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EveryDay Diet

Can I Get Diabetes From Too Much Sugar?

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Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

That sounds like a simple enough question, right? First, eating sugar does not cause diabetes. That can be confusing because diabetes is too much sugar in our blood. But all carbohydrates break down into sugars, even nonsweet foods like potatoes and beans – during digestion, and the amount of that sugar that is glucose is absorbed directly into our blood. So, we have to manage the carbohydrates in our diet in order to manage blood sugar levels.

One risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, however, is excess body weight. And if we consider the most common foods in what has come to be called the “Western Diet” it’s a safe bet to say that sugar plays a significant role for many people in accumulating that excess body weight. There is suspicion that a different sugar – fructose- plays an outsized role in “metabolic syndrome” and type 2 diabetes as well.

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Pimento Cheese

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Those of you from the southern US will already have a special recipe for pimento cheese, but think about this simple formula for a healthier version. Those who aren’t familiar with the little “cherry pepper” should get ready for a real treat.

This recipe comes to you just in time for holiday Hors d’Oeuvres, so watch this video and let Toby give some tips on how to gain new friends with this special spread.

Spicy Sweet Potatoes

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Watch Toby prepare these delicious and spicy sweet potato bites, a recipe from fellow Registered Dietitian Mary Lynn Farivari

Whole Wheat French Toast with Quick Berry Sauce

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On the menu this week for Valentine’s Day is this sweet and red French toast recipe that is easy enough for someone to make and serve to you in bed. Sweets are not off of the menu for diabetes-friendly eating, but we prefer getting our sweetness from healthy whole foods like the strawberries and raspberries included in the berry sauce. Enjoy….it’s two servings per person for you and your Valentine!

More Evidence Suggests the Mediterranean Diet is an Effective Diabetes Management Strategy

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Dr. Olubukola Ajala, a diabetes specialist at Western Sussex Hospitals in the UK and her colleagues evaluated the results of 20 studies comparing the effect of seven popular diets on adults with type 2 diabetes. Mediterranean diets, low-carb diets, high-protein diets and low glycemic index diets were all effective lowering