Sugar free no more!

Tip # 19: Avoid sugar free foods.
If you're looking at this and trying to figure out if this is a typo, let me be clear:

AVOID SUGAR FREE FOODS.

25 million Americans have diabetes, about 70 million have pre-diabetes or are at risk for diabetes, and millions more are scared to get it. These are people who are trying to choose healthy foods. Food manufacturers know this better than anyone else and are capitalizing on it. They know that if they are the maker of a cookie and can make the cookie in a sugar free form, they are going to gain consumers that have concerns about diabetes and who try to avoid regular cookies for health purposes. Don't let them suck you in.

People with diabetes have to watch their blood sugar (also known as blood glucose). Blood sugars go up based on the total carbohydrates you eat. Total carbohydrates include sugar, but they also include starches. For example, if that sugar free cookie has no sugar in it, it is still made with flour. Flour is a carbohydrate and turns into glucose raising your blood glucose level.

Flour isn't the only ingredient that raises your blood sugar. Food companies often use sugar alcohols as the sweetner for the cookie. Sugar alcohols are not sugars, however they still add to the total carbohydrates in the food. Be aware that sugar alcohols often cause people to have gas, bloating and diarrhea. Yeah, not fun and not worth it to eat sugar free.

So then what do we recommend when it comes to sweets? Eat the regular cookies, ice cream, pie, cake, chocolates, candies, pastry and goodies-- just eat them in moderation! One cookie, a small sliver of pie, a 2-inch square of cake, a couple Hershey kisses... instead of focusing on how much you're getting, slow down and enjoy every little bite. It's not about quantity, but about quality.

If you have any questions, please call Diabetes Partnership of Cleveland at 216-591-0800. We know these things get confusing and you've been told by other people that you should eat sugar free. Let us help you understand how to get your blood sugars on track and stay healthy!