Category: Diabetes

Yesterday, I wrote a post about the potential addictive nature of sugar. I won’t get into that aspect again, since y’all can simply go read yesterday’s post if you haven’t already. But after having that post go live, I had some folks as for examples of the different names that companies use for sugar in their ingredients. As I wrote in my post Fruit Juice Is Bad For You from two weeks ago, foods that are advertised as “No Sugar Added” or “Natural” won’t necessarily be sugar-free.

In that spirit, I thought I would share a list of different names that companies use in their ingredient lists to replace the word “sugar.” This is not a comprehensive list, simply the ones I’ve seen or are aware of. Here we go… (takes a deep breath)

Dextrose, Fructose, Glucose, Lactose, Maltose, Sucrose, pretty much any word with “ose” at the end… Cane juice or Cane sugar, Corn Syrup, Maltol, pretty much anything followed by the word “syrup”, Caramel, Cane juice, Honey, Molasses… (exhales and tries to catch his breath).

Those were just the ones that I know about. I found an article posted by VirtaHealth.com that lists 56 different names for sugar. You can give it a gander and see for yourself. Some of them sound like perfectly normal foodstuffs and you wouldn’t assume that they refer to sugar. And since the ingredient list usually runs from highest to lowest amount, the closer to the beginning of the ingredient list that the word is found, the higher the content. Something to keep in mind when trying to reduce your sugar consumption. ☯

Sugar. Ahh, my old nemesis… Since I was diagnosed as a Type-1 Diabetic at the chaotic age of 4-years old, I never really got to experience that sweet side of life throughout my childhood. In fact, on the few, rare occasions where my blood dropped and the only recourse was to enjoy a regular Dr. Pepper or have a good old fashion candy bar, it would usually make my week. I made it past my teen years before having anything sweeter than fruit became possible. Since carb-counting wasn’t a thing in my household, the total and complete elimination of sugar in my diet was one of the key ways that my parents dealt with my condition.

It’s no secret that sugar has a measurable and real effect on the body, whether you have Diabetes or not. This has been proven time and again, and there have been studies that I’ve read that show that sugar has been shown to have an addictive effect as well as many others, on the body.

According to an article posted by WebMD, the average person consumes 17 teaspoons of sugar a day, which is significantly more than the recommended 12 teaspoons. Granted, that’s an American statistic but I’m sure it still applies to the majority of the Western world. And since the population seems to be hell-bent on consuming copious amounts of sugar, let’s examine some of the effects it has on the body.

According to that same article, eating sugar causes a release of dopamine, which is the “feel-good” hormone. Because of this, you’ll be likely to want more and more sugar in order to continue riding the dopamine train. This will cause the “sugar high” that my son seems to love using as a weapon of mass destruction, followed by a sugar crash, which can adversely affect your mood and make you feel down. This, in result, will cause you to seek out more sugar to counter the crash. Wash, rinse and repeat.

In addition, sugar consumption has been linked to dental issues, joint pain, skin issues, liver and heart disease. And it’s no secret that excess sugar consumption has been linked to weight-gain. And if I have to explain the issue with eating excess amounts of sugar if you have any type of Diabetes, then you probably need to go back and read some of my previous posts. Which you should be doing anyway. Go ahead, I’ll wait…

There have been some studies that have shown that sugar can be as addictive as cocaine (hence, today’s title). I tried my damnedest to find the studies I read, but I couldn’t track down the one that referred to it. But there’s no denying that some people enjoy the dopamine release and the short burst of energy that sugar can bring, and have difficulty staying away when it isn’t present. This is why you’re likely to grab a donut on your afternoon break as opposed to carrot sticks.

Can sugar have an addictive component? Yes. Granted, it often depends on who you talk to. The idea is not to try and completely eliminate sugar from your diet (whether you have Diabetes or not), but to consume in moderation in the same way as you would do with everything else. It can also be difficult to truly know how much sugar you’re consuming since it can be labelled as so many different things that you may not even know that you’re eating sugar! Modern Diabetic therapy has made it possible for people to eat in the same way as everyone else, provided they test their blood sugars regularly and adjust their insulin levels. ☯

Low blood glucose is probably my biggest pet-peeve in terms of Diabetic symptoms. I’ve been fortunate enough that with the exception of a bit of Diabetic Macular Edema, I haven’t had to deal with the more extreme Diabetic side effects. But given that I’m a fitness enthusiast with just a hint of crazy, low blood sugar is definitely one of my most-visited Diabetic symptoms.

