The Diabetes Dessert Dilemma
8 tips for tackling dessert: chocolate drink, dessert pudding, and more! Dessert is one of those pesky diabetes dilemmas. If I eat it, Im likely to experience the blood sugar consequences, frustration, and sluggishness for hours later. But avoiding dessert is often hard were all hardwired to love sweet things and be social, and dessert usually appeals to both. Ugh! This article shares some of my tips for navigating dessert, based on over 50,000 hours wearing CGM and my always-in-progress food experiments! I used many of these at a wedding this past weekend, where dessert landmines were everywhere. Read on fortips on eating different desserts and making dessert less appealing or more difficult . Please sendus your diabetes dessert tips too well add our favorites to the end of this article. Finally, find more details in the food chapter of Bright Spots & Landmines ( free PDF , Amazon ),including how I navigate restaurants, what I buy at the store, and what I eat at every meal. 1. Many nights after dinner, I make a chocolate drink hot water mixed with one tablespoon of unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder (roughly 2-3 grams of carbs). This drink tastes rich and delicious, and I find it doesnt increase blood sugar. Ive been buying this one from Cacao Berry recently, but also like this one from Hersheys. Whatever you buy, make sure there are zero grams of sugar on the label. Most cocoa mixes have lots of sugar added in. Those desiring a sweeter version could add a splash of milk or a bit of stevia. A peppermint tea bag is another great add-on, turning it into a mint chocolate chip drink! Note: cocoa does have a tiny bit of caffeine and a related compound called theobromine , so be conservative with the amount and evening timing if you are highly caffeine-sensitive. 2. St Continue reading >>
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Desserts And Sweets For Diabetics
Get our comprehensive list of the best desserts and sweets for people with diabetes. Having diabetes doesn't mean you can never have dessert again. With some simple swaps and diabetic-friendly dessert recipes, you can satisfy your sweet tooth without sending your blood sugar soaring. Desserts may seem off-limits since many are high in sugar, but remember that for people with diabetes the total number of carbohydrates of a meal or snack matters more than the total sugar. That means dessert can still fit into your diet—with a few adjustments. Before you head to the kitchen, here are a few dessert guidelines and some of our favorite sweets that fit into a diabetic diet. If you opt for something sweet after dinner, you might want to skip the starch at your meal to keep your total carbs in check. But remember that, while exchanging your sweet potato for cheesecake can keep your carb intake steady, you'll lose the fiber, vitamins and other good-for-you nutrients that the sweet potato would provide. It's not a good idea to indulge in dessert every night; instead, enjoy desserts in moderation. The American Diabetes Association recommends that most people with diabetes aim for 45-60 grams of carbohydrates per meal. Unfortunately, a bakery-sized cookie can contain 60 grams of carbs alone. Choose a smaller portion, and you can still enjoy something sweet without using up your allotted carbohydrates for the meal. One of these Almond Cookies has only 9 grams of carbohydrates. While making desserts with artificial sweeteners can help you cut down on calories and carbs, it's a better idea to try to reduce your total sweetener consumption (from both sugar and noncaloric sources). Because artificial sweeteners are much sweeter than sugar, they may enhance your craving for sweets. They Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes: Can You Eat Sweets?
