I thought today we could talk a little about sugar vs sugar-free food items.
Often times, people who are unfamiliar with the diet regimine of Type 1 diabetics believe that they can not have things like cakes, cookies, pies, etc... ya know, all the high sugar, fun stuff lol!
This is one common misconception I run across quite often, as I am sure many of you, my T1 readers, do as well.
Well, I'd like to take a moment to clarify this misconception.
Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis doesn't necessarily mean the person is not allowed to have these sugar filled things anymore. In fact, often times, T1 diabetics choose to go with the sugar-free items instead of those filled with sugar.
Why?
Because its all about the carb counting.
You see, often times, sugar-free items are lower in carbohydrates than the sugar filled items are. Sugar-free items use artificial sugars such as sucrose, aspertame, etc to give them their sweet taste, without as many carbs and calories.
If we so choose, though, like for special occations (birthdays, holidays, parties, etc), we CAN still give our T1 families those sugar filled things, just in moderation, and we have to make sure we account for the carbs. Otherwise, their blood sugars will sky-rocket.
So you see, just like a non-diabetic, moderation is key, even with the sugary foods! We just have to go through an extra step in order to maintain good blood sugars, but we can still allow our kids to enjoy these fun childhood experiences!
In my previous post, I explained the different types of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, and the differences in the body's absorbtion rates for each. If you did not catch that post, I encourage you to read over: Food and Diabetes- Part 1: The Basics
Now, let's talk about how that absorbtion rate reflects on diabetic blood sugars.
It is important to note, every diabetic reacts differently to food (and anything and everything else that can affect blood sugars).
Simple carbohydrates, since your body absorbs them the quickest, are often in and out of your system quickly. They spike your blood sugars temporarily, which is why it is good to use a simple carbohydrate such as 100% fruit juice to bring your blood sugars up from a hypoglycemic reaction.
Complex carbohydrates break down quicker than fats and protiens, but not quite as fast as a simple carbohydrate does. Some examples of complex carbohydrates are: breads, crackers, pastas, etc. Complex carbs will raise your blood sugars relatively quickly, yet not as quickly as a simple carbohydrate. Which is why, if you have low blood sugar, you should take a simple carb to correct it, instead of a complex carb.
Proteins break down within a few hours. It can take your body 2-3 hours to break down proteins into energy your body can use. Protein helps to maintain your blood sugar levels longer. Often times, people say that proteins and fats slow the absorbtion rate of carbohydrates.
Fats take the longest time for your body to break down. It can take your body up to 12 hours or more to break down fat consumption. Like protein, people often say that fat slows the absorbtion rate of carbohydrates. They say that because of that, that is why it is good to have a little fat in your diet, to help maintain blood sugar levels.
Often times, someone with diabetes will be able to manipulate the way food works with their body to prevent future hypoglycemic reactions due to high activity/exercise. For our family, we give Lenny extra fat if we know know he is going to have a high activity kind of day, like for gym class or wrestling practice. By giving him the extra fat, it gives the body extra stuff to break down over a longer period of time, ultimately preventing an after gym/practice low. Sometimes, though, it is difficult to determine just how active he can/will be, so sometimes we do still have hypoglycemic reactions, and other times we may experience hyperglycemic reactions. The key is to never give up, and continue to work with foods as well as insulin coverages, to find what works for you. It's all a balancing act! But, it is one that becomes easier to figure out over time.
Today, in light of Thanksgiving being this weekend, I thought we could talk about how food and diabetes go together.
Often times, people think that people with diabetes aren't allowed certain foods, such as candy, cookies, cakes, pies, etc. That is not true. People with diabetes, more specifically Type 1 Diabetes, are in fact allowed to have these things. They just need to learn portion control, moderation, and cover the carbs with insulin properly as well as monitor their blood sugars closely.
For educational purposes, let's start with the basics.
There are two main types of carbohydrates. Simple carbs, and complex carbs.
Simple Carbohydrates:
A simple carbohydrate are things like fruits, candy, sugar, etc. These are carbohydrates that go in and out of your system pretty rapidly. They spike your blood sugar relatively quickly, but do not typically keep it up for an extended period of time, unless accompanied by a complex carbohydrate, protein, or fat. Simple carbohydrates are good for diabetics to use to bring their blood sugars up quickly if they are having a hypoglycemic reaction.
Complex Carbohydrates:
A complex carbohydrate are things like breads, pretzels, etc. They take a little longer for your body to digest and raise your blood sugars, however, they also remain in your blood stream a little longer than a simple carbohydrate as well.
Protein:
Protein, as most people know, is most often found in meats, peanut butter, etc. However, it is also found in many other things as well. Not all protein is created equally, just as not all carbohydrates are created equally. Protein takes a while longer than carbohydrates do to be broken down in your body and used... in fact, it can take a couple of hours!
Fat:
Fat. Everyone knows that we all should watch our fat intake to acheive optimal health. Fat takes the longest for your body to break down and absorb. Once it is broken down, it is stored in your cells for later use. Fat can take several hours to break down... up to 12-24 hours!
These are the basics. I have decided to make the "Food and Diabetes" posts into a multi-part post, since there is so much information I could tell you about this topic. If you have any questions regarding this topic, or don't understand how I have things worded, or would just like to say hello (LOL!), please feel free to comment!
*NOTE: In this post, when I say "diabetes", or "diabetics", I am referring to Type 1 Diabetes and/or Type 1 Diabetics. People with other forms of diabetes may have different effects to food consumptions, types of foods, or may be instructed to do things differently by their health care providers. Please, always, ALWAYS go according to your health care team's medical/dietary suggestions, no matter what type of diabetes you may have. This article is primarily for educational purposes on how food affects blood sugars in general.
