Unfortunately, the answer is not a simple, straightforward one. There are many factors to consider when determining how many grams of carbohydrates your body may need in a day. Some key factors are listed below:

· Body size: people with larger bodies typically have higher energy needs and therefore may need to eat more carbohydrates.

· Age: as we age, we tend to lose lean body mass and energy needs decrease. In addition, we may become less active. Both scenarios call for fewer carbs to maintain body mass and energy levels.

· Activity level: very active people need to consume more carbohydrates to sustain energy and glucose levels. More sedentary people will usually require fewer carbohydrates.

· Medications: for those taking medications that can cause low blood sugars, or those injecting insulin, more carbohydrates may be necessary to sustain a safe blood sugar. If this is the case and you feel you are eating larger amounts of carbs only to keep blood sugar within a safe range, you may consider speaking with your doctor about lowering your dose to match your preferred eating pattern.

· Insulin resistance and insulin production: individuals with greater insulin resistance, or those that a producing less insulin than their bodies need will have higher-than-normal blood sugars when eating carbohydrates. Ideally, people with diabetes will be taking the appropriate medications to help with insulin resistance and/or insulin insufficiency; however, food choices and exercise play important roles in this as well. It is difficult to know the level of insulin resistance or the exact amount of insulin a person may be producing, so it’s best to take your meds as prescribed, do the best you can with making healthful food choices, exercise regularly to the best of your ability, and monitor your blood sugars frequently to ensure you are staying safe with your diabetes.

· Blood sugars: carbohydrates increase blood sugar. If your blood sugars are running high and you are hoping to reduce them without increasing meds, talk to your doctor about your planned dietary changes as medication adjustments may be necessary to avoid low blood sugars. Ideally, dietary changes made would be reasonable, and be changes that can be sustained long-term (think small changes instead of crash diets). It is not advisable to completely eliminate or nearly eliminate carbohydrate intake, as this is typically not sustainable and will likely reduce blood sugars dramatically. When regular carb intake is resumed (or carb intake is now greater after brief carb deprivation), blood sugars may increase significantly and you may experience rebound weight gain. Note: it is unsafe to be on a very low carb diet if you are taking Invokana, Farxiga, Jardiance, or Steglatro.In addition to the above-mentioned factors that may influence how much or how little carbohydrates your body needs, it’s also important to consider food preferences, beliefs (vegetarian, vegan, etc.), income and availability of foods, other conditions/diseases that may limit intake of other foods (i.e renal diet with strict protein limit), and culture/cultural foods, amongst other factors. To create a plan that works for you, speak with a Registered Dietitian and express to them what’s important to you vs. what you may be willing to work on. An individualized plan is always best!