Sugar in tea and coffee

[Blaize]

I went from 2 heaped teaspoons to none it's an adjustment but I can drink coffee without sugar I suggest you find a blend you like its possible that the coffee your having just isn't the one for you.

 

[NeilC]

Sorry for the late reply.

I too used to be a three sugars in a pint of tea man. About a year ago I reduced the sugar by two thirds. At the time generally to try and help lose weight. I tried replacing sugar with sweetener 100% but found it lacked something so eventually replaced two spoons of sugar with sweetener. On being told I was diabetic I replaced the final spoonful of sugar with sweetener and found the change acceptable. obviously my taste buds had adjusted so taking the final step was easier.

I use the Tesco sweetener based on Sucralose. Comes in a yellow jar or box of tablets. I use the powder at home and carry the tablets in the car.

 

[Robinredbreast]

Hi recently diagnosed, have had 3 spoonful's of sugar in tea and coffee as long as I can remember ,tried stopping, but it tastes like poison, have tried all sorts of sweeteners, but no good, what can I do?

If you really want to change something,you can, with determination and lots of will power Honestly 3 spoons of sugar, honestly not good. I gave up sugar in tea when I was 15,( all my friends and I went on a diet) I was about 8 1/2 stone! Try using another word rather than 'poison' as that is a very toxic word, maybe your tea taste's 'different now'. Good luck.

 

[Adamski]

It's an acquired taste alright - drinking tea and coffee with no sugar. Persevere, and you'll get there

 

[Fizzball]

I agree that it takes a short time to adjust. When I was in my late teens and twenties I used to live in a flat with three others, I was the only one who bought milk and sugar, although everybody used it. Eventually I got fed up with finding no milk in the 'fridge in the mornings and started to drink my coffee black, I soon got used to it and have taken it black ever since, same happened with the sugar, and even when the others started to buy milk and sugar I never went back to it. Like everything else in like you can do it but it takes time. Good luck.

 

[Pollylocks]

...I stopped using sugar in my coffee when diagnosed [don't drink tea yuk!] and it took a while to get used to it but I did....milk sets my bs off but can't get used to black coffee, have tried but just can't do it, need a coffee to wake me up in the morning!

 

[miriamy]

I now have a teaspoon of xylotol in my coffee. It's the best sweetener for your health.

Eating and exercising my way from manic to moderate Miriam.... and a steady blood glucose.

 

[Nico1920]

May I ask about black coffee without sugar? Everything I've read is somewhat unclear (even in diabetes.co.uk).
I'm fine with the idea of having to give up all the food I loved, but coffee has always been my dearest thing. I drink quite a lot (4 to 6 cups a day). I think I don't think I'm able to give up smoking plus bread plus coffee all at once. Any ideas here? Is coffee bad for diabetes?

 

[norman.stanbury]

Hi recently diagnosed, have had 3 spoonful's of sugar in tea and coffee as long as I can remember ,tried stopping, but it tastes like poison, have tried all sorts of sweeteners, but no good, what can I do?[/

try stevia its the only natural plant sweeteners its been used in south america for hundreds of years you can get it in pill or granules like sugar but a lot sweeters

 

[hanadr]

Diabetes changes your range of choices. You CAN continue to take lots of sugar in your drinks and then use shedloads of medication to counter the effects, you can cut out the sugar. What you can't do SAFELY is to continue taking 3 spoonfuls of sugar in every cup.
I personally gave up sugar in tea Years before my diagnosis. I now find tea with sugar horrible in the extreme. I do sweeten coffee, but only a little and with artificial sweetener.
Actually the thought of 3 sugars per cup of anything gives me the shivers!
Hana

 

[sarahamos]

I have always hated sugar in tea - horrible! But always liked 1tsp in coffee. The only sweetener I can stand is xylitol - no bitter aftertaste like stevia, and no chemical tang like the others.

I can only handle xylitol too at home I have the bags but when I'm out i take the sachets. Cannot use any other sweetener.

