Diabetes Diet Myths and Facts
Finding out that you have diabetes changes your life in many ways. One of the biggest and most difficult changes for people is diet. I have seen many people with diabetes over the years, and these are some of the most common things they say when they call to make an appointment:
I need a list of foods I’m not supposed to eat.
I went through my kitchen and threw everything out that contains sugar.
I know I can’t eat bread, pasta, or potatoes anymore, right?
I know I can’t eat anything that has white flour anymore, right?
I have substituted sugar-free candy, cookies, and ice cream for the regular versions; at least I don’t have to worry about how much I eat, because they don’t contain sugar.
I haven’t been going out to restaurants because I don’t know what to order.
I don’t know what to eat now, so I haven’t been eating anything except salads
I JUST FOUND OUT I HAVE DIABETES…. I NEED HELP!!!!!!
Let’s clear up some of the myths about diabetes and food.
There Is No “List Of Forbidden Foods,” For Diabetes
Years ago, people with diabetes were given a “diabetic diet” to follow, but things are different now. We have learned so much over the last 10 – 15 years about how foods affect your blood glucose.
The good news is that you don’t have to follow a strict diet (unless you have other medical conditions, or you are trying to lose weight). You can eat almost anything you did before, but you have to monitor your portions of certain foods, and find healthier versions of foods that are high in fat and carbohydrate (or eat smaller portions).
For example: if you like to eat yogurt with “fruit on the bottom” (35 grams of carbohydrate), it would be better to find a yogurt that is fat-free or “light,” and has 20 grams of carbohydrate or less. The one with 20 grams of carbohydrate would make your blood glucose rise less than the one with 35 grams of carbs; choosing one with lower fat is good for your heart.
If you really love the yogurt with fruit on the bottom, another option would be to eat half of it (and eat the other half later, or the next day). That way, your blood glucose will not rise as much as if you ate the entire carton at once. The more carbohydrate you eat at once, the higher your blood glucose rises.
A 12 ounce glass of orange juice will raise your blood glucose as much as a glass of soda. But if you drink a small glass of juice (4 ounces), your blood glucose will go up, but not as much (fewer carbs = smaller rise in blood glucose). Eating an orange would be an even better choice, because it includes fiber (your blood glucose goes up less when there is fiber in the food).
Sugar Is Not “Forbidden”.
Many people are not aware that diabetes nutrition guidelines have changed. Too much sugar is not healthy for anyone (diabetes or not), but it is not something that you must avoid. You can enjoy desserts on special occasions and holidays, but now, it’s better to keep the portion small. Remember, a lot of carbohydrate (sugar is a carbohydrate) raises your blood glucose too much, but if you eat a small portion, your blood glucose does not go up as much. According to the American Diabetes Association: it’s the amount that counts!
Yes, You Can Still Eat Bread, Pasta, Potatoes, And Rice!
Many people mistakenly believe that they must avoid carbohydrates (“carbs”) if they have diabetes. A healthy diet includes carbs (fruit, vegetables, milk, bread, cereal, crackers, pasta, rice, beans, sugar to name a few). Yes, carbs make your blood glucose go up, but your body uses carbohydrates as fuel, so you need to include them in your diet; but now you need to watch the portions.
It would not be a good idea to have a big plate of spaghetti, and 3 slices of bread if you have diabetes because your blood sugar would go up too high (too many carbs at once). But a smaller serving of spaghetti, a salad, and 1 slice of bread would be a better choice. Of course, if you are on insulin, you would coordinate your insulin dose with the amount of carbs you are eating; but if you have type 2 diabetes, and you control your diabetes with pills, or just with diet, smaller portions are important to keep your blood glucose under control.
No, you do not need to throw out everything made with white flour.
Foods made with whole wheat (or any whole grain) flour are healthier because they provide you with more vitamins, minerals and fiber than foods made with white flour; whole grain foods contain the entire grain seed of a plant; but that does not mean you can never eat foods that are made from white flour.
The thing to remember is that whole grain is healthier if you have the choice between white and whole grain, but if white (white bread, white pasta, white rice) is your only choice, just be sure to keep the portions small. Actually, even when you eat whole grain foods, you still need to limit your portions to keep your blood glucose from going up too high.
Sugar-free Foods May Still Have Carbs
If it’s sugar-free, that means I can eat as much as I want, right? Unfortunately, no.
Sugar-free foods such as: sugar-free cookies, sugar-free candy, and sugar-free pie may not be “carb-free.” Sugar-free cookies may be sweetened with a sugar substitute, but they also contain flour, which is a carb. Sugar-free cherry pie may not contain sugar, but the cherries are carbs, and the crust is made from flour, which is a carb.
The best thing to do is read the nutrition label on the package (if there is one), to see how many carbs the food contains; there are also books and websites that give you that information (my favorite is www.calorieking.com, or The Calorie King Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter book). If a food is made with flour or fruit, it has carbs.
The bad news is: you can’t eat an unlimited amount of sugar-free treats, but the good news is: you can enjoy them in moderation.
Another reason to only enjoy sugar-free foods in moderation is if they contain “sugar alcohols.” If you eat too much of a food that is sweetened with sugar alcohols (sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, xylitol, to name a few…notice that they all end with the letters “ol”), you might feel a little uncomfortable later on. Too much sugar alcohol can cause symptoms such as: bloating, gas and diarrhea. If you look at the bottom of the nutrition label, there is a warning that says: “excess consumption may have a laxative effect .” If that is not a good reason to keep the portion size small, I don’t know what is!
