Special Diets for Diabetes – Not – Part 2

#7. You Have to Give Up Desserts if You Have Diabetes. MYTH. You could:

• Cut back. Instead of two scoops of ice cream, have one. Or share a dessert with a friend.
• Consider using low-calorie sweeteners. Keep in mind, there might be a few carbs in these.
• Expand your horizons. Instead of ice cream, pie, or cake, try fruit, a oatmeal-raisin cookie, or yogurt.
• Tweak the recipe. For instance, you can often use less sugar than a recipe calls for without sacrificing taste or consistency.

#8. Low- and No-Calorie Sweeteners Are a No-No. MYTH. Most of these sweeteners are much sweeter than the same amount of sugar, so you can use less.

Opinions about them are conflicting, but the American Diabetes Association approves of the use of:

• Saccharin (Sweet'N Low, Sweet Twin, Sugar Twin)
• Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal)
• Acesulfame potassium (Sunett, Sweet One)
• Sucralose (Splenda)
• Stevia/Rebaudioside A (SweetLeaf, Sun Crystals, Steviva, truvia, Pure Via)

You can ask a dietitian which ones are best for which uses, whether you’re drinking coffee, baking, or cooking. Please read my blog on artificial sweeteners. Even though the ADA has approved the above sweeteners, you should be careful.

#9. You Need to Eat Special Diabetic Meals. MYTH. The foods that are good for people with diabetes are also healthy choices for the rest of your family.

With diabetes, you do need to keep a closer watch on things like calories and the amounts and types of carbohydrates, fats, and protein you eat. A diabetes educator or dietitian can show you how to keep good records.

#10. Diet Foods Are the Best Choices. MYTH. You might be paying more for "diet" food that you could find in the regular sections of the grocery store or make yourself.

Read the labels to find out if the ingredients and number of calories are good choices for you. When in doubt, ask your doctor, diabetes educator, or a dietitian for advice.

This and the prior blog are very good at discussing some of the myths about diabetes diets. This list is not complete, but is a good start.

Special Diets for Diabetes – Not – Part 1

Have you heard that eating too much sugar causes diabetes? Or maybe someone told you that you have to give up all your favorite foods when you’re on a diabetes diet? Well, those things aren’t true. In fact, there are plenty of myths about dieting and food. Use this guide to separate fact from fiction.

#1. Eating Too Much Sugar Causes Diabetes. MYTH. The truth is that diabetes begins when something disrupts your body's ability to turn the food you eat into energy.

#2. There Are Too Many Rules in a Diabetes Diet. MYTH. If you have diabetes, you need to plan your meals, but the general idea is simple. You’ll want to keep your blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible. Choose foods that work along with your activities and any medications you take.

Will you need to make adjustments to what you eat? Probably. But your new way of eating may not require as many changes as you think.

#3. Carbohydrates Are Bad for Diabetes. MYTH. Carbs are the foundation of a healthy diet whether you have diabetes or not. But learn the limit of carbohydrates that your body can handle and learn to eat to your meter.

They do affect your blood sugar levels, which is why you’ll need to keep up with how many you eat each day. Some carbs have vitamins, minerals, and fiber. So, choose from these, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Starchy, sugary carbs are not a great choice because they have less to offer. They’re more like a flash in the pan than fuel your body can rely on.

#4. Protein Is Better Than Carbohydrates for Diabetes. MYTH. Because carbs affect blood sugar levels so quickly, you may be tempted to eat less of them and substitute more protein. But take care to choose your protein carefully. If it comes with too much saturated fat, that’s risky for your heart’s health. Keep an eye on your portion size too. Talk to your dietitian or doctor about how much protein is right for you. Read my blog here about protein and please read this blog by David Mendosa as he discusses protein.

#5. You Can Adjust Your Diabetes Drugs to ‘Cover’ Whatever You Eat. MYTH. If you use insulin for your diabetes, you may learn how to adjust the amount and type you take to match the amount of food you eat. But this doesn't mean you can eat as much as you want and then just use additional drugs to stabilize your blood sugar level.

If you use other types of diabetes drugs, don't try to adjust your dose to match varying levels of carbohydrates in your meals unless your doctor tells you to. Most diabetes medications work best when you take them as directed. When in doubt, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

#6. You'll Need to Give Up Your Favorite Foods. MYTH. There’s no reason to stop eating what you love. Instead, try:

• A change in the way your favorite foods are prepared. Can you bake it instead of deep-frying it?
• A change in the other foods you usually eat along with your favorites. Maybe have a sweet potato instead of mashed potatoes?
• Smaller servings of your favorite foods. A little bit goes a long way.
• Not using your favorite foods as a reward when you stick to your meal plan. Do reward yourself, but with something other than food.

