Complex and Simple Carbohydrates - How Do They Affect a Type 1 Diabetic’s Blood Sugar?

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Procedure:

- Check blood sugar and record right before intake of carbohydrates in each meal or snack.

- Log what I ate in each meal or snack and say if it is made up of simple or complex carbohydrates.

- Log total amount of insulin given per meal or snack.

- Wait two hours after meal.

- Check blood sugar and log it.

- Determine if the blood sugar levels stayed in the range of 70 mg/dL to 180 mg/dL two hours after each simple or complex carbohydrate meal or snack.

- Link sensor to Carelink program and graph data.

- Analyze data and write in post blood sugars/type of carbs in graph.

- Repeat test for twenty days.

- Determine if there are more simple or complex carbohydrate meals or snacks, that two hours later, raise the blood sugar higher than 180 mg/dL.

Materials:

- Diet Tracker FitClick website program (to log what foods I ate each meal and snack, how many carbohydrates it was, and if the meal or snack was composed of simple or complex carbohydrates)

- Enlite Sensor from Medtronic

- OneTouch Ultra Link Meter

- Carelink (for Enlite Sensor which shows graphs, blood sugar levels before and two hours after meal, intake of insulin, and amount of carbs)

- Medtronic MiniMed pump

- Simple and Complex Carbohydrates

Risk Assessment:

I could see a possible risk in the fact that my blood sugars may become kind of up and down depending on the meals I am testing out. I will minimize this by checking my blood sugar often and not making any food choices that could be detrimental to me.

Bibliography:

“Simple vs Complex Carbohydrates” FITDAY. Internet Brands, Inc. Internet. 11-3-13

Mayo Clinic staff. “Blood sugar testing: Why, when and how” Diabetes. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. July 13th, 2013. Internet. 11-3-13.

“Introducing Enlite Sensor” Medtronic. Medtronic MiniMed Inc. Internet. 11-3-13.

“Entry Forms” Dr. Nelson Ying Orange County Science Exposition. ISEF. Internet. 11-3-13.

What Diabetes Is” Diabetes Info. National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. August 8th, 2013. Internet. 11-3-13

“Sample Abstract” Project Guide. Science Buddies. Internet. 11-3-13.