How to cope with this taste-stealing aspect of diabetes and make it a natural part of your life.
When you first heard the news, it was devastating. You’d worked hard to maintain your good health throughout life and thought you were doing pretty well. Then your physician informs you that you have diabetes. As if the confusion of a newly diagnosed medical condition weren’t enough, you find out you may have to forego some of the greatest and purest pleasures in life – the candy jar and ice cream parlor.
As hard as it is to picture life without sugar, you can survive without eating too much of it. You can even cut back on your sugar consumption and live a happy life. If going sugar free has you down, keep these thoughts in mind to stay away from the neighborhood bakery.
Sugar Free Is the New Sugar
Unlike the good old days, it is no longer impossible to find something devoid of sugar that is packed with great flavor. On almost every aisle at the grocery store, you can find sugar-free alternatives to your favorite foods – including those to-die-for desserts.
The flavors to some of the treats may take a while to grow accustomed to, but retraining your pallet will give you the upper hand in the sugar-management department. When you can’t find a sugar-free choice to appease your need for sweets, try making something at home. Just watch out that you don’t accidentally drop sugar cubes into the mix.
Millions Are by Your Side
You’re scared and alone, and you’re surrounded by people who are eating whatever they want. Or are they? Taking a closer look, you will probably notice a different picture. There’s the man in the corner, the young lady at the booth behind you, and the talkative group in the next section over. You may think they’re chowing down on sugar-filled treats, but look again.
More than likely a few of them are bypassing sweets to keep their blood sugar under control. They may be admiring the wonderful desserts other folks are enjoying, but they’re not partaking. Or if they are, they’re regretting their decision. So remember – you’re not alone. Diabetes forces nearly 18 million Americans to rethink their sugar-eating ways. (Another 5.7 million aren’t aware of their condition.) Being one of them doesn’t mean you made a mistake. It just means you have to avoid mistakes in the future.
It’s For Your Good Health
While doctors often get pegged as spoilsports, they really aren’t. And when your doctor says you need to lay off the sugar, it’s because you do. Think you know better than your doctor? Think swallowing a box of bonbons each day isn’t going to do you any harm? You’re not alone. However, people who choose to go their own way when managing their diabetes face a series of serious complications, ranging from kidney issues to foot ulcers and more.
Though most of the side effects of diabetes are treatable, the treatment can often be tedious and take a very long time. So staying away from sugar isn’t a way for your physician to lord control over your diet. It’s a way for you to maintain control over your good health and your life – today, tomorrow, and beyond.
It’s Not All or Nothing
Okay, you’ve considered what to remember when you’re trying to avoid sugars due to your diabetes. But as you probably know, you don’t have to avoid those high-sugar morsels altogether. Every once in a while, it’s okay to have a sweet splurge, but they should be limited to a bite or two.
If you’re unable to completely avoid sugars, remember the price you’ll have to pay. Any time you eat sugars, you’ll need to cut out some of the carbohydrates you were planning to eat. Since it is difficult to maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet when you’re not getting your normal amount of carbs, you should be very selective in your choice of sugary treats or do what you can to avoid them completely.
