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Food (Fruit & Vegetables) & Diet drinks for Diabetics

J

JANMALIK

Member
Messages
8
Location
Saudi Arabia
I will be highly obliged if my colleagues on this forum can share their knowledge and experience about fruits and vegetables that can be eaten freely by a diabetic. Are diet drinks available in the market (e.g. diet cola, pepsi max, diet pepsi etc.) suitable for diabetics?
 
No fruit or vegetable is off-limits for me as a type 1 on insulin, I don't drink fizzy cola's but do like Robinsons suger-free squash.
 
Having just read Dr Briffa'a latest book I can say that he recommends the following:

Leafy green vegetables - eat freely

Root vegetables (other than potatoes) - eat in moderation

Fruit including berries - eat freely

Exotic fruit including bananas, mango and melon - eat sparingly (something to do with fructose levels)

Potatoes - avoid

Diet drinks - avoid

I have recently started a low carb regime (I don't call it a diet) based on the recommendations in the book and it is working. My bg readings have reduced dramatically accompanied by a modest weight loss which continues :D

Ray
 
Hi

You need to see for yourself

for me

berries fine
apples fine
even fruit pots with pineapple,mango etc was ok (I was amazed by this - actually haven't had since)

grapes no
bananas no

Veg's

mostly ok but not parsnips if potatoes on the dinner too
potatoes - depends how cooked
peas - i try to limit
beetroot put my reads up on my salad, so removed, been fine since

Think all diet (no added sugar) ok but I dont drink them

Fruit juice - beware i think

mary x

(edited to add (I) dont drink them - it wasnt an order :)
 
Bluefoxy said:
Having just read Dr Briffa'a latest book I can say that he recommends the following:


Diet drinks - avoid


Ray
Click to expand...


Does your book give a reason for avoiding diet drinks? I'm getting through quite a lot of them with no apparent effect on BG levels!

Mat
 
Some fruits and high in natural sugar and, therefore, carbs. Similarly, starchy vegetables (potatoes, root vegetables) etc tend to be higher in carbs. I try and avoid the fruit and veg with really high carb content. If I do have then I will adjust my insulin accordingly.

I don't find that diet drinks affect my sugar levels but they do make me feel quite groggy and they're not exactly good for you. I find flavoured water (still dot sparkling) is a good substitute but some are high in sugar. Like others, I go for the robinsons no added sugar squashes. Still have the occasional diet coke etc, but I try and limit them.

Em
 
When you look at "reccomendations" from doctors, you need to know why people do or don't recommend them. Some people don't recommend diet drinks because of artificial sweeteners in them - but most of us have that in tea/coffee etc so what's the difference? None. From a blood glucose perspective, they will not affect your levels at all. So drink freely if you don't mind the artificial sweeteners.

Fruit - bananas are the worst, (for most of us) especially if very ripe. Berries are the best. For the person who was told to "eat other fruits freely" - don't. They all have carbs in the form of fructose. You need to test to see just how much you can eat. A large apple contains up to 20 grams of carbs, getting on for 10% of the GDA for a NON DIABETIC woman, so you can't just scoff them. Just keep testing. And not just at 2 hours after - some fruits could spike you way earlier.
 
I drink loads of caffeine free diet coke. If you're happy with artificial sweeteners no problems. On veg the advice I took from the forum was to try and eat ones that grow above ground although I find carrots ok as well. On fruit the ones ending in "berry" seem best suited for me. Test to see the effects you get as everyone behaves differently.
 
MadMat said:
Bluefoxy said:
Having just read Dr Briffa'a latest book I can say that he recommends the following:


Diet drinks - avoid


Ray
Click to expand...


Does your book give a reason for avoiding diet drinks? I'm getting through quite a lot of them with no apparent effect on BG levels!

Mat
Click to expand...

The reason he gives is to do with the chemical make up of the drinks not the effect on bg readings. Like a lot of doctors he doesn't like artificial sweeteners but then everything in moderation. I always have diet tonic in my g&t :)

Ray
 
I drink Waitrose sugar free tonic water sometimes, but mostly i have tea or coffee. I'm careful with any fruit except Avocados. I keep the portions tiny and if the apple is too big for me, I wait until there's a grandchild around to share with.[never a very long wait :D ] I eat green leafy veggies and salads freely and have small portions of raw carrots.[ carrots cooked deliver more carb.
Hana
 
Diet drinks are a DEFINTE NO! The sweetners used in most if not all diet drinks are dangerous for Diabetics and can cause more Neuropathic damage which can also lead to many other complications. Artificail sweetners (except Stevia) are not a good think and can if used in excess cause cancerous tumors and other bad effects.
If i drink diet coke I get a LOT of stabbing pains all over my body especially head, ears, feet...etc. When I dont drink them I dont have any of these effects unless my Hba1c is creeping up.

My advice...and many experts say ..DONT!
 
Willow said:
Diet drinks are a DEFINTE NO! The sweetners used in most if not all diet drinks are dangerous for Diabetics and can cause more Neuropathic damage which can also lead to many other complications. Artificail sweetners (except Stevia) are not a good think and can if used in excess cause cancerous tumors and other bad effects.
If i drink diet coke I get a LOT of stabbing pains all over my body especially head, ears, feet...etc. When I dont drink them I dont have any of these effects unless my Hba1c is creeping up.

My advice...and many experts say ..DONT!
Click to expand...