A dietitian can help you find ways to include your favorites in your diabetes meal plan.

Diabetes Diet Myths – Part 3

The last two diabetes myths are:

• Myth 9: You Need to Eat Special Diabetic Meals.
• Myth 10: Diet Foods Are the Best Choices for Diabetes.
• Moving Beyond Diabetes Diet Myths

I find the last two myths seem to bother newly diagnosed people with diabetes. With that said, here they are.

Myth 9 No, there is not a special diabetes diet. What the person with diabetes needs to eat is also healthy for the rest of the family. This eliminates the need to prepare special meals for the person with diabetes. It is true that the person with diabetes needs to be more careful and carefully monitor what they consume. This monitoring means counting the carbs consumed, knowing the types of carbohydrates, fats, and protein consumed. Again, a nutritionist can be of great assistance in helping the person with diabetes.

I do keep meeting people that ask about why they are not told about the special diabetes diet they should be eating. First, I make it clear that there is not a special diabetes food plan for everyone. I then explain that they have to develop their own food plan based (and this is important) on what their meter tells them. Admittedly, some will never do this, but some have said they cannot afford the extra test strips. I tell them to contact the manufacturer and follow their instruction for assistance. I seldom find out if they do this.

Myth 10 No, diet foods are often not the best choice for people with diabetes. They are often more expensive and not as healthy as the foods in the regular sections of the grocery store. And they are not as nutritious as the foods you prepare yourself. Do yourself a favor and read the labels and the ingredients on the foods to find out the number of carbohydrates per serving and the other nutritional information. Also do not forget that a nutritionist can be of help.

No, I did not say a dietitian or a certified diabetes educator because generally they are influenced by a commercial food company or promote a food plan that will contain whole grains (especially wheat) and too many carbohydrates.

Other points beyond diabetes myths. Forget about the word “diet” and think food plan or meal plan that works for you and that you know from your meter will satisfy the needs of your body. Then by combining your food plan with the exercise that works or you and the medications your doctor prescribes for you, you should have an effective tool for maintaining your blood glucose levels within the range your have set for yourself. This is the best plan for you and not a “one-size-fits-all” plan from a dietitian.

If you have been reading the sections in the WebMD article, you will know that they recommend a dietitian. In my experience with dietitians, they do not work at the individual level and generally work at the “one-size-fits-all” level. The nutritionist is generally better educated and has more knowledge about nutrition and work with each individual at their level to develop the food plan that works for them. Then they will generally show you how to adapt the food plan to fit changes that your meter indicates.

In addition, they will show you how to balance your food plan to avoid the vitamin and mineral shortages that the dietitians insist you will have when eliminating wheat from your food plan. Some will find that they don't need to eliminate all whole grains while others will find this necessary.

Diabetes Diet Myths – Part 2

Continued from the prior blog.

Developing your own meal plan is important. Often your meal plan can be a family meal plan or can be modified slightly to satisfy the family without extra cooking or work. Some family members may fuss and complain, but a healthy food plan is a must. Learn for yourself what your blood glucose testing tells you about the food.

The list in this blog includes:

• Myth 5: You Can Adjust Your Diabetes Drugs to 'Cover' Whatever You Eat.
• Myth 6: You'll Need to Give Up Your Favorite Foods.
• Myth 7: You Have to Give Up Desserts if You Have Diabetes.
• Myth 8: Artificial Sweeteners Are Dangerous for People With Diabetes.

Myth 5 This is definitely not a plan and can lead to problems. Yes, you should learn how to count carbs and inject insulin to cover the meal, but this is not a license to eat as more than your meter says is okay or to over treat yourself and cover the excess with insulin.

If you use oral diabetes medications, matching the extra food will generally not work. Unless your doctor gives you special instructions to do this (and most will not), do not do harm by attempting to adjust them yourself. Generally, diabetes medications work best if taken consistently and as directed by your doctor.

Myth 6 This is one I hear all the time and people complain and complain about having to stop eating their favorite foods. Sometimes this is necessary, and for some people, but for those that are comfortable with food, they are able to adapt. Sometimes the change is simple and with some foods, it can take a lot of planning and experimenting.

I often suggest several of the following for foods you love. Try these tips:

• Changing the way your favorite foods are prepared.
• Changing the other foods you usually eat along with your favorite foods.
• Reducing the serving sizes of your favorite foods.
• Using your favorite foods as a reward for following your meal plans.

