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Sugar replacement in food

Craig381sara

Active Member
Messages
25
Morning everyone

Im new to all this fuss, I was told by my GP that I had T2D on Wednesday im on metaformin to start and been told to cut my carb intake, im waiting to see a dietitian next week but in the mean time my question to you all what sugar replacement Can I add to the likes of pudding, sweets and Deserts oh and my Cereal

Thanks in advance

Craig
 
As your doctor has said, you need to cut down on carbs. That’s all carbs not just sugar. Unfortunately, pudding, sweets, desserts and cereal are mostly carb even if you replace the sugar.
There are some people of this forum who follow low carb diets and can recommend alternative breakfasts, snacks, etc with less carbs.
 
If you are on Metformin, you really should cut back drastically on your carb intake, as carbs and Metformin are a disaster waiting to happen. Let's just be polite and say massive gastric issues.

Cut out all wheat, grains, fruit, pasta, sugars, cereals, breads and try a Low Carb Higher Fat diet (LCHF). So that basically means bacon and eggs for breakfast, meats and fish, full fat dairy but no milk, meats and green leafy vegies, cauliflower for dinners.

Look for LCHF recipes or Keto recipes. www.dietdoctor.com has a ton of info as does this site and the forums here.
 
 
Not everyone suffers the possible side effects of Metformin. I had no such gastric symptoms and certainly did not drastically reduce my carb intake as soon as I started taking them. Carbs imo should be lowered but this should be done as and at a pace that does not cause 'Carb flu' for the individual.

Some people suffer side effects for a very short period and then the gastric problem subsides. Some have to be prescribed the slow release version of Metformin which is a little kinder on the system but is slightly more expensive. And some people never tolerate the drug and have to discontinue Metformin altogether. We are all different.
 
There are some sugar alcohols like Erythritol that have v little impact on many peoples blood sugars, although there are exceptions - the effect on any individual still needs to be tested via a home blood glucose testing meter.Some people use splenda and say it has no effect on their blood sugars, others say it causes their sugars to rise. I used to use it and found it had no impact on my sugars but once I found out how its made, I stopped using it - basically its made by removing oxygen molecules from sugar and replacing them with chlorine

Erythritol is what I use and find it works as a very good sugar substitute in baking, drinks etc BUT unless you change other ingredients in baking etc and in your diet as a whole, the effect on your diabetes is likely to be very limited. I would advise having a look on some of the many recipe sites for low(er) carb dishes and youll see loads of recipes ( https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/ is my favourite

Most T2 diabetics will get v good reaults from lowering their carbohydrate intake, although the level to which people need / choose to limit their carbs to varies enormously. Low carb basically starts at levels under 120g carbs a day some people need to restrict to a level under 20g
The best way to find out is to get yourself a blood glucose meter and test strips such as the Tee2 or Codefree and the use it to test the effect different foods have on your sugars - sadly and shortsightedly the nhs are almost certain not to provide you with this but the Tee2 for example can be sourced free from spirit health care and strips are the £7.75 for 50. I dont use the codefree, bit believe there is a smallish upfront charge but the strips are slightly cheaper
 
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ok first warning the nurse will push whole grain food and carbs. you wont reverse your diabetes on there diet. there are a couple of options low cal like the newcastle diet that was in the news recently.or the low carb high fat diet. lots of folks have done one or the other with lots of success. i am on the lchf adapted to my needs. by bloods are very stable in the 5s im losing weight and cut my need for insulin by 2/3s so i vouch for one and others will for the other.whichever or another you must cut down on the carbs you eat and you really need to check everything. try not to worry a well controlled diabetic is healthier than most normal people.
 
Good to hear your GP talking about carbs rather than sugar. Beware dieticians as too many still talk about sugar reduction but may encourage eating starchy carbs without understanding they are all converted to glucose.
 
Craig381sara said:
what sugar replacement Can I add to the likes of pudding, sweets and Deserts oh and my Cereal
Click to expand...
The first thing I did on diagnosis was to give up puddings, sweets, deserts and cereal (among other things). I find a simple rule of not eating something is much easier to follow than trying to decide what and how much is ok. After a short while I didn't miss sweet things. If you use sugar substitutes you will perpetuate your sweet taste.
 

I agree, my cravings disappeared slowly because I refused to swap sugar for sweeteners.
 
I disagree but the again Ive never had cravings or even much of a taste for sweet stuff either pre or post diagnosis - my preferred tastes are much more along the spicey end of the food spectrum. I make a low carb cake or batch of biscuits every 2 or 3 weeks and that is where I use erythritol. I also occasionally add 1 drop of liquid stevia in fruit tea.
 
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I gave up almost all carbs during the first weeks after diagnosis - was right down to my lower limit of about 25 to 30 - took Metformin and a statin and had the most awful reaction to it, so I don't think it could have been the mix of carbs and Metformin which caused my troubles, particularly as I took the Metformin in the morning and ate carbs in the evening.
I went low carb from the moment I was told the diagnosis - I did have a few slightly wobbly moments as my blood glucose dropped, but I ate three grapes and drank some water and they went away, I did that a few times and the wobbly moments stopped. I already knew my lower limit for carbs when coming from a high carb diet - the doctors forced me onto diets many times - but I always felt so ill, I have never been better than when low carbing.
Personally I eat low carb foods, under 11 percent net carbs rather than try to eat small amounts of high carb foods - except for high cocoa chocolate, which I try to ration, and most days succeed.
 
You'd be far better off as many have said cutting "sweet" out of your diet and especially cereal.
After a fairly short while you can re-educate your palate and get off the sweet rollercoaster.
Well done on your GP for advising cutting your carb intake. Starchy stuff all turns to sugar once ingested so really is best avoided if you have Type 2.
 
The thing about sweeteners is that they act on the brain just as much as any carb does even when they have little or no effect on bg levels. You may think you do not have much of a sweet tooth but carbs do not necessarily taste sweet but they are addictive so you may still crave carbs even though you have cut out sugar. Sweeteners can actually cause weight gain in some people for this reason.
 
Craig381sara said:
im on metaformin to start and been told to cut my carb intake
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum, we try not to advise, but there is a wealth of experiences in this forum.

Metformin has already been mentioned and it has slightly varying degrees of side effects (the trots) anywhere from zero to keep the toilet paper in the fridge. The Sustained Release can help although personally. having only recently started on the SR version after an awful experience on holiday, I haven't noticed a big difference. I also take cocodomol which usually balances things out, but I'm trying to stop taking the pain killers, hence the awful experience.

Cutting carbs can help but it's probably a good idea to get yourself a BG meter if you haven't done so already and see what affects your BG the most. The recommended carb intake for non-diabetics is between 225 and 325 gms per day depending on calorie intake (Resting metabolic rate - Harris Benedict formula). Personally I'm down to about 40 gms per day but it's and individual thing which will change depending on your current insulin production and insulin resistance.

If your GP has suggested lowering your carbs, hoping the DN at that surgery with be on the same wavelength and not start recommending the now rather dated traditional dietary advice (see eatwell plate).

There's a lot to take on board but there is a good chance that you will have full control of what happens in the future, all the best!
 
@Craig381sara

Hello Craig and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and useful. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 259,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.
  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
 
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