Janet mary
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
How many grams of sugar per portion should type 2 have
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Sugar
- Thread starter Janet mary
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rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
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To be fair it is nigh on impossible to avoid sugar altogether as it is in so many basic foods like milk and fruit and veg, but obviously you want to cut out any added sugar like granulated sugar/syrup/honey/maple syrup and steer clear of fruit juice and dried fruit as well as sweets and cakes and biscuits..... other than the very occasional treat.
What you need to realise is that contrary to popular belief, diabetes is not just about sugar but all carbohydrates which are broken down into glucose by the digestive system and absorbed into the blood stream. So starchy foods like bread and pasta and pastry and couscous and rice and breakfast cereals all contribute quite significantly to high Blood Glucose (BG) levels. For instance a medium slice of wholemeal bread contains about 15g carbs which is the same as 3 teaspoons of sugar, so your average sandwich with 2 slices of bread has a minimum of 30g carbs without taking into account any filling. It is therefore important to consider portion size of those starchy carbs and have a couple less spuds on your plate and perhaps half your normal portion of pasta/rice etc. Weigh your breakfast cereal and look at the recommended portion size because it is very often the case that we eat far more of it than is recommended because we don't weigh it. Our carb portions have steadily crept up and we end up eating far more than we should without even realising it. Even so called healthy carbs like bran flakes and porridge can cause us problems as diabetics and fruit too, so usually restricting ourselves to just one portion of fruit a day and avoiding the higher carb more exotic fruits like bananas and pineapple and mango. Choosing a few berries which are the lowest carb fruits and having them with some natural Greek style yoghurt is one of the best ways of having a lower carb breakfast and having our fruit intake for the day.
Anyway, I hope that makes sense. There is no recommended sugar intake for the day or even total carbohydrate intake which is what we really need to look at rather than just sugar. Low carb is considered under 130g carbs a day but many people find they need to go lower than that to control their diabetes through diet, some much lower. Home testing with a BG meter will show you what your body can or cannot tolerate and it can be highly individual. We can advise you on that if you are interested. I know it all sounds very complicated at first but it soon starts to make sense, particularly if you read some of the other posts on the forum and getting a BG meter just helps you to actually see what is going on. Many GPs and nurses advise against using them but most people here on the forum, find they are an invaluable tool if you know how to use it wisely.
Please ask if there is anything you don't understand.... Oh and "Welcome to the forum!" 🙂
What you need to realise is that contrary to popular belief, diabetes is not just about sugar but all carbohydrates which are broken down into glucose by the digestive system and absorbed into the blood stream. So starchy foods like bread and pasta and pastry and couscous and rice and breakfast cereals all contribute quite significantly to high Blood Glucose (BG) levels. For instance a medium slice of wholemeal bread contains about 15g carbs which is the same as 3 teaspoons of sugar, so your average sandwich with 2 slices of bread has a minimum of 30g carbs without taking into account any filling. It is therefore important to consider portion size of those starchy carbs and have a couple less spuds on your plate and perhaps half your normal portion of pasta/rice etc. Weigh your breakfast cereal and look at the recommended portion size because it is very often the case that we eat far more of it than is recommended because we don't weigh it. Our carb portions have steadily crept up and we end up eating far more than we should without even realising it. Even so called healthy carbs like bran flakes and porridge can cause us problems as diabetics and fruit too, so usually restricting ourselves to just one portion of fruit a day and avoiding the higher carb more exotic fruits like bananas and pineapple and mango. Choosing a few berries which are the lowest carb fruits and having them with some natural Greek style yoghurt is one of the best ways of having a lower carb breakfast and having our fruit intake for the day.
Anyway, I hope that makes sense. There is no recommended sugar intake for the day or even total carbohydrate intake which is what we really need to look at rather than just sugar. Low carb is considered under 130g carbs a day but many people find they need to go lower than that to control their diabetes through diet, some much lower. Home testing with a BG meter will show you what your body can or cannot tolerate and it can be highly individual. We can advise you on that if you are interested. I know it all sounds very complicated at first but it soon starts to make sense, particularly if you read some of the other posts on the forum and getting a BG meter just helps you to actually see what is going on. Many GPs and nurses advise against using them but most people here on the forum, find they are an invaluable tool if you know how to use it wisely.
Please ask if there is anything you don't understand.... Oh and "Welcome to the forum!" 🙂
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hello and welcome.
Many type twos limit the carbohydrate content of foods to ten percent or less, as that seems to give a nice wide selection of foods without over burdening the body. It shows in the test results, done two hours after starting to eat, and then in the blood tests done to check progress.
I do make an exception for the 95%cocoa chocolate from Lidl, but I don't eat much of that, just one square occasionally.
Many type twos limit the carbohydrate content of foods to ten percent or less, as that seems to give a nice wide selection of foods without over burdening the body. It shows in the test results, done two hours after starting to eat, and then in the blood tests done to check progress.
I do make an exception for the 95%cocoa chocolate from Lidl, but I don't eat much of that, just one square occasionally.
Good question, it was about to ask it as well. I think it is also difficult to avoid sugar, even fruit pots with reduced sugar are often about 15g (as I just found out). Chocolate at 90% plus can be a good. The Lindt 90% stuff is 7g per 100g of chocolate which is ok, the 99% has almost nothing.
When I was in hospital recently (due to being diagnosed with T2), the advice I was given was that balance is key. Also aiming to hit zero on sugars and carbs is probably both impossible and not sensible. Also to switch to less processed foods, e.g. eat fruits don't drink juice. Now, I am eating far less sugars and carbs than before I was diagnosed but allow myself some. I also feel much better for it. My blood sugar levels so far are 95% of the time within safe limits. Assuming that is ok, then I think it is possible to have a reasonably nice diet. Even if the initial shock made it all sound quite bad. I am also testing certain foods. A recent work trip meant I was not able to chose any diabetic friendly options (it was preserved on plates), this worried me but again just eating sensible proportions kept everything within the safe range.
When I was in hospital recently (due to being diagnosed with T2), the advice I was given was that balance is key. Also aiming to hit zero on sugars and carbs is probably both impossible and not sensible. Also to switch to less processed foods, e.g. eat fruits don't drink juice. Now, I am eating far less sugars and carbs than before I was diagnosed but allow myself some. I also feel much better for it. My blood sugar levels so far are 95% of the time within safe limits. Assuming that is ok, then I think it is possible to have a reasonably nice diet. Even if the initial shock made it all sound quite bad. I am also testing certain foods. A recent work trip meant I was not able to chose any diabetic friendly options (it was preserved on plates), this worried me but again just eating sensible proportions kept everything within the safe range.
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
You can't reduce the sugar in fruit - it contains fructose by its nature, but you can choose to have fruits which are naturally lower in sugar such as berries.
There is no need to aim for zero carbs if you can cope with some each day - just makes sure that you are only choosing lower carb options for the variety of flavour and colours which make food more interesting.
Sorry my post was not clear. I was referring to fruit puree pots, I was given these in hospital after being diagnosed. They were listed as "sans sucre", so without (I assume) added sugar. The ones from the supermarket are instead reduced only. Still, the natural sugar level of amount (even when reduced) is quite high.
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