Yes, You Can Still Go To Your Favorite Restaurants
I often hear people express disappointment about not being able to go out to eat now that they have diabetes. This is not true! Eating out is a way of life today, and whether you are eating out for a special occasion, or grabbing a quick meal from a fast food restaurant, there are things you can do to stay on track with your diet, and still enjoy going out to eat.
Fast Food Tips:
Choose water, unsweetened iced tea, or a diet drink instead of a regular soda (a large soda has almost 300 calories and 80 grams of carbs….which equals 20 teaspoons of sugar!) That alone will send your blood glucose through the roof, so if you add the carbs from a burger and fries, it’s just not worth it if you can have a drink with zero carbs, right? Order the smallest sandwich on the menu (makes a big difference in calories, fat and carbs). For example: A Carl’s Jr. Super Star hamburger has 810 calories, 49 grams of fat, and 54 grams of carbs. If you order the Jr. burger, it has 280 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 36 grams of carbs, and you still get to have your hamburger! If you want to make an even healthier choice, order a BBQ Chicken sandwich: 360 calories, 4 grams of fat (compared to 49 grams of fat in the big burger), and 38 grams of carbs. Why is the chicken sandwich a healthier choice? It has less fat than the hamburgers. If you go to a sub sandwich restaurant, order the 6 inch instead of the 12 inch (or share the 12 inch), order lean meats such as: turkey, chicken or roast beef (instead of meatball or cold cuts), and choose baked chips and a sugar-free drink. If you order this way, the calories, fat and carbs will be reasonable rather than too high.
Are You Ready For The Difference?
A 12 inch meatball sandwich, a bag of regular potato chips, and a large coke would be 1,560 calories, 58 grams of fat, and 221grams of carbs
A 6 inch turkey sandwich, a diet drink or water, and a bag of baked chips would be:410 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 69 grams of carbs. Since the sandwich has 46 grams of carb, I would pass on the chips. If you were having a sandwich using regular bread instead of a sub type roll, you would have room for the chips, if you wanted them.
Remember, the more carbs you eat at one time, the higher your blood glucose can rise, so if you keep the carbs down (less than 50 grams per meal is a general guideline), your blood glucose will rise, but not too much.
Ask for sandwiches without cheese (saves calories and fat). Ask for “light” mayo instead of regular (saves calories and fat) Mexican food is so good, but it can have lots of carbs (tortillas, rice, beans, chips), so again, order a small version of what you want. Soft tacos are a good choice (the tortillas have carbs, but they are small). Burritos can be a diet nightmare, or not so bad if you get the smaller ones. Example: At Del Taco, a Macho Beef Burrito is high in everything! 1,100 calories, 62 grams of fat, and 89 grams of carbs. But a better choice would be the Bean and Cheese Red/Green Burrito: 270 calories, 8 grams of fat, and 38 grams of carbs; much better! Don’t like the taste of diet soda? Here’s a trick: if it’s a “do-it-yourself” soda machine, fill most of the cup with diet soda, and fill the last inch or so with the regular soda. It actually takes away the diet taste, but you’re really only getting an ounce or two of the real thing. Many people say that they don’t like the taste of diet drinks, but after a little while, they don’t mind it anymore. The calories and carbs you save by switching from regular to diet is worth it. Of course, water is always the best choice.
Restaurant Eating
At one time, people would go out to a restaurant to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions, so a splurge once in a while did not do much damage to our diets. Today, it’s part of our everyday lives, so making “special occasion splurges” on a regular basis can really affect your health. But, you can still enjoy going out to eat if you make smart choices.
If you go to a Mexican restaurant, ask the server to bring the chips with the meal, instead of before the meal; you’re hungry, and it is way to easy to over do it; but if they bring the chips with your meal, you probably won’t eat as many. The same thing applies to the yummy bread basket at some restaurants. Ask them to bring the bread when they bring the food instead of while you’re sitting there starving and waiting for your meal; or, if you’re not a big bread lover, ask them not to bring it at all (why waste your carbs on something you don’t love?); of course everyone else at the table would have to feel the same way!
Portions are way too big at most restaurants, and since portion control is important for blood glucose control, it is a good idea to take at least half of your meal home, and enjoy it the next day. Some people find it easier to ask the server to put half of the meal in a box at the beginning, rather than at the end of the meal. Sometimes it hard to stop eating when it tastes so good, and you might end up eating more than you wanted to. Grilled, baked, or broiled are better choices than fried. Watch for clues on the menu: if it says “crispy” or “breaded” it usually means fried. Ask the waiter or waitress about selections that are lighter or healthier. Even if you have the best intentions of ordering something healthy, once you look at the menu it’s all over! That’s why some people choose not to even look at the menu. They either know the menu, or look at it on the restaurant’s website, and make their choice before they get there; it makes it easier to stay on track. If you go to someone’s home to eat, you don’t have much control over the menu, but you do have control of the amount you eat. If they serve high carb dishes, just eat larger portions of vegetables, and a small portion of the high carb foods. A small portion of meat (the size of a deck of cards) is a reasonable size portion, and has little or no affect on your blood sugar. Do the best you can, and get back on track the next day. One meal will not undo a week of good choices; enjoy the day, and don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s what you do most of the time that affects your health the most (of course this does not apply to people with food allergies or certain medical conditions).
Most of the diet recommendations for people with diabetes are good for the whole family: eating less fat, less salt, fewer calories, more vegetables and fruit, less refined sugar and more whole grains. The main difference is limiting the amount of carbs you eat at one time; if you eat too many carbs at a meal or snack, your blood glucose can rise too much, so spreading the carbs out throughout the day makes more sense than eating too many at once.