If you have type 2 diabetes, you can still enjoy holiday treats. Careful carbohydrate counting, a sugar substitute or two, and changes in portion sizes can keep your sweet tooth happy. It's the start of the holiday season, which means lots of candies, cookies, cakes, and other goodies wherever you go. And many people with type 2 diabetes assume that their diagnosis means they must starve their sweet tooth and say no to these seasonal treats. But is that really the case? Happily, say experts, the answer is no — a careful approach to designing your diabetes diet means you don’t have to kiss sweets goodbye. But to be able to enjoy that pumpkin pie or piece of cake without guilt while keeping your blood sugar levels in check, you need to know: What you are eating How much you are eating (portion size) Carbohydrate, sugar, and calorie contents of everything you consume After that, do the math. Your decision to go with a natural sugar or a sugar substitute will depend on your overall carbohydrate and calorie counts as well as your personal taste preference. Carbohydrates are important because they affect your blood sugar control, and many people with diabetes are watching calories in order to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Natural Sugars Natural sugars are those that come from plant or animal sources. For example, sugar comes from sugar cane, beet sugar comes from beet roots, and honey is made by honeybees. Other types of natural sugars include: Maple syrup or sugar Agave Turbinado sugar All these sugars contain carbohydrate and calories — and they all can affect your blood sugar levels. Another sweetener, high-fructose corn syrup, is classified by some as a "natural" sugar because it is made from corn, but it is highly processed to give it a longer shelf lif Continue reading >>
5 Indian Sweet Dishes People With Diabetes Can Eat Guilt-free This Diwali
Home Magazine 5 Indian Sweet Dishes People With Diabetes Can Eat Guilt-Free This Diwali 5 Indian Sweet Dishes People With Diabetes Can Eat Guilt-Free This Diwali Expert-reviewed byAshwini S.Kanade, Registered Dietician and Certified Diabetes Educator with 17 years of experience Fact-checked byAditya Nar, B.Pharm, MSc. Public Health and Health Economics Its that time of the year when you just cannot avoid the temptation of sweets! But if you are a diabetic, youre probably trying really hard to control that urge of taking that one last bite from the mithai ka dabba (theres never just that one last bite as we all know!). Yes, the words sweet and diabetic dont go together, but trying out a few smart and healthy swaps can let you enjoy the sweeter pleasures of life this Diwali. Before we move on to some healthy recipe ideas, here are three easy tips and tricks that will let you eat sweets occasionally. Sharing helps build bonds. And sharing your sweet dish with someone can help build a great lifestyle change. So, pass the sweets around before you take a bite. This helps satiate your craving as well as reduces your consumption. Artificial sweeteners are a boon; however, they come with a word of caution. These are sweeter than refined table sugar and can make you crave sweets even more. Use them in moderation and keep the sweet level mild. Article continues after theadvertisement. Did you know even a 1% drop in HbA1c levels can reduce your risk of diabetes-related death by 21%? Control diabetes, live longer. Chat with Dia to find out how! Jaggery (gur), dates (khajoor), raw honey (shahad) are great replacements for refined sugar. They have a lower GI score and also have vitamins and minerals that are good for you. Lets get back to what we promised delicious yet healthy sweet Continue reading >>
Eating With Diabetes: Desserts And Sweets
I’d be willing to bet that most everyone has been told—and therefore believes—that people with diabetes cannot have any sugar and are resigned to living without dessert for the rest of their lives. Well, as a Certified Diabetes Educator, I'm here to tell you that this is a myth. People with diabetes can eat sugar, desserts, and almost any food that contains caloric sweeteners (molasses, honey, maple syrup, and more). Why? Because people with diabetes can eat foods that contain carbohydrates, whether those carbohydrates come from starchy foods like potatoes or sugary foods such as candy. It’s best to save sweets and desserts for special occasions so you don’t miss out on the more nutritious foods your body needs. However, when you do decide to include a sweet treat, make sure you keep portions small and use your carbohydrate counting plan. No sugar ever again? No way! The idea that people