That might be the view of some, but many use them with no ill effect at all. The cancer issue was dispelled by most professionals and I've never seen any credible studies linking sweeteners to neuropathy. Perhaps you could give us a link to some. I don't think we should scare people off artificial sweeteners with alarming statements when many use them for many purposes.
 
Willow said:
Diet drinks are a DEFINTE NO! The sweetners used in most if not all diet drinks are dangerous for Diabetics and can cause more Neuropathic damage which can also lead to many other complications. Artificail sweetners (except Stevia) are not a good think and can if used in excess cause cancerous tumors and other bad effects.
If i drink diet coke I get a LOT of stabbing pains all over my body especially head, ears, feet...etc. When I dont drink them I dont have any of these effects unless my Hba1c is creeping up.

My advice...and many experts say ..DONT!
Click to expand...
Trouble is,it seems like every week in the news that some "Expert" or "Study" links a food or drink with an increased risk of illness in one form or another and It's getting to the stage where you think "Ok then,what is safe any more?"
I might as well go the whole hog and just drink water and take vitamin supplements!
It won't make me live forever but it'll make me feel like I have! :|
 
Willow said:
Diet drinks are a DEFINTE NO! The sweetners used in most if not all diet drinks are dangerous for Diabetics and can cause more Neuropathic damage which can also lead to many other complications. Artificail sweetners (except Stevia) are not a good think and can if used in excess cause cancerous tumors and other bad effects.
If i drink diet coke I get a LOT of stabbing pains all over my body especially head, ears, feet...etc. When I dont drink them I dont have any of these effects unless my Hba1c is creeping up.

My advice...and many experts say ..DONT!
Click to expand...

Show me the science (at least the science that isn't sponsored by the sugar industry):
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011 ... ne#/health

I am a little bit worried about the potential for insulin spiking from diet drinks (since I'm a VLC man). Diet Coke is the only thing that is standing between my diet and the Paleo lot the moment.
 
Willow said:
Diet drinks are a DEFINTE NO! The sweetners used in most if not all diet drinks are dangerous for Diabetics and can cause more Neuropathic damage which can also lead to many other complications. Artificail sweetners (except Stevia) are not a good think and can if used in excess cause cancerous tumors and other bad effects.
If i drink diet coke I get a LOT of stabbing pains all over my body especially head, ears, feet...etc. When I dont drink them I dont have any of these effects unless my Hba1c is creeping up.

My advice...and many experts say ..DONT!
Click to expand...

Trouble is many other experts say NO PROBLEM. I can see from your previous posts they appear to cause you problems but everyone should be allowed to make their own choice over how they treat their condition. Artificial sweeteners are one of those things where it is very difficult to make an objective decision. I drink loads of diet caffeine free coke and have suffered no ill effects. Yes I MIGHT be putting myself at risk if I believe some studies and NOT if I read others but risk is a relative thing and something going to get me and you in the end. It is a case of balancing the risks you want to take with enjoying the time we get.
 
borofergie said:
Willow said:
Diet drinks are a DEFINTE NO! The sweetners used in most if not all diet drinks are dangerous for Diabetics and can cause more Neuropathic damage which can also lead to many other complications. Artificail sweetners (except Stevia) are not a good think and can if used in excess cause cancerous tumors and other bad effects.
If i drink diet coke I get a LOT of stabbing pains all over my body especially head, ears, feet...etc. When I dont drink them I dont have any of these effects unless my Hba1c is creeping up.

My advice...and many experts say ..DONT!
Click to expand...

Show me the science (at least the science that isn't sponsored by the sugar industry):
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011 ... ne#/health

I am a little bit worried about the potential for insulin spiking from diet drinks (since I'm a VLC man). Diet Coke is the only thing that is standing between my diet and the Paleo lot the moment.
Click to expand...

Try making your ownlow cold drink with a piece of fruit And use some Stevia as a sweetner. I know it all seems tireing, but you can manage if you use a little imagination and dont give up :-)
 
Having been doing a lot of surfing related to diet recently I've come to the conclusion that if I avoided eating and drinking everything an "expert" has proclaimed is bad for me I'd end up starving to death!!

Mat
 
MadMat said:
Having been doing a lot of surfing related to diet recently I've come to the conclusion that if I avoided eating and drinking everything an "expert" has proclaimed is bad for me I'd end up starving to death!!

Mat
Click to expand...
Yep,as I posted earlier,that about sums up my view on it all too.
 
I know what you mean...especially with the low carb diet. Can you imagine me...? I dont eat meat..cant eat beans and pulses..cant drink alchohol even in small amounts..cant eat a lot of fibery veg..and as someone who doesnt eat meat...you try doing the low carb...! It was also suggested recently that I give up all wheat and grainstoo ans anything with gluten...though Im not gluten intollerant! Oh yeah..I also have asthma so I cant eat dairy! One has to laugh really or one wouldn't stop crying! That having been said..seriouslyplease do believe what they say about apartamane or however its spelled... And other artificail sweeteners because it is true. Cocacola is soon to change their sweetener to stevia also. Another very bad thing about sweetner aspartamane...its recently been proven to make you hungry! It has no cals but because itmakes you hungry ..in that respect its very bad for blood sugar. Try leaving some berries orlemon in water over night add some stevia and get a soda stream to make it fizzy! Its depressing but you have to fight! Fight for yourself..you deserve it!
 
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