Do ya’ll indulge in packaged sugar-free foods (i.e. candies and cookies)? So far I’ve had chocolates and cookies but I limit them.
If i want something sweet as long as my blood sugar has been behaving I eat regular sugar, but only in moderation and only if my sugars have been stable.
The trouble with sugar free cookies and ice cream is that they contain the same amount of carbs as the sugary kind and therefore they raise your BG just as much. Sugar free chocolates contain sugar alcohols which can cause intestinal problems. When I want something sweet I usually have some fruit. That raises my BG also but at least it is nutritious. I just can’t eat any baked goods, including bread, without getting a huge spike, even with insulin.
I keep sugar free mints in my bag for the sole purpose of having one if I’m going to fall asleep in class and if drinking water (my usual remedy) repeatedly doesn’t help. And I have a jar of sugar-free jam in my fridge for times when I bring a peanut butter and jelly sandwich along for breakfast on my way to school. I also have the occasional diet coke.
Other than that, I stay away from sugar-free products. Sugar-free chocolate messes with my digestive system and is high in fat. There’s no sugar-free ice cream in supermarkets where I come from so I think that is good for me.
Like Libby, if I want something sweet I usually turn to fruit. No dried fruit though because that makes me spike a lot. At least fruit is nutritious and the ones I choose to eat do not spike me much.
It does seem that the sugarless candy and cookies I’ve checked out do have just as many carbs as the regular, so what’s the point? There are some sugarfree, reduced fat ice creams that have less carbs and I’ve tried them but I have trouble keeping to a reasonable portion, so I am way better off without them around.
Since the “sugar free” foods are full of starches that raise blood sugar just as high as sugar, they are a rip off.
Also, those that contain maltitol may raise your blood sugar as high as real sugar. Ditto Lacitol.
I’ve put together a page about the sugar alcohols used in fraudulent “sugar free foods” here:
The term sugar-free can be deceptive for Diabetics. Just because it’s labeled sugar-free doesn’t mean it won’t raise your BG. You need to check the calories and carbohydrates on the label to make sure it will fit within your diet.