with diabetes should avoid sugar is decades old. Logically, it makes sense. Diabetes is a condition that causes high blood sugar. Sugary foods cause blood sugar levels to increase. Therefore people with diabetes should avoid sugary foods in order to prevent hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and keep their diabetes under control. However, simply avoiding sugary foods does not go very far in terms of controlling blood sugar. Here's why. After you eat, your blood sugar level (aka postprandial blood glucose level) is largely determined by the total amount of carbohydrate you ate, not the source of the carbohydrates eaten. There are two types of carbohydrates that elevate your blood sugar levels: sugar and starch. Both will elevate your blood glucose to roughly the same level (assuming you ate the same amount of each). For example, if you were to eat a ½ cup of regular ice cream (1 Continue reading >>
Low Sugar Sweets
Tweet A number of seasonal holidays have close associations with sugary sweets but thankfully there are ways to reduce exposure to sugar without diminishing the fun factor. We present a list of options which are relatively low in sugar and should help to make diabetes control easier to achieve over a festive evening. Sugar free sweets Sugar free sweets are available and are an option for people with diabetes. It’s worth checking which sweetener is used within the sweets as sugar alcohols (such as sorbitol, maltitol, erythritol and xylitol) can have laxative effects if taken in too high quantities. The other note is that sugar alcohols may raise blood glucose levels, albeit less severely than sugar. The effect on sugar levels can vary from one sugar alcohol to another. Sorbitol, erythritol and mannitol should have a relatively benign effect on blood glucose levels but it’s best to check blood glucose levels an hour or so after having the sweets to check their effect. Lower sugar substitutes Aside from sugar free sweets, you can also use some creativity to make treats that aren’t too intensely sweet. Baking low sugar cakes Cakes are popular whatever the occasion and needn’t be ruled by those of us needing to watch our carbohydrate intake. Sweeteners can be used instead of sugar and almond meal can also be used instead of flour to help lower the carbohydrate impact in foods such as cakes. Popcorn Movie favourite popcorn is another snack that is closely associated with fun and good times. Unsweetened popcorn is about 50% carbohydrate by weight so a 30g serving, which makes for a decent portion, will have 15g of carbs. Butter popcorn makes for a more wholesome and less addictive experience than salted or sweetened varieties. Toffee apples Toffee apples are often very Continue reading >>
Diabetes Nutrition: Including Sweets In Your Meal Plan
Diabetes nutrition focuses on healthy foods, but sweets aren't necessarily off-limits. Here's how to include sweets in your meal plan. Diabetes nutrition focuses on healthy foods. But you can eat sweets once in a while without feeling guilty or significantly interfering with your blood sugar control. The key to diabetes nutrition is moderation. The scoop on sugar For years, people with diabetes were warned to avoid sweets. But what researchers understand about diabetes nutrition has changed. Total carbohydrates are what counts. It was once assumed that honey, candy and other sweets would raise your blood sugar level faster and higher than would fruits, vegetables or "starchy" foods, such as potatoes, pasta or whole-grain bread. But this isn't true, as long as the sweets are eaten with a meal and balanced with other foods in your meal plan. Although different types of carbohydrates affect your blood sugar level differently, it's the total amount of carbohydrates that really matters. But don't overdo empty calories. Of course, it's still best to consider sweets as only a small part of your eating. Candy, cookies and other sweets have few vitamins and minerals and are often high in fat and calories. You'll get more empty calories — calories without essential nutrients — when you eat sweets. Have your cake and eat it, too Sweets count as carbohydrates in your meal plan. The trick is substituting small portions of sweets for other carbohydrates — such as bread, tortillas, rice, crackers, cereal, fruit, juice, milk, yogurt or potatoes — in your meals. To allow room for sweets as part of a meal, you have two options: Replace some of the carbohydrates in your meal with a sweet. Swap a high-carb-containing food in your meal for something with fewer carbohydrates and eat Continue reading >>
What Sweet Foods Can A Diabetic Eat?
