Hello to you all!

[Bubbles70]

Just joined and hoping to find out everything I need to know about Diabetes. I have recently started looking after a family member full time and to be honest I'm a bit lost and confused regarding the dietary needs of someone with Diabetes who has a very sweet tooth!
I'm finding it hard knowing how to provide the ESSENTIAL dessert after main meal without the sugar content : (
Hopefully once I've had a good look around this site I will pick up a few tips and ideas!!! I'm looking forward to reading the posts and learning more ; )

 

[Drummer]

Is this type two?
What medication is prescribed?
The advice will differ accordingly.

 

[Northerner]

Just joined and hoping to find out everything I need to know about Diabetes. I have recently started looking after a family member full time and to be honest I'm a bit lost and confused regarding the dietary needs of someone with Diabetes who has a very sweet tooth!
I'm finding it hard knowing how to provide the ESSENTIAL dessert after main meal without the sugar content : (
Hopefully once I've had a good look around this site I will pick up a few tips and ideas!!! I'm looking forward to reading the posts and learning more ; )

Hi @Bubbles70, welcome to the forum 🙂 For a great overview of Type 2 diabetes and an appropriate diet and approach to managing it I'd recommend having a read of Maggie Davey's letter - this should help put everything in perspective for you and help you to make appropriate choices 🙂 I'd also suggest having a browse of the Recipes section for suggestions of diabetes-friendly desserts (anything submitted by @Mark Parrott is particularly good) 🙂

As @Drummer says, any medication the person is on may affect the choices made, so if you could provide information about that then it would be useful (for example, if on certain medications it may be necessary to adjust the medication or consult with a doctor before making any significant dietary changes) 🙂

If you have any questions or confusions then please let us know! Someone is bound to have an answer for you and won't keep it to themselves! 🙂

 

[Toucan]

Hello Bubbles, and It's good that you have found us. I'm sure you will be able to find some useful information on the links that Northerner suggests, and by having a general browse and search on the site.
Always good to ask if you are unsure about something. As well as many of us who have personal experience, there are many members that care for others with diabetes, and I'm sure would be pleased to help with any particular issues you may have as a carer.

 

[rebrascora]

As someone who not only had a sweet tooth pre diagnosis, but was a self confessed sugar addict I can tell you that breaking the sweet tooth is by far the best option, but as a carer for someone, that is much more difficult than as an individual, making that decision for yourself. Finding the lowest carb options for desert is probably your best bet in this situation and cutting carbs elsewhere in their diet.... ie reducing their portions of bread, pasta, potatoes, rice and breakfast cereals etc which are all easily broken down by the body into glucose.

Perhaps if you can give us an idea of what they currently eat ie their typical breakfast lunch and tea, we could make suggestions for what might be lower carb options. Breakfast can sometimes be the easiest swap as breakfast cereal is loaded with carbs but very few people will complain if it is swapped for a cooked breakfast, especially if someone else is doing the cooking. Only thing is that you need to hold back on the fried bread/toast/hash browns and baked beans, but bacon eggs, high meat content sausage, mushrooms and tomatoes are all good, or a nice 2 egg omelette with whatever filling they fancy... but no or very minimal bread. I have a salad and cheese coleslaw with my omelette.

As regards desserts it is possible to make a low carb sponge using Truvia etc and almond or coconut flour and eggs of course and turn it into a fruit trifle with sugar free jelly and cream. Or a meringue nest with whipped cream and a few raspberries is lowish carb. If you are looking to buy desserts, looking at the nutritional info on the back of the pack will give you the Total Carbohydrates.... be sure to take reading glasses if your eyesight is not perfect as it is always in tiny writing. I will not buy anything with more than 30g carbs per serving. Something like crème caramels come in at about 22g carbs per pot, so they are not too bad or Lidl raspberry trifles are about the same. Chocolate eclaires are one of the lower carb options for dessert as long as they are not smothered in chocolate sauce.

Don't be frightened of buying full fat products like cream as they taste good and reduce the craving for so much sweetness.

As the others mentioned though, if the patient is on insulin or other BG reducing medication, then any dietary changes need to be done slowly and steadily in conjunction with a reduction in their doses, so needs to be discussed with a health care professional.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Berries and cream seem to be quite well tolerated by various members (with a little sweetener if necessary.

But as has been said, the type of diabetes, treatment, and individual responses to food will make a big difference.