 

[Foobs]

I took the same amount of sugar in my coffee prior to being diagnosed with LADA. Since then I cut out sugar in my drinks by using stevia and slowly reducing the amount. It's not the cheapest of all of the sweeteners, but it's probably the safest being a natural product (although chemicals are used to transform it into powder) and it has no known side effects. You can use it in the same amounts as sugar in your coffee and it doesn't leave an aftertaste (I exclude Truvia from that, but it's not 100% stevia). You can also use it for cooking.

Personally for the initial gains I would switch and then cut down on the amount of sweetener you use over a longer time frame, or if you're up to it, cut out the sugar completely in one hit. It will take a few weeks for your body to get used to the taste, but once you've done it there should be no want to go back to your old ways.

Whatever path you decide to take, good luck and sick with it. You'll be happy you made the change a few months down the line

 

[parklea60]

I occasionally use a spoonful of honey, hope this is OK to do my glucose reading went from an initial reading of 22.7 and now morning readings of 5.5 I also take metaformin

 

[Brunneria]

I can only handle xylitol too at home I have the bags but when I'm out i take the sachets. Cannot use any other sweetener.

Ooh, where do you get the sachets from? Haven't ever seen them.

 

[Brunneria]

I occasionally use a spoonful of honey, hope this is OK to do my glucose reading went from an initial reading of 22.7 and now morning readings of 5.5 I also take metaformin

Hi and welcome!

Congratulations on getting your readings down so well!

I find that honey spikes me just like sugar does, but we are all different, and you may be fine. Have you tested your BG before and after?

 

[Lamont D]

I started drinking my cuppa black whilst abroad cos I couldn't stand the milk. You can't beat a strong cuppa, no milk, no sugar. You can actually taste the tea. Only us Anglos put milk into our cups.

 

[parklea60]

Hi and welcome!

Congratulations on getting your readings down so well!

I find that honey spikes me just like sugar does, but we are all different, and you may be fine. Have you tested your BG before and after?

Many thanks, yes I have tested twice before going to bed, my highest was 6.1

 

[bobandpat]

Years ago someone recommended Sucron to me. It's 4 times sweeter than sugar so you need 1/4 the amount. It does contain the same carbs as sugar but, at least, you're using less.

I used to take 2 teaspoons of sugar, in tea (can't abide coffee), so took half spoon of Sucron. Cut back on the amount and have only taken a tiny amount (tip of a teaspoon) for lots of years now.

I never could get used to tea without sugar but do drink more water than I used to.

 

[parklea60]

I do also have other co-morbidity health issues, Parkinson's Disease 18 years now, GORD, MDS ( a blood cancer) a supra-pubic catheter urethral strictures etc, so that when my feet started hurting especially around the toes, I had a glucose reading done, as I remembered my first wife losing both feet as a result of her diabetes, and this terrified me as I had some time back been diagnose with diabetes 2 as I stated in my first post the reading was 22.7, and I was sent to a hospital emergency, I now watch very carefully what I am eating, certainly do not and will not put sugar in my tea or cereals, I am 73 years of age and just accept that I cannot change the Universe and that the tail does not wag the dog, I find tiredness and my cognitive symptoms a battle. I will be getting the blood results from my oncologist next Friday, and feel that any good news will strengthen my resolve towards my life expectancy

 

[tgchand1]

TGC
T2 form 2001; HbA1C 49; On Metformin & Sitagliptin; age:67 years
I look at 24 hour carb intake & calorie intake than just one item. Then I look for each item Glycaemic index (how quickly and how high blood sugar goes up) and Glycaemic load (how much carb in it). Each spoon of sugar (I believe) has 4 Grams of Carb and so 4x4= 16 calories.
I cut down from 6 to 8 coffees a day to 4 each with 2 spoons of sugar. Also I drink coffee "in between" not following meal to avoid intake of large amount of carb. in one go.