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Sugar cravings

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Cats

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Type 2
I have type 2 diabetes. I actually had a stroke which resulted from undiagnosed diabetes. I am really struggling with sugar cravings and eating chocolate. I’m unsure of the effects that this will have on my body now. Help
 
I switched out my sweet tooth to a spicy hot tooth.

It's just the hit in the mouth, and believe me, if I can drop a box of donuts, and a family size galaxy, it's a not an impossible step.
It's just the thought of the step that is the start of the journey.

Keep a food diary, be honest, and you can set your targets.
 
Cats said:
I have type 2 diabetes. I actually had a stroke which resulted from undiagnosed diabetes. I am really struggling with sugar cravings and eating chocolate. I’m unsure of the effects that this will have on my body now. Help
Click to expand...
Hi Cats. These cravings: would you describe them as a strong desire, or more like a need to eat? The reason I ask is because if it’s the latter I wonder if you might be experiencing what are called false hypos, where your body is used to high levels so as you bring your levels down it creates the sensation of a hypo. This can give you a very strong urge for sugar which is a lot more than a taste thing.
 
Hi Cats and welcome 🙂

Can you try a higher % cocoa, dark chocolate 70% upwards. It may take up a while to adapt to the taste if you're used to milk chocolate but if you can get used to it, it causes less of a blood sugar spike in moderation. If dark chocolate isn't your thing could you try a low calorie hot chocolate drink such as Highlights. Tastes very sweet and chocolatey and takes a while to drink .

Here's a few tips from the Diabetes UK site- it's about Easter but it deals with chocolate.

Here are our top tips for controlling your chocolate consumption…

  1. Wean yourself onto good-quality dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa is best). It has a stronger taste than milk chocolate, so you won't need to eat as much to satisfy your craving.
  2. If you like your chocolate bar to have a filling, choose fruit rather than nuts because fruit is lower in calories and fat than nuts. For example, choose chocolate-coated cherries, raspberries, or cranberries rather than chocolate-coated Brazil nuts or peanuts but check the fruit has not been coated in sugar. Chocolate-coated rice cakes or chocolate chip rice and corn are lower in fat and calories though do check labels as savings are not so significant that you don’t need to worry about your portion sizes.
  3. Try out lower-fat chocolate alternatives such as lower-fat chocolate yogurts and mousse, sundaes and low-calorie instant hot chocolate drinks
  4. Eat slowly and without distraction – let the chocolate melt in your mouth to give yourself time to enjoy the taste and texture.
  5. Store your chocolate in the fridge because it will then take even longer to melt in your mouth.
  6. Try to save chocolate-eating for after a meal, when you will naturally be less hungry.
  7. Decide how much you are going to eat and put the rest of the chocolate away, out of reach. This should help prevent you from having 'just one more piece' and wolfing down the whole lot before you realise it.
  8. Maybe grate chocolate to make it go further and add to fruit so you’ve got the taste but the bulk of the fruit to help fill you up. Read the labels on chocolate – if you are carb-counting and taking insulin, this will help you adjust your insulin doses.
 
Radders said:
Hi Cats. These cravings: would you describe them as a strong desire, or more like a need to eat? The reason I ask is because if it’s the latter I wonder if you might be experiencing what are called false hypos, where your body is used to high levels so as you bring your levels down it creates the sensation of a hypo. This can give you a very strong urge for sugar which is a lot more than a taste thing.
Click to expand...
Strong desire. It has always been my go to food. Especially at night. I was doing so well when first diagnosed. Iv lost weight and defo on a healthier eating lifestyle and exercise. Just recently been wanting chocolate. I just need to suck it up and sort it out
 
Hunger; whether that's craving sweet, savoury or both; is a typical symptom of hyperglycemia.

Check your BG to confirm.
 
I don’t really have an answer. I loved my chocolate before diabetes was diagnosed and I mean loved. But for me I had to cut it out completely to start with. Having a little bit would have just left me to gradually increasing my intake so I decided it wasn’t worth it. I do keep a bar of Lindt 70% cocoa chocolate in the fridge and have a little bit every few days. Surprisingly I have discovered that I don’t really miss it.
 
Flower said:
Hi Cats and welcome 🙂

Can you try a higher % cocoa, dark chocolate 70% upwards. It may take up a while to adapt to the taste if you're used to milk chocolate but if you can get used to it, it causes less of a blood sugar spike in moderation. If dark chocolate isn't your thing could you try a low calorie hot chocolate drink such as Highlights. Tastes very sweet and chocolatey and takes a while to drink .

Here's a few tips from the Diabetes UK site- it's about Easter but it deals with chocolate.

Here are our top tips for controlling your chocolate consumption…

  1. Wean yourself onto good-quality dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa is best). It has a stronger taste than milk chocolate, so you won't need to eat as much to satisfy your craving.
  2. If you like your chocolate bar to have a filling, choose fruit rather than nuts because fruit is lower in calories and fat than nuts. For example, choose chocolate-coated cherries, raspberries, or cranberries rather than chocolate-coated Brazil nuts or peanuts but check the fruit has not been coated in sugar. Chocolate-coated rice cakes or chocolate chip rice and corn are lower in fat and calories though do check labels as savings are not so significant that you don’t need to worry about your portion sizes.
  3. Try out lower-fat chocolate alternatives such as lower-fat chocolate yogurts and mousse, sundaes and low-calorie instant hot chocolate drinks
  4. Eat slowly and without distraction – let the chocolate melt in your mouth to give yourself time to enjoy the taste and texture.
  5. Store your chocolate in the fridge because it will then take even longer to melt in your mouth.
  6. Try to save chocolate-eating for after a meal, when you will naturally be less hungry.
  7. Decide how much you are going to eat and put the rest of the chocolate away, out of reach. This should help prevent you from having 'just one more piece' and wolfing down the whole lot before you realise it.
  8. Maybe grate chocolate to make it go further and add to fruit so you’ve got the taste but the bulk of the fruit to help fill you up. Read the labels on chocolate – if you are carb-counting and taking insulin, this will help you adjust your insulin doses.
Click to expand...

Excellent advise from Flower and other members, also welcome to the forum.
 
I love chocolate too. I eat a lot less of it than I used to by only eating the good stuff. For me that means Hotel Chocolat or (mainly to keep Mr Radders happy) Thornton’s. We only eat it at weekends and with very careful portion control (3 chocolates each) and I find that works for me. I have also trained my tastebuds to like dark chocolate, which I never previously enjoyed, and I allow myself a square a day of that after dinner during the week.
Now I find I prefer the darker Hotel Chocolat and find some of the Thornton’s a bit sweet: I only like the very nutty ones.
 
I eat dark chocolate too - both Green & Black's and Divine make bars which are mostly cocoa - I like the 85% best but can't get one which is mint flavoured so I get 85% cocoa plain dark and 70% cocoa mint chocolate. I think having chocolate's fine so long as you can keep yourself to a couple of squares and you're not tempted to eat the whole bar!

The DUK advice Flower posted is mostly good, but I'm a bit dubious about a couple of them, especially the ones about fruit - fruit may be lower in calories and fat than nuts, but it's higher in carbs, and it's carbs which are the problem for diabetics! If I ate chocolate with fruit in or grated chocolate over fruit, I'd need to inject extra insulin to stop my blood sugar spiking. But I eat lots of nuts and don't put on weight, and I can eat nuts (or eat plain or mint chocolate) without needing any extra insulin.

Also watch out for low fat alternatives, as these often have extra sugar added to give them flavour, so don't just assume they'll be suitable for diabetics, always check the packet for total no. of carbs, and go for the low carb ones.
 
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