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What a Con

ardvark

Well-Known Member
Messages
90
Location
Warwickshire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I'm refering to the traffic light system.
Looking for differant food to feed myself
The powers that be say the Green traffic light is best as a indicator.
WRONG
Some food manifactures CON us
A Green light looks good on there label so people thing grest I'll buy that.
WRONG
READ what it says
My better half pointed out that some crackers had a Green light, On reading the label it was right.
It was Green PER CRACKER.
At 100grams it was miles in the Red
Looking at other food stuffs I noticed other companies did the same.
My tip for today is to READ what the Grams are per 100 and NOT per item in the box
I'm sorry if this has been posted before but I had to have a rant at these con artists
 
Even worse is the 6gms sugars but the carbs are 80!!!! Lots of packages don't put the carbs on, just the sugars so what looks loke low carb is actually very high. GRRRR.
 
This is why I don't like Traffic Lights. Too simplistic and one nutritional size doesn't fit all.
A bucket of dust is low in fat, sugar and salt so would get a green light (did I say dust, I meant rice cakes).
Some nut butter chocca with fat but also fibre and vitamins/minerals would get a Red light. Go figure....
 
Always ignore the front of packages. Turn them around and check the back. I love to use licorice to counter a hypo and I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter if I use the sugar free variant or the regular, although I might need 10% more of the sugar free. Which makes for a difference of one piece to one-and-a-sliver.
I've never tried, though.
 
It's gotta be said I've never paid attention to the traffic light system and as someone who has had to carb count since I could count I don't buy stuff from shops that doesn't show the carbs - admittedly it's been an awful long time since I saw something in the supermarket in packaging without the carb value
 
I don't even pay attention to traffic lights when I'm driving ...so certainly not when picking up groceries LOL
 
Resurgam said:
The traffic light system is based on the concept of carbs being unlimited - no need to even think about them.
Click to expand...
But what then is 'eating to the meter' - favoured by so many including it appears many health professionals
in their advice to TIDs??
A profligate version of carb counting ? Just eat what you like and adjust insulin accordingly?
 
I have always used the nutrition info on the back of the tin / packet, to find out want I want to know of a product.
 
Tipetoo said:
I have always used the nutrition info on the back of the tin / packet, to find out want I want to know of a product.
Click to expand...

Exactly, how hard is it to spend a moment reading the label?
 
Here's one for you all.
Per 100 grams
What Fat and What Carbs is best for Type 2?
 
ardvark said:
Here's one for you all.
Per 100 grams
What Fat and What Carbs is best for Type 2?
Click to expand...
It is maybe a bit confusing to ask it that way. Are you talking about all fats ? And all carbs ?
There are a variety of different fats and carbs in foods
What about how much carb and fat per day, each in grams?? ............................................)
You could also pitch it as what % of carbs in food and which % of fats in food .................) are best for T2D?
Also we cannot forget protein amount- most fat in food comes with protein!!!..................)
 
Irrespective of the per portion information, in my opinion the traffic light system was dead in the water right from its conception. Mainly because it demonises saturated fat and assumes that salt kills everyone.
 
A traffic light system isn’t a bad idea, it just needs to be accurate and relevant.
 

Not all actually have carb values, ditto recipes.
 
kitedoc said:
But what then is 'eating to the meter' - favoured by so many including it appears many health professionals
in their advice to TIDs??
A profligate version of carb counting ? Just eat what you like and adjust insulin accordingly?
Click to expand...
Eating to the meter for T1s is the DAFNE philosophy - as long as you calculate the carbs and plug in that to your ratio calculator on pump or meter you will be fine.
IMO this is better than random guessing but still pretty useless for getting more normal blood sugars given that we are driven by biology rather than carb accountancy. My own body seems to ignore the maths of the 'dose adjusted for normal eating' formula. Seems you can't have your cake and eat it after all...
 
Oh....thought I could (puts down chocolate brownie)
 
Another approach might be eating according to the action of your bolus insulin (plus a tad of the basal as well).
 
kitedoc said:
But what then is 'eating to the meter' - favoured by so many including it appears many health professionals
in their advice to TIDs??
A profligate version of carb counting ? Just eat what you like and adjust insulin accordingly?
Click to expand...

My impression was that what Resurgam meant was that the carbs counts on food packages is aimed at the general public who are unconcerned with how many carbs there are in it (ie unlimited) but just whether it has too much salt or fats or whatever. Eating to the meter doesn't even come into it for them.
 
I believe the Traffic Light system and other front of packaging labelling was driven by the EU. It's completely wrong and stupid and no doubt driven by the food manufacturers who want to sell low-cost carbs. Then we wonder why there is so much obesity.....
 
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