Diabetics are not really limited to a special kind of diet. They just have to remember that portion control and moderation is key! There are many different kind of sweet foods that can be eaten. From fruits to honey, to quick desserts. One of the sweet food that people with diabetes can eat is chocolates! Specifically, dark chocolates. Dark chocolates trumps the other chocolates other there because 1. It has fewer calories Compared to other chocolates, such as milk and white chocolates, dark chocolates contains the least calories out of the three. It’s the preferred chocolate to have if you’re watching your weight at the same time. 2. It has less sugar Did you know that sugar is the first ingredients in both milk and white chocolate? The ingredient that’s listed first for dark chocolate is cocoa mass/solids. Also, one has to remember that milk and white chocolate has more sweetener and cream added to them, making them sweeter. 3. It contains the most antioxidants If you didn’t know cocoa is one of the richest source of antioxidants. Since dark chocolate contains the most cocoa out of the other chocolates, it has the highest amount of antioxidants. In fact, dark chocolates contains 8 times more antioxidants than strawberries! The reason why milk chocolates has lesser antioxidants is because the milk in milk chocolate binds to the antioxidant, making it less readily available. For white chocolate, it has no antioxidants at all as it does not contain any cocoa solids. Health benefits to eating dark chocolates Due to the antioxidants in dark chocolates, there so some health benefits to eating them: Things to look for Of course, it does not mean that all kinds of dark chocolates are good. Here’s the things to note when choosing dark chocolate: The most beneficial d Continue reading >>
If I Have Diabetes, Will I Have To Stop Eating Sugar?
What is that saying? Everything is good but only in moderation? Well this rings true when it comes to eating sugar with diabetes too. You probably already know that eating a lot of sugar is not great for your body. The problem is that sugar comes in a natural form and in an added form, so sometimes you have no idea that you are consuming it. Also, it is in many foods that you don’t even think to consider. Foods that you think are healthy, such as tomato sauce and protein bars, are packed full of sugar. This article breaks down the facts about eating sugar with diabetes and how you can make the best choices for your body in order to effectively manage your diabetes. How does sugar impact the blood sugar levels? Normally, when you eat something that contains sugar, your pancreas releases insulin. This insulin partners up with the sugar molecules and together they enter into the cells and provide energy to your body. When you have diabetes, your body either isn’t making enough insulin anymore, or your body is resistant to the insulin that you are creating. This prevents the sugar from being used by your cells and it just hangs out in your bloodstream causing high blood sugar levels. Having sugar in your bloodstream can lead to many problems and is dangerous for your health. Sugar, which is also known as carbohydrates or glucose, is found naturally in many different foods such as dairy, fruits, and starchy vegetables. It is also added to many foods like pastas, grains, baked goods, processed foods, and beverages. Since liquids are digested faster, they increase your blood sugar faster than solids do. More about what contains sugar is found later in this article. The myth about sugar and diabetes There are many myths about diabetes in general. One of the biggest ones is Continue reading >>
9 Type 2 Diabetes Desserts
Having type 2 diabetes doesn't mean always saying no to pudding. Life would be a bit boring without chocolate or apple crumble. You can still have an occasional sweet treat - just be mindful of what you choose and the amount you have. The advice is the same for everyone else too. Having too many sweet puddings and desserts shouldn't be part of any healthy eating plan, whether or not you have diabetes. "We know that desserts and puddings that are high in free sugars and saturated fat are not needed in a healthy diet," says Douglas Twenefour, deputy head of care at Diabetes UK. "However, there's no evidence that the odd small slice of cake is going to massively affect the long-term health of someone with diabetes." He adds: "So our advice would be to only have puddings or desserts in moderation, with a small amount of your favourite treat every now and again, and plan for such treats." Diabetes and diet Even though more and more people in the UK have diabetes there's still some misunderstanding about what you can eat. It's estimated that more than 4 million people in the UK are living with diabetes and the vast majority have type 2 diabetes. It's now one of the most common long-term health conditions. If you've just been diagnosed it can be confusing to know what you can and can't eat. You will need to make changes to your diet to help control your condition and reduce your risk of long-term problems. What you eat affects your blood glucose levels, blood fat levels, your blood pressure and your weight. All these are important to control in order to minimise your risk of health problems associated with your diabetes. Diabetes and sugar Sugar is often seen as the bogeyman when it comes to diabetes but that's not the whole story. "There are no hard and fast rules, everyone i Continue reading >>
Diabetes-friendly Desserts
Satisfy your sweet tooth First, the good news. If you've been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes , you can eat dessert. But the reality is that you do have to choose carefully, limit your portions, and it's probably best to save them for special occasions. That said, here are 10 dessert recipes to consider making the next time you need a sweet treat. They use simple substitutions to cut the fat, calories, and sugar. Make sure to cut back on other carbs during your meal to leave room for your dessert. Black Forest Trifle Who says you can't have chocolate when you're watching your sugar intake? Made with sugar-free chocolate-cake mix and instant pudding, this moist trifle will have your resident chocoholic licking her lips. Cool Whip trims the fat off traditional recipes and cherries add a boost of vitamin C and antioxidants, which are thought to reduce bad cholesterol. Ingredients: Sugar-free, low-fat cake mix, water, sugar-free instant pudding mix, fat-free milk, frozen no-sugar-added pitted cherries, red food coloring, frozen whipped topping, sugar-free chocolate curls Calories: 132 Try this recipe: Black Forest Trifle Cookies 'n' Cream Crunch Don't be fooled by this dessert's sinful appearance. Made with sugar-free cookies and no-sugar-added ice cream, this dish can be made the night before a party and stored in the freezer. Sprinkling chopped pecans will add a nutty flavor and healthy monounsaturated fat. Ingredients: Sugar-free chocolate sandwich cookies, chopped pcans, margarine, vanilla no-sugar added fat-free ice cream Calories: 232 Try this recipe: Cookies 'n' Cream Crunch Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies These festive treats will be a hit at any holiday party. By mixing sugar with calorie-free sweetener, these cookies have just the right amount of sweetness. Plus, stud Continue reading >>
9 Deliciously Sweet Summer Treats Even Diabetics Can Enjoy
Homemade frozen yogurt Courtesy Chobani The best part of a froyo cup is usually the sweet toppings like crushed cookies, gummy worms, or chopped candy bars you can pile on top. Unfortunately, they add more than a fun twist to dessert—extra calories, carbs, fat, and sugar can quickly add up to unhealthy levels, especially for people with diabetes who need to be critically mindful of what they’re putting in their body in order to keep blood glucose levels in a safe range. “People with diabetes can still enjoy a sweet treat on occasion when their blood sugar levels are well controlled. Try to keep portions small and limited to 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrate per serving,” says Melissa Matteo, MSRD, LD, CDE, a certified diabetes educator and registered dietician at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. Instead, freeze Chobani’s blended Greek yogurt, which comes in seasonal flavors like watermelon and kiwi. Each cup has about 13 grams of sugar, 12 grams of protein, and just 15 grams of carbs, the nutrient that raises blood sugar levels the most. Choose healthy toppings like a small handful of chopped nuts, which are filled with healthy fats, fiber, and protein; a small square of crushed antioxidant rich dark chocolate; or a sprinkle of sugar-free cocoa powder. The tasty JC’s Pie Pops may have been created by accident (a bowl of Italian custard accidentally froze solid instead of setting), but turns out they’re a sweet treat even diabetics can eat. JC's nudies are the best option, with just 18 grams of carbs, four grams of fat, and 120 calories a pop. If you're indulging in a sweet treat, be sure to monitor your blood sugar levels extra carefully and keep careful track of your sugar and carbohydrate intake to ensure you're not overdoing it the rest of the day Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Dessert
Eating desserts with diabetes A popular misconception about diabetes is that it is caused by eating too many sugary foods. While sweets can and do affect your blood sugar, they do not cause you to develop diabetes. However, when you have diabetes, you must carefully monitor your carbohydrate intake. This is because carbohydrates are responsible for raising your blood sugar levels. While you can enjoy sugary foods when you have diabetes, it is important to do so in moderation and with some understanding of how it could impact your blood sugar. This includes sugars found in desserts. 10 Diabetes Diet Myths » When you have diabetes, your body is either not able to use insulin correctly or not able to make any or enough insulin. Some people with diabetes experience both of these issues. Problems with insulin can cause sugar to build up in your blood since insulin is responsible for helping sugar move from the blood and into the body’s cells. Foods that contain carbohydrates raise blood sugar. Carbohydrates need to be regulated when you have diabetes to help you manage your blood sugar. On nutrition labels, the term “carbohydrates” includes sugars, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. In desserts, a number of sweet-tasting ingredients can be added to enhance sweetness. While some foods, such as fruits, naturally contain sugars, most desserts have some type of sugar added to them. Many dessert labels will not list “sugar” as a key ingredient. Instead, they will list the ingredient as one or more of the following: dextrose fructose high-fructose corn syrup lactose malt syrup sucrose white granulated sugar honey agave nectar glucose maltodextrin These sugar sources are carbohydrates and will raise your blood sugar. They can be found in cookies, cakes, pies, puddings, ca Continue reading >>
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Healthy Desserts For Your Diabetes Diet
You might think a diabetes diagnosis means you’ll have to skip dessert forever. “Not so,” says Lara Rondinelli-Hamilton, a certified diabetes educator at DuPage Medical Center in Chicago. “With a little planning, you can satisfy your sweet tooth while keeping your blood sugar under control.” But just how do you do that? There are several ways. Swap Other Carbs for Dessert “Everyone focuses on the sugar, but what’s really important is the total carbohydrates,” says Rondinelli-Hamilton, author of the American Diabetes Association cookbook Healthy Calendar Diabetic Cooking. “If you’d like to have a small piece of pie for dessert, skip the starchy vegetable during dinner,” she says. But she’s quick to point out that this isn’t something you should do on a regular basis. “Desserts and sweets don’t have the nutritional value that other foods do, so it’s best to save them for special occasions,” she says. Think Small Along with limiting how often you have dessert, you’ll also need to limit how much you eat -- and that can be a challenge. “Sugar sets off fireworks in your brain, making you crave more,” says Jessica Bennett, RD, a dietitian at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Fighting the urge to overdo it takes a lot of effort. But there are ways to make it a little easier. “Set yourself up for success by buying desserts that are packaged as a single serving, like a sugar-free fudge pop or a small square of dark chocolate,” Rondinelli-Hamilton says. And be realistic. “If you can’t have cake in the house without eating the whole thing, don’t buy a cake,” she says. When you go out, check the menu for miniature desserts. Many restaurants now offer treats served in small dishes or shot glasses. “If that’s not Continue reading >>
3 Sweet & Safe Desserts For Diabetics
Living with diabetes is all about managing the amount of sugar the body takes in daily, but it can be quite difficult to resist the sweet goodness of the desserts we all love! Sugar releases those feel-good chemicals in the brain which bring about happiness and joy, and being diabetic shouldn’t put a damper on a naturally healthy high. If you are diabetic and need a healthier way to kick a sweet tooth, check out these dessert recipes that are diabetic conscious yet jam packed with the sweetness you desire! LIKE BlackDoctor.org on Facebook! Get Your Daily Medicine…For LIFE! The following dessert recipes are made with sugar-free ingredients or natural sweeteners to reduce the amounts of sugar absorbed after consumption: 1. Melon salad Fruit is naturally sweet and can be dressed up to satisfy any sweet tooth. To create this diabetic safe dessert, combine 3 cups of cubed cantaloupe with 3 cups of cubed honey dew melon. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of chopped mint leaves and 1 teaspoon of honey. Toss gently to coat the fruit evenly and then serve! SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER HERE! 2. Mock Ice Cream Sandwiches This is a great treat for those who are fans of ice cream, yet are looking for a less fattening and less sugary source of a frozen treat. Take 2 cups of fat-free whipped topping and mix in ½ cup of miniature semisweet chocolate chips. Break 8 whole chocolate graham crackers in half and spread the mixture on one half of the cracker and top it off with another half. Wrap the sandwiches in plastic and freeze for at least one hour and voila! Your diabetic friendly mock ice cream sandwiches are ready to go! 3. Swirled Cheesecake Brownies Who can resist cheesecake, especially when it is combined with the moist richness of a fudge brownie! To make these diabetic friendly bea Continue reading >>
