice, which will be more than 1/2 cup cooked rice.

Total Carbohydrate can be confusing, so let's walk through it.



Small and steady

Carbohydrates have more impact on your blood glucose levels than protein or fat so they must be consumed in small amounts throughout the day. As a review, the main foods that contain the highest amount of carbohydrates are milk, fruit and bread/pasta/rice/cereal.

Carbohydrate counting was developed to provide flexibility to meal planning with the basic concept that 15 grams of carbohydrate is equal to one carbohydrate choice. The number of carbohydrate choices for a meal usually is two-three while a snack would be one-two carbohydrate choices. Look for Total Carbohydrate on the nutrition label; there will be a number behind it and that is the amount of carbohydrate in one serving of that product.

The brown rice label lists 35 grams of Total Carbohydrate. If you have diabetes and are counting carbohydrates, consuming one serving of this rice would count as two carbohydrate choices. Remember to read the Total Carbohydrate amount and if you have diabetes, your serving size may be less than what is listed on the label.



Fiber to feel full

The third factor that you need to look at is the amount of fiber. Fiber is what makes you feel full and satisfied after a meal. There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber is thought to help to control your LDL cholesterol while insoluble fiber absorbs water and adds bulk to your digestive tract to prevent constipation.

For a healthy choice, select foods that contain at least 2 grams of fiber per serving.

For the brown rice, one serving contains 4 grams of fiber in two carbohydrate choices or 2 grams of fiber in one carbohydrate choice if you reduce the serving size.

Don't get overwhelmed with all the data on nutrition labels but instead concentrate on the serving size, total carbohydrate and total fiber to be an informed and healthy consumer.



Susan Sorensen is a registered nurse who does diabetes education in the community and can be reached at www.star

ladydiabetes.com.