A nutritionist, or a great chef, can help you find ways to include your favorites in your diabetes meal plans.

Myth 7 This is one many refuse to give up and it can destroy your food plan and make diabetes more difficult to manage. If they want the desserts, then they need to take the steps necessary to make it possible.

Here are some ways that you can have your cake and eat it, too:

• Use artificial sweeteners.
• Practice portion control. Instead of two scoops of ice cream, have one. Or share a dessert with a friend.
• Use desserts as an occasional reward for following your meal plan.
• Make desserts more nutritious. Eat fresh fruit if possible when preparing desserts. Many times, you can use less sugar than a recipe calls for without sacrificing taste or consistency.
• Expand your horizons. Instead of ice cream, pie, or cake, try fruit, or yogurt.

Myth 8 Even though I don't totally agree, the American Diabetes Association approves the use of several artificial sweeteners in diabetes diets, including:

• Saccharin (Sweet'N Low, Sweet Twin, Sugar Twin)
• Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal)
• Acesulfame potassium (Sunett, Sweet One)
• Sucralose (Splenda)
• Stevia/Rebaudioside ( A Sweet Leaf, Sun Crystals, Steviva, truvia, PureVia)

A nutritionist can help you determine which sweeteners are best for which uses, whether in coffee, baking, or cooking. Artificial sweeteners are much sweeter than the equivalent amount of sugar, so it takes less of them to get the same sweetness found in sugar. This can result in eating fewer calories than when you use sugar. Artificial sweeteners have received much attention from the media and researchers. The sad news is opinions about them are conflicting.

To be concluded in the next blog.

Diabetes Diet Myths – Part 1

When doctors write about diabetes myths or discuss them, I sincerely wish they would realize the problems they create. This article in WebMD is a typical example of what the doctors don't take into consideration.

They list ten diabetes diet myths and in general have some validity, but do not consider everything. The list in this blog includes:

• Myth 1: Eating Too Much Sugar Causes Diabetes.
• Myth 2: There Are Too Many Rules in a Diabetes Diet.
• Myth 3: Carbohydrates Are Bad for Diabetes.
• Myth 4: Protein Is Better Than Carbohydrates for Diabetes.

Yes, I am leaving them active for those that want to read them as they are covered.

Myth 1 is about sugar and poorly explained. Quote: “Simply eating too much sugar is unlikely to cause diabetes. Instead, diabetes begins when something disrupts your body's ability to turn the food you eat into energy.” Unquote. This much is true, but does not account for genetics, environment, or exposure to other causes. Certain medications or chemicals can also cause diabetes and most writers totally ignore what steroids can do to people with a pancreas that is already in trouble.

The fact that the pancreas is aging and not working as efficiently as it once did, or that insulin resistance has increased is seldom mentioned. Yes, glucose is needed by the cells for fuel, but even sugar needs to be converted.

Myth 2 is totally false as there are no rules for a diabetes diet, only what your meter tells you and you need to develop your own food plan. Having diabetes simply means that you will need to plan your meals and what you consume around your activities and medications. Yes, you will probably need to make changes in the quantity of food you eat.

Your aim is to maintain your blood glucose levels near normal for the long term. Yes, you should consider making some adjustments, but your food plan may not require as many changes as you thought, just decreasing to quantity may suffice.

Myth 3 In fact, carbohydrates (or "carbs," as most of us call them) should be limited for those of us with diabetes. They form the foundation of an unhealthy diabetes diet, or of any diet. Mostly, carbohydrate-rich foods, especially wheat and whole grains are creating much of the overweight/obesity problem in the United States today. Carbs have the greatest effect on blood glucose levels, which is why a diabetes diet asks you to monitor how many of them you eat. They also contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber; however, these are found in other foods, and often at higher levels. So choose those with the most nutrients, high-fiber fruits, and vegetables. You may find it easier to select the best carbs if you meet with a nutritionist.

Myth 4 Yes, carbohydrates often cause your blood glucose levels to rise rapidly. That is why you should consider adding more protein and fat to your food plan. Many dietitians and doctors warn about too much protein and discourage red meat, as they still believe in the myth about saturated fat. Because everyone is different, you should talk to a nutritionist or a knowledgeable doctor about whether you may have problems with too much protein or adding too much fat to your meal plan. These are large variables and your meal plan needs to be tailored to your needs. Be careful of anyone using a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Remember you are unique and this will not necessarily work for you.

Continued in the next blog.