Question from Janelle
Hi Debra,
I was very recently diagnosed with diabetes, and devastated, because I consider myself to be a very healthy eater, and am even known as a “health nut” to some people. However, I am, and always have been a bit confused about diabetes. Like, you hear diabetics should stay away from sugar, but then, I hear some people NEED the sugar, like a candy bar of all things. Then there is the blood sugar thing. Well, my doctor said my blood sugar was not high, yet I’m diabetic. He gave me very little guidelines as to what to do, or eat. I have been battling my weight for quite some time, in spite of my healthy eating, and was also diagnosed with high cholestoral.
Needless, to say I am very overwhelmed and very confused about all this.
And what about the “other” sweeteners,(like: honey, maple syrup, agave, sucanant, stevia…….) are they ALL really better than sugar,
Could you please explain some of this for me?
Janelle
Debra’s Answer
Well, diabetes is a very complex thing, but I will try to explain as best I can.
There are two types of diabetes–Type 1 and Type 2.
With type 1 diabetes, a person’s pancreas produces little or no insulin, so they must inject or pump insulin two or three times or more every day. How much insulin to take can be very tricky, so there are times when a Type 1 diabetic can have blood sugar that is too high or too low. When it’s too low, a candy bar will bring it up fast. Only 5 to 10 percent of people who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.
With Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas produce insulin, but it does not produce enough or it has trouble using it. The problem is too much sugar in the blood, which is why diabetics are told to not eat sugar.
Where Type 1 diabetes requires insulin, most Type 2 diabetes can be controlled by losing weight, improving nutrition and increasing exercise.
The recommended diet for people with Type 2 diabetes is to eat very few carbohydrates, as all carbs will raise blood sugar. Refined carbs will raise blood sugar faster and higher than complex carbs, so it’s better to eat whole wheat bread, for example, than white bread, but no bread is even better. The best book I know of on the subject is The Diabetes Diet by Dr. Bernstein.
