[markk]

I just downloaded the SiDiary program, and know it's going to be really useful in my management. What I'd like to know though, is in the nutrition files, there is a BE value. What is this? Also, when logging on to the program for the first time, it asked me about BE*BE or something, and I would like to know how to use that setting properly, and what it is. I am from South Africa, and have not heard of this term before. Bitte hilfe! Vielen dank, Mark

[Alf]

Hi Mark,

welcome to the show!

Well, BE is a pure German term! It's the abbreviation for Broteinheit ("Breadunit") This is a German term for exchange units to make the calculation of insulin doses easier for the patients: We have BE-declarations on many many nutritions, like frozen meals and with this information we can use an easier formula with BEs instead of carbs and we are also using BE ratios instead of a carb ratios.
This helps us to calculate with smaller numbers because 1 BE means 12 grams of carbs.

Both calculations will bring identical results, but it seems that calculating i.e.
6BE * 2IE/BE = 12iE (formula with exchanges) is easier for the people than
72gr.carbs / 6gr/iE = 12iE (US style formula)

The first number is the amount of intake, the second number is the ratio for your bolus calculation depending to how the diabetics are calculating in their countries. The ratio in Germany means: For each BE I need to inject 2 IE of Bolus insulin. The US ratio means: Each iE of Bolus insulin covers 6 grams of carb intake...
 
You could also look into the manual because there's a chapter with a detailed explanation and also some more examples for the two possibilities of calculating with grams of carbs directly (US style) or calculating with exchanges...

Cheers, Alf.

[markk]

excellent thanks for the info Alf, I'm working with exchanges too now, it's just so new here in SA, so nobody knows about it or how to use them. My exchanges are based on 15 g carbs though. but either way, i dont have alot of the products on your list anyway!! except of course the big important ones, like nutella...haha  i have a nother question, but will post a new topic... thanks

[Alf]

Hi Mark,

if you want to use the bolus suggestion with SiDiary and work with exchanges - SiDIary will calculate with 1 BE (exchange) = 12gr of carbs!!
You should consider this...

There's the possiblity to also specify with an ini-key in the file sidiary.ini that it should use another ratio, like your's 16 gr. but I have to check, if this will take also effect for the bolus suggestions and not only for the nutrition lookup!

So far, you shouldn't use the bolus suggestion with your exchanges!!

Alf.

[zillerman]

First let me thank you for a brilliant program that i can really sink my teeth into (pun intended), for years i have been hoping to find something that was as comprehensive as this and one that addresses as many devices, i just bought the full suite yesterday and have dramatically improved my diabetic control even after only 2 weeks of using the trial version, i'll post a couple of messages re: possible "improvements" in a short while, but for now my question is this...

Earlier in this thread you state the BE (Exchange Unit) is measured at 12g per BE (german default), i live in Singapore and here we use 15g of carbs = one BE, is there anywhere i can set 15g as default? I did look in the .ini file but saw no reference to it, i would really like to make the SiDiary suggestions as accurate as possible without having to revert to the US calculations.

Once again Alf (and Co.) many MANY thanks for such a great tool.

Zill

[Joerg Moeller]

Yes, this is possible.
Just open the sidiary.ini and in the section [Einstellungen] add the line

ExchangeUnit=15

That's all

[zillerman]

Thanks Jorg, appreciated greatly.

One point though for clarity, you mentioned sidiary.ini but as i have a PPC as well as my desktop PC  i realised there were 2 seperate sidiary.ini files (one on each machine) so i added the line to both. I did add it to the desktop pc first but after syncing i noticed the PPC sidiary.ini file hadnt changed, only then did i close the program and add it to the PPC sidiary.ini file.

Many thanks again

Zill

[Alf]

Hi Zill,

yes you need to add the entry to both ini files since those settings are not synced automatically! If your have added the setting and restarted both applications they should work i.e. in the nutrition lookup.

Cheers, Alf.