Written by Catherine Saxelby
on Friday, 07 June 2013.
Tagged: carbohydrates, diabetes, diabetes type 2, diets, glycemic index, health, healthy eating, healthy lifestyle, low GI, sugar, sweetener
The question in full
Q. I've had type 2 diabetes for 15 years. When I was first diagnosed I was told no sugar was permitted and I had to use sweetener. Now why is it now OK for me to have sugar?
A. In recent years, there has been a relaxation of the restriction of sugar for people with diabetes for three main reasons:
The bottom line is sugar does not have to be avoided completely if you have diabetes, although you don't want to have huge amounts. Sugar still contributes extra kilojoules which make losing excess weight more difficult, but you don't have to use sugar substitutes (sweeteners like aspartame or stevia).
If consumed as part of a meal (like a dessert or jam on toast), sugar is unlikely to push up blood sugars, although sugar on an empty stomach (say a soft drink between meals) will have an effect.
Download my free Fact Sheet on Sugar: how much you should eat and where you'll find it.
Catherine Saxelby has the answers! She is an accredited nutritionist, blogger and award-winning author. Her award-winning book My Nutritionary will help you cut through the jargon. Do you know your MCTs from your LCTs? How about sterols from stanols? What’s the difference between glucose and dextrose? Or probiotics and prebiotics? What additive is number 330? How safe is acesulfame K? If you find yourself confused by food labels, grab your copy of Catherine Saxelby’s comprehensive guide My Nutritionary NOW!
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