Net Carbs vs. Total Carbs for Gestational Diabetes

Which would should you count if you have gestational diabetes

If you have gestational diabetes, your doctor will likely recommend that you follow a diet with limited amounts of carbs, like keto.

But what are net carbs and why are they important?

Understanding the difference between net carbs and total carbs could help you make better food choices to manage your gestational diabetes.

Let’s take a look at their differences, as well as how each impacts your gestational diabetes.

What Are Total Carbs?

Total carbs are the total amount of carbohydrates in food, including fiber and artificial sweeteners.

When the majority of your daily carbohydrate intake comes from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, your total carb intake is going to be high, but it’s still relatively healthy since much of it is fiber.

However, if you eat foods high in sugar, like refined cereals, and foods containing high fructose corn syrup, your total carb count may be similar to someone who eats a lot of fiber from plants, but your insulin resistance would be really bad.

When you have gestational diabetes, you need to keep your carbohydrate intake low, especially sugary foods and drinks. All of these high-carbohydrate foods can cause diabetes complications, so it’s best to avoid them completely.

The only exception is fiber & artificial sweeteners, since they don’t raise your insulin.

Well, how do I track carbs without tracking harmless carbs like fiber & artificial sweeteners?

Net carbs.

What Are Net Carbs?

Net carbs are the total amount of carbohydrates found in food excluding the fiber & artificial sweeteners. If you have gestational diabetes, net carbs are much more important to look at compared to total carbs because the fiber & artificial sweeteners in total carbs don’t affect your blood sugar.

The fiber found in foods like low-carb fruits, low-carb vegetables, and other plant based foods keeps you full and satisfied longer, which can help you avoid overeating.

Many diet plans recommend that you eat more fiber to help you lose weight and keep your blood sugar levels more stable.

When following a keto diet for gestational diabetes, you want to reduce your intake of carbohydrates as much as possible.

But you also want to keep your intake of healthy fiber levels.

This is where net carbs come in. They’re the total amount of carbohydrates minus the fiber & artificial sweetener content.

You can track net carbs to make sure you’re getting the recommended daily amount of fiber while limiting your intake of carbohydrates.

On keto, I recommend eating under 40 grams of net carbs per day so you stay in ketosis.

As long as you don’t eat any direct carb sources, you likely won’t go over 40 grams of net carbs per day.

Which One Should You Track for Gestational Diabetes?

If you have gestational diabetes, then it’s recommended that you track net carbs. This way, you can ensure you’re getting enough fiber while limiting your intake of high-glycemic carbs.

If you have gestational diabetes & you want to are or doing the keto diet, I recommend eating <40 grams of net carbs per day to stay in ketosis.

However, if your gestational diabetes is more severe, or you’re a less active woman, than you may need to limit your net carbs to under 20 grams per day.

Net Carbs vs. Total Carbs for Gestational Diabetes

If you’ve been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you should track net carbs. Tracking net carbs can help you keep your carb intake low while still eating fiber-rich foods. If you’re doing a keto diet to manage your gestational diabetes, I recommend eating under 40 grams of net carbs per day.

Eating fiber is good for you, so don’t eliminate it out of your low-carb diet because you’re tracking total carbs instead of net carbs.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of net carbs vs. total carbs and how they can help you manage your gestational diabetes. It’s important to keep your net carb intake low while keeping your fiber intake high. This will help you prevent diabetic complications, improve your health, and have a better pregnancy outcome.

If you’re interested in starting a keto diet to help cure your gestational diabetes, here’s my article detailing the benefits of keto & how to start.