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Do sweets have a place on your plate when you
have diabetes? The answer is a qualified yes: There's room for any food on your
plate as long as you keep calories under control. Forget the old notion that
sugar is inherently bad for you. Sugar is just another form of carbohydrate, and
studies over the years have led the American Diabetes Association to conclude
that sugar itself doesn't make blood sugar rise any faster than any other type
of carbohydrate does. However, sugary snacks and desserts can raise blood sugar
faster than other foods because they contain practically no fiber -- and fiber
slows digestion of food and thereby tames its impact on blood sugar.
The real problem with sugar, according to the
experts at
ChangeOneDiet.com, is that it has
loads of calories but little nutrition. To sidestep extra calories while still
indulging your sweet tooth, use sugar substitutes whenever possible. Although
the safety of artificial sweeteners has been questioned over the years, numerous
studies have shown them to be safe in the quantities normally used in food.
There are more sugar substitutes on the market now than ever before, so you have
several choices. Here are the most common:
Aspartame. Sold under brand names such
as NutraSweet and Equal, aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar. It's used as
a tabletop sweetener and is generally used in foods or drinks that aren't
cooked, because it can break down and lose its sweetness when heated.
Acesulfame-K. About as sweet as
aspartame but stable when heated, acesulfame-K (Sunette and Sweet One) is
typically used in sweet foods that you cook, such as gelatins and puddings. It's
also used in beverages and chewing gum and as a tabletop sweetener.
Saccharin. Banned in the 1970s,
saccharin was later put back on the market with a label warning, then taken off
the government's list of cancer-causing compounds in 2000. Primarily used in
processed foods, it's also available as a tabletop sweetener under brand names
such as Sweet N' Low, according to
ChangeOneDiet.com.
Sucralose. Although made from sugar,
sucralose (Splenda) is chemically altered so the body doesn't recognize it as a
carbohydrate and doesn't absorb it. It's used in a variety of low-calorie foods
and drinks and as a tabletop sweetener. And it's heat stable, so you can cook
with it.
For more diabetes tips and mouth-watering
recipes and meals, visit
ChangeOneDiet.com
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