So, how does one best treat a low? The standard answer is the rule of 15/15. Provide 15 grams of fast-acting glucose and wait 15 minutes. If your blood sugar is still low, then repeat. This isn’t always feasible, since you may be in the middle of a 60-kilometre bike ride with no place to rest or take shelter, and you need to boost your blood glucose NOW! So what’s the best answer for getting some fast-acting glucose into your system?

For myself, I like to use regular jellybeans. The ones usually put out by Dare or Ganong. They usually sit at about 2 grams of carbs per jellybean, so wolfing down about a dozen usually does the trick. I find they work the fastest and the best for me in particular, especially in the middle of the night. Grabbing two handfuls puts me at just over a dozen jellybeans, which allows me to safely go back to sleep.

Every body is different, and every Diabetic will be just as different. What this means for you is that you may need to experiment and try a few different sources of fast-acting carbohydrate to figure out what works best for you. Maybe jujubes will be preferable over jellybeans, or maybe it’s apple sauce, like one of my fellow bloggers prefers.

What you want to try and avoid, is any source of glucose that is high in fat, like chocolate. Although chocolate will have the desired effect, it’ll simply take a whole lot longer since the body will need to break down the fat before getting to the glucose. And since chocolate is essentially a brick of sugary fat, your blood may continue to drop while your body is trying to process the fat before giving you what you need.

Glucose tablets can be ideal, although they don’t seem to work well for me. I usually have to eat the entire package before I feel or see any noticeable difference. And that’s the thing: what works for you depends on your metabolism, how low your blood sugar may be and how quickly you need it to rise. If you’re lounging at home, binging Netflix, chocolate may be a perfectly acceptable option for you. It’s pretty subjective.

At the end of the day, monitoring your blood sugars through a CGM or by testing via finger-prick multiple times throughout the day is an absolute must to ensure you maintain good blood glucose levels. But if you’re suffering a low and need to get yourself up there a bit faster, be sure to chose a fat-free option that can be easily and quickly consumed. ☯

Most people are not prone to revealing their medical conditions to people. And I can’t say I don’t understand where they’re coming from. Some people are fearful of how others will act and react around them once they know. Others feel that perhaps they’ll be treated differently at work and potentially get passed up for promotions and special duties if certain medical conditions are known.

In Canada, the Labour Code and the Charter of Rights prohibits such discriminatory behaviour on the grounds of a medical condition, but if you were to strap your boss’ appendages to a polygraph and ask if that was the reason, you might be surprised. And in some cases, most cases I would think, this stems from ignorance about conditions such as Diabetes. So in a way, employers may think they’re protecting you as well as their business by ensuring they don’t put you in a position where you could bring harm to yourself.

Truth be told, I’ve always been of the opinion that full disclosure on what’s going on with me is the best policy. This simplifies matters, especially in cases where I need to request time off for something like my eye injections. In addition to that, I’ve been in a position on more than one occasion in my youth, where I’ve suffered Diabetic issues and the people around me didn’t know what was going on. Not a pleasant situation to be in.

So this begs two question: How much should you tell your employer/friends/family? And what should these folks do in a situation where you are having a Diabetic episode? The answer to the first one may be my opinion. The answer to the second is common sense and SHOULD be observed, regardless of what environment you work in.

First, let’s make something clear: you are under no obligation to share your medical information with an employer. The Labour Code and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms are reasonably clear on that. But you can click on the links to research that on your own. But should you choose to disclose your Diabetes to an employer, it can be a life-saving choice, as we all need some help every once in a while. I’ve been in situations where although I’m conscious and able to speak, I was sure grateful to have someone get my glucose to help me out. This can be an important consideration and you should bear it in mind before deciding that you don’t want to bring up your Diabetes.

The next point, and I’ve been asked this more times than I can count, is what to do if you find someone suffering from Diabetic symptoms (extreme high or low blood sugar). This is what would be referred to as hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia. Both are pretty terrible and carry their own set of complications, and there are differing opinions on what you should do if you come across someone you believe is suffering from either.

What I usually try to explain to people is that they’ll always be faced with one of two scenarios. Either I’m conscious, in which case I’ll get them to help me get what I need, or I’m unconscious. If a suspected, Diabetic patient is unconscious, I don’t care what literature you’ve read that says otherwise, DON’T TRY TO GIVE THEM ANYTHING!!! If you can’t ascertain if their blood is too high or too low, trying to treat them blindly can cause more damage.

For a while, there was a school of thought that said to give a Diabetic some glucose as you would either treat a low or if they were running high, first responders could treat it when they got on scene. Are you kidding me? If they’re in rough shape from high blood sugars, the amount of damage you can do to them by giving them additional glucose would be catastrophic.

If you’re familiar with Diabetes and the equipment we use, you could potentially test their blood. Most glucometers are reasonably fool-proof these days. Just stick the test strip into the slot and the meter will tell you what to do anyway. In this way, you can ascertain if they’re running too high or too low, and this can be of great help to first responders and you’ll know if providing glucose would be a good idea or not. But if you blindly give glucose, you could cause issues like DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis), organ failure, nerve damage and even heart attacks and strokes. Not a chance I’d want anyone taking with MY life if they were there.

If you were on the ball enough to call 911, first responders will be there in due course to deal with matters. The best option is to keep the person safe and clear of any danger and make sure to pass on whatever symptoms you may have documented to first responders so they can best do their job. And if you work/live with someone who has Diabetes, ask some questions. Most of us will gladly answer them as we not only prefer to clear up any confusion, most of us understand that it could be of great help to us in an emergency.

And if you HAVE Diabetes, consider letting your employer know. You may not HAVE to, but doing so could potentially save your life. And let’s be honest; there’s no shame in having Diabetes. Contrary to how it’s sometimes portrayed in the media, having Type-1 Diabetes is not your fault and it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. A little food for thought on your Wednesday morning. ☯

Wait, what??? How can juice be bad for you? It’s natural, made of fruit and contains all sorts of vitamins and stuff, which last time I checked, was SUPPOSED to be good for you. Right? Well, maybe those particular aspects are good for a person in general. But for someone with Diabetes, fruit juices can be less than ideal because of all the sugar they contain. And despite the fact that I titled this post in relation to juice, this applies to a number of different foods, sometimes without the consumer even realizing it.

I was recently caught by surprise when my mother decided to send me a couple of packages of “No Sugar Added” sugar wafers (yes, I still get care packages from my mommy, they’re mostly for my kids!) First and foremost, the fact that they’re called “sugar wafers” should have set off some alarm bells in my mother’s head. But bless her big heart, she’s still stuck in the 1980’s mindset where words like “sugar-free” actually mean, well… sugar-free!

When examining the wafers’ nutritional facts on the back of the package, I realized that three of these wafers, which is what they consider a “serving size” contained about 24 grams of carbohydrates. Somewhat significant when you have to take bolusing insulin into consideration. Since that’s about the same amount of carbs contained in most store-bought cream cookies, I found myself asking where the benefit was.

Out of curiosity, I purchased a couple of regular packages of sugar wafers from my local grocery store. These were run-of-the-mill and had no indications of being reduced sugar or “no sugar added.” To ensure I didn’t hit a fluke, I bought more than one package, in different flavours. To my surprise, the regular sugar wafers showed a portion size of 4 wafers at 22 grams of carbs. Yes, you read that right and it isn’t a typo.

According to new math, the “no sugar added” alternative sits at 8 grams of carbs per wafer, with the regular ones sitting at about 5.5 grams per wafer. I was somewhat taken aback to realize that the “no sugar added” wafers had a higher carb count than regular ones. The problem is that if they eliminate sugar from their recipe, most companies will need to find an alternative to replace the lost sweetness. And that alternative can sometimes add to the overall carb count.

Another issue I once ran into was something I thought was carb-free when it really wasn’t. I bet that most people who measure and monitor their carbohydrate intake would be of the opinion that vegetables are carb-free, right? I would certainly think so. Have all the carrots, broccoli and brussel sprouts that you can handle, my friend. Those will certainly be carb-free. But did you know that many vegetables are pretty carb-loaded?

Just one cup of corn kernels contains 36 grams of carbohydrates! I learned this the hard way when I decided to have a “carb-free” meal of vegetable soup, only to have a blood sugar spike soon after. There was corn in the soup. Frickin’ corn!!! I also recently purchased a bag of lentils to try out in some recipes, since they’re packed with protein AND the recipes were sitting on my Endocrinologist’s coffee table.

But the bag of green lentils I purchased show that only half a cup of lentils contain 35 grams of carbohydrate! That’s a pretty significant jump, just to sass up my burger patties or add a little something to my soup. And there are a number of foods that fall under this category that one would tend to assume would be low or carb-free. This is why it’s so important to check the nutritional information on everything you eat and keep a close eye out.

I tried explaining the issue to my mother when she asked me how I had enjoyed the wafers. Her response was, “That’s impossible. The package clearly says No Sugar Added!” My mother still lives with a mindset that all Diabetes means is “don’t eat sugar and take insulin,” and everything will be peachy. The concepts of carb counting and anything other than sugar causing an issue doesn’t compute. But it’s certainly something to keep an eye on, especially if you want to maintain reasonable blood sugar levels. ☯