Are Visions of Holiday Cookies Dancing in Your Head?
IN WEIGHT MANAGEMENTYou’ve stifled your sweet tooth, but now you’re wondering how you can make it through the holiday season without sneaking a sugar cookie or two. Well, here’s good news. People with diabetes can have their sweets and eat them, too! How? With careful planning. According to the American Diabetes Association (www.diabetes.org), the rules for avoiding sugar are more relaxed than they were some years ago. In the past, dietitians were more concerned with table sugar and its quick digestion and absorption into the bloodstream than the effects of starchy foods like breads. It’s now accepted that it’s the total amount of carbohydrates in the foods you eat that raises the blood glucose levels, not necessarily where the carbohydrates come from. A Sweet Deal People with diabetes can enjoy just about anything they want; it basically boils down to portion sizes and counting carbohydrates. Depending on your age, size, or calorie level, you may be allowed three to five servings of carbohydrates in each meal. So how does that measure up when you can’t stop thinking about that creamy coconut cake? Play “Let’s Make a Deal” to work your favorite sweet treat into the meal plan you’ve established with your dietitian. Choosing foods that contain sugar means you must substitute them for carbohydrate foods in your meal plan. The Bittersweet While the American Diabetes Association guidelines are sweet news for people with diabetes, it doesn’t mean you can go sugar crazy. Sugary foods lack nutritional value and are instead packed with calories and fat grams. So this holiday season when you’re faced with a plate of Santa’s cookies and your Aunt Patty’s pumpkin cheesecake, weigh your decision carefully and remember: the key is control.
| Try a Little Sweetness If you have diabetes and a sweet tooth, try these tips from the American Diabetes Association (www.diabetes.org) to add some sweetness to your life.
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