What Does Coho Diet Stand For?
Coho diet stands for carbohydrate counting, a dietary approach to treat diabetes.
Who developed the diet:
the initial concept of ccho was developed by Gila minnen, m.d., at Harvard University in 1981. Barbara Gulick has done its further development and popularization.
Her book “carbohydrate counting” came out in 1986; later on, with collaboration john Pfeiffer she wrote books “the new carb counting book iii-ready reference Guide,” “the new carb counter” & “carbohydrate counter in easy steps.”
What are carbohydrates:
carbohydrates are one of three macronutrients found in food(along with fat and protein). There are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are sugars (including lactose in milk); they are fast-acting because they can be absorbed quickly into the bloodstream, causing blood sugar to rise rapidly.
Complex carbohydrates(or starches) come from bread, cereals, crackers, pasta, rice & potatoes, which contain starch. The digestive system breaks these down into glucose over time; it takes longer to produce a rise in blood sugar compared to simple carbs.
How many carbohydrates:
the ccho diet recommends that you eat between 45-60 grams of carbohydrate per meal depending on your weight/age/activity level & type of diabetes medication being taken.
Types of food with high carbohydrate content:
some foods have high levels of carbs, so you need to know their carb content to calculate the number of grams you eat. Below is a list of foods with high-level carbs; You’ll need to check food labels for fat & sodium levels.
Foods with carbohydrates:
1 medium banana = 30 gm
1 medium apple = 25gm
100gm raisins =62gm
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce =15gm
One serving (approx 15 chips) tortilla chips =14-19 gm depending on the brand
When is the diet used:
carbohydrate counting is usually used by adults who have type 1 diabetes or advanced type 2 diabetes, so that person can successfully control their blood sugar levels & help prevent complications like heart disease and nerve damage.
How does the diet work:
by carbohydrate counting, you will predict the amount of insulin needed to lower your blood sugar levels. When you eat carbohydrates, like bread or fruit, your body breaks them down into glucose carried in the bloodstream. Insulin helps move the glucose from the blood into muscle & fat cells, which can be stored for energy later on.
What are the benefits of using the diet:
carbohydrate counting allows people with diabetes to better control blood sugar levels by matching their food intake with their insulin doses, resulting in improved health outcomes, such as the decreased risk of heart disease and other complications.
There are also non-medical benefits associated with this dietary approach, including less time spent on meal planning, coordinating food intake with exercise, carbohydrate counting can help people lose weight if they are overweight.
Who should not use the diet:
the following information is essential for everyone who has diabetes & also for anyone interested in using carb counting to manage their blood sugar levels.
Carbohydrate counting is NOT recommended if you have type 1 diabetes during childhood or adolescence because of these individuals’ large amounts of insulin. This would put them at risk of hypoglycemia(low blood sugar) if too much insulin were given.
Patients with gastroparesis(delayed stomach emptying due to nerve damage), some types of neuropathy(nerve damage which leads to tingling usually in feet and hands), or anyone with hypoglycemia unawareness – the symptoms of hypoglycemia may be under-estimated in these people. They should seek advice from their health care provider before starting a carbohydrate counting diet.