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Low carb or sugar free. Which are you.?

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_lyn_lyn_1963

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Hearing a lot about low carb on this forum but not much sugar free, does anyone still eat sugary foods? In moderation or avoid them like the plague. Interested to know what people eat and what they don't.when I say sugar free I mean all sugars, honey artificial etc.
Is diabetis a sugar problem or a carbohydrate problem if so which first or both together, I only tackled the sugar not altering any of my carbs and I have reversed my pre diabetes. Has any one just done low carb and still ate sugar and reversed their pre diabetis condition? Any research into either.?
 
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Sugar is a carb. Therefore, low carb by definition is low or zero sugar. I think there is broad agreement that anyone with diabetes issues (pre-D, T1 or T2) should avoid sugar wherever possible.

I am on LCHF and do not touch anything sugary with somebody else's bargepole.
 
I eat what ever I want just using the word moderation in my choices.
 
never fancied sugar-free, the sweeteners just don't appeal, so having gone low carb my taste in sweet has gone to much more sensitive... some vegs are now nearly too sweet!
:)
 
Most "sugar free" foods either contain a different carb for sweetening or some nasty chemical to fake the sweet taste. Thus I wouldn't eat either. Also as you get more attuned to a LCHF way of eating I have found that my sugar cravings have gone and even regular milk tastes sweet to me.
 
hankjam said:
never fancied sugar-free, the sweeteners just don't appeal, so having gone low carb my taste in sweet has gone to much more sensitive... some vegs are now nearly too sweet!
:)
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When I say sugar free I really mean all sweetners, sorry, I too like you do not like artificail either and avoid it, 41 different names for sugar, and counting.
 
_lyn_lyn_1963 said:
Hearing a lot about low carb on this forum but not much sugar free, does anyone still eat sugary foods? In moderation or avoid them like the plague. Interested to know what people eat and what they don't.when I say sugar free I mean all sugars, honey artificial etc.
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Both!
They are like a poison to me!
Anything that has artificial sweeteners in them are not natural and I have to avoid them. Manufactured foods are so bad for you in my own personal opinion.
 
hankjam said:
never fancied sugar-free, the sweeteners just don't appeal, so having gone low carb my taste in sweet has gone to much more sensitive... some vegs are now nearly too sweet!
:)
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Hi did you go low carb as well or first or later than sugar free and artificial free?was sugar free your first choice or low carb or both together,
 
If you are prediabetic then the advice I would give is quite simple.
Reduce your carbs and sugars.
Reduce your plate size.
Increase your exercise, even if means only an extra half hour walking.
Test your blood glucose levels
Keep a food diary.
And control your condition.
 
catherinecherub said:
You might be surprised to learn that "sugar-free" does not necessarily mean carbohydrate-free or calorie-free. Although some sugar substitutes do not add calories or carbohydrate, many do. And it is the carbohydrate that has the greatest effect on blood glucose.
http://www.joslin.org/info/can_i_eat_as_many_sugar_free_foods_as_i_want.html
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Not sure I understand that, I was just wondering people's first cause of action when newly diagnosed, their reaction. And why they picked that choice, and how it worked for them. I am fascinated with people's diets and I study the Okinawa people of Japan, the most centurions on the planet. Please explain more.
 
Ye
nosher8355 said:
If you are prediabetic then the advice I would give is quite simple.
Reduce your carbs and sugars.
Reduce your plate size.
Increase your exercise, even if means only an extra half hour walking.
Test your blood glucose levels
Keep a food diary.
And control your condition.
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i agree with your advice, I was wondering as I didn't do anything with my carbs only my sugary foods, that was my first choice or action, did you reduce carbs first? Or both together.
 
Sugars are just one form of carbohydrate. All carbs raise blood sugar, so if you're looking to control your blood sugar, then it's all carbs that need to be monitored not just sugar. Your body will turn a savoury plate of pasta (or rice, noodles, potatoes, etc) into glucose, so if you're having issues with blood sugar control, it's something you have to bear in mind.
 
azure said:
Sugars are just one form of carbohydrate. All carbs raise blood sugar, so if you're looking to control your blood sugar, then it's all carbs that need to be monitored not just sugar. Your body will turn a savoury plate of pasta (or rice, noodles, potatoes, etc) into glucose, so if you're having issues with blood sugar control, it's something you have to bear in mind.
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Thanks for that. So it's a both a problem equally. What is the RDA for carbs?
 
_lyn_lyn_1963 said:
Thanks for that. So it's a both a problem equally. What is the RDA for carbs?
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Not really sugars are just a form of carb so if you are doing Low Carb (which we need to to control our blood sugar levels) then you automatically cut all sugars.. if you only cut sugars then you may still not be low carb so won't have the same level of control. Low Carb High Fat is the way to go as far as my results bear out. Carbs are an unessential nutrient you don't have to eat any .. I try to stay below 20g per day. Others eat more than me and still have decent control. The only way to know for sure is by testing bloods after eating to see if you have a spike.
 
bulkbiker said:
Not really sugars are just a form of carb so if you are doing Low Carb (which we need to to control our blood sugar levels) then you automatically cut all sugars.. if you only cut sugars then you may still not be low carb so won't have the same level of control. Low Carb High Fat is the way to go as far as my results bear out. Carbs are an unessential nutrient you don't have to eat any .. I try to stay below 20g per day. Others eat more than me and still have decent control. The only way to know for sure is by testing bloods after eating to see if you have a spike.
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There's so much to learn and eating is getting complicated , guess I had more of a sugar problem Than a carb one, it's a fine balance this eating lark.
 
Lyn have you read the advice that @daisy1 supplies? That should explain things very clearly to you. There is also a link to a free low carb programme you can join. I think, if you don't mind me saying, that your thinking re sugar and carbs being very different entities is a bit muddled at the moment. The basic information which should come along soon will really help with that. Best wishes and good luck
 
_lyn_lyn_1963 said:
Is diabetis a sugar problem or a carbohydrate problem
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Yes. but don't forget that type IIs are at different stages of being able to tolerate carbs. Carbs convert to sugar in the body so most people treat them to be the same. You've avoided sugar which is good, and if that was enough to get your BG back to good numbers also very good.

_lyn_lyn_1963 said:
Has any one just done low carb and still ate sugar and reversed their pre diabetis condition?
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If you have gone low carb, by definition you won't be eating sugars.

Don't forget, the condition has not necessarily been reversed. If you can eat as much carb as most other people (250gms -300gms a day) and that includes sugar, without affecting your BG, then the condition is reversed. If you have to remove carbs from your diet then it isn't reversed, just controlled.
 
As others have said sugar is just another carb so whatever you do, think carbs not just sugar. The amount of carbs you can get away with will vary greatly depending on your degree of T2 diabetes e.g. how insulin resistant you are and if on insulin the degree of islet cell degradation plus the amount of exercise you do and so on. It's important we encourage all newbies to think carbs and not sugar and then they can adjust the amount to suit them as an individual. BTW, diabetes is a glucose problem, so start from there.
 
Yes I thought it was just a sugar problem because that's all I did but reading all these people's stories it's more complicated than that, and carbs are things to understand too. I was unaware as I didn't alter my carbs only my sugar. Thanks I will continue learning.
 
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