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• Managing D
• • Meet Your D-Team
  • Blood Glucose Checks
  • Insulin
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  • Sick Days
  • Ketoacidosis (DKA)
  • Celebrations
  • Exercise
  • Healthy Eating
  • • Portion Sizes
    • Carb Counting
    • The scoop on sugar
    • Fast Food
• Let's D-fine It
• My Diabetes
• My ADA

The scoop on sugar

Diabetes focuses a lot on sugar. Just because high blood glucose is something you're trying to avoid, it doesn't mean you can't eat ANY sugar. As long as you plan insulin for it, you can eat sweets too. They just have to fit into the meal plan.

BTW, eating foods with a lot of sugar isn't how you got diabetes. Diabetes just doesn't work that way!

So yes, you can eat ice cream and cookies and candy. But too much of these tasty treats are bad for anyone -- with or without diabetes. They'll rot your teeth, make you gain weight and provide very little actual nutrition (like vitamins and minerals). Not to mention raise your blood glucose unnecessarily!

Enjoy them every once in awhile, but don't let your sweet tooth get the best of you!

Sugar-free

There are lots of sugar substitutes out there. Splenda®, Equal® and Sweet 'n Low® are just some of the artificial sweeteners you see a lot. These are great because you get the sweet taste of sugar without the actual sugar! That means it doesn't affect your blood glucose.

Diet sodas are probably the most common food with artificial sweeteners. Since diet sodas have no sugar or carbohydrates, you don't have to count them in your meal plan.

Remember, just because something says it's "sugar-free," doesn't mean it is carb free. (And it really doesn't mean it is calorie-free either.)

Sometimes, "sugar-free" or "fat-free" foods actually have MORE carbs. A half cup of regular vanilla ice cream has about 15 g of carbs. The "healthier" low fat version usually has 18 g of carbs! You'd need LESS insulin with the regular ice cream! So remember to always check the label.