*Welcome to the OutUK series looking at gay men and their health brought to you in association with the NHS* website.**
	Each week we'll tackle a different topic in our A to Z of Gay Health. We'll have features and advice on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. You can follow any of links provided below for more information direct from the NHS website, or see this week's feature L: Laxatives.

Counting Carbohydrates

Knowing how many carbohydrates (carbs) you're eating and drinking helps you manage your blood glucose levels by matching your insulin dose to the amount of carbs in your meals and snacks.

This means you do not have to inject and eat at the same time every day (fixed dose), so your treatment is more flexible.

Carbs are in foods like:

potatoes, rice, bread and pasta (starches)
milk, fruit and honey (sugars)

You can start learning about carb counting by:

asking your diabetes team if they run carb counting sessions
ask your diabetes team about doing a dose adjustment for normal eating (DAFNE) course
doing a course online to learn how to count carbs

Try these online courses:

My Type 1 Diabetes: carbohydrate counting online course
BERTIE Online type 1 diabetes course created by the Royal Bournemouth Hospital
Diabetes UK: Learning Zone

OutUK's A to Z of Gay Health continues and you can read this week's feature L: Laxatives. We have covered many subjects in this series and you can catch up with all of our Previous A to Z Features. If you want to find out more about this particular topic you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.
Photos: LightFieldStudios and one of VladOrlov, Stockcube, darak77, ajr_images or rawpixel.com.