Count Carbs or Count Sugar
| Author: Judy Kohn, RN, BSN, CDE |
| Last Updated: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 |
Q: "I already look for carbs on food labels. Should I check for grams of sugar as well? My physician said not to look for sugar. Is she right?"
A: For years people with diabetes were told to "avoid fruit juice, desserts, and foods with a high sugar content." So in the past, you were probably told to look at the sugar content on the label: if it were over 4 grams per serving (equivalent to 1 teaspoon of sugar), avoid this food.
Research has now shown that all carbohydrates (whether pure table sugar or a starch, such as bread, pasta, rice) are equal, and when eaten in equal amounts, they raise blood glucose the same. The American Diabetes Association's Position Statement on “Nutrition Principles and Recommendations” confirms that the new message is: focus on the total amount of carbohydrate you eat, rather than where it comes from.
This new message means that you can substitute sweets into your meal plan for other carbohydrates, as long as you learn how to work the sweets into your meal plan. This does not mean you can have sweets all the time. The problem with sugary foods is that most of these foods contain too much of what is called "empty calories" i.e., these foods don't have the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. Furthermore, foods high in sugar are usually also high in fat, which can cause weight gain, as well as poorly controlled diabetes.
So, to answer your question, your doctor is correct in advising you to focus on the total amount of carbohydrate per meal.
Finally, here are some tips from the American Diabetes Association's Complete Guide to Carb Counting to help you incorporate sugar into your meal plan:
- Choose a few favorite desserts and decide how often to eat them.
- Satisfy your sweet tooth with a bite or two of your favorite sweet.
- If you have a difficult time limiting the portions or frequency of sweets, it is best not to bring large portions of sweets into the house. You might only order dessert at restaurants or just purchase a small quantity at a time.
- Split a dessert with a dining companion in a restaurant. Ask for several forks or spoons.
- Take advantage of smaller portions — kiddy, small, or regular-at ice cream shops or in the supermarket.
- If you choose to eat a sweet, then lighten up on other carbohydrates in the meal — for example, have smaller or fewer servings of bread, potato, or fruit.
- If you want to lose some weight, then you'll need to keep sweets to a once-in-a-while frequency. Too many sweets equal too many calories.
- If your total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides are out of control, keep sweets to a minimum because sweets contain fats. Get your blood fats close to normal before you add more sweets to your meal plan.
- Check your blood glucose from time to time 1-2 hours after you eat a sweet to see how high it makes your blood glucose rise.
Related Links
American Diabetes Association (ADA)
http://www.diabetes.org
Joslin Diabetes Center
http://www.joslin.org
Important Notice: The responses provided by the team of Diabetes Educators are based on their personal experiences and expertise as practicing diabetes healthcare professionals, and are not to be considered diabetes management advice from Abbott Laboratories. Remember that information provided by the team of Diabetes Educators is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your physician about any healthcare questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to healthcare issues.
All tradenames and trademarks not owned by Abbott Laboratories are the property of their respective owners. For details on tradenames and trademarks and their respective owners, visit the non-Abbott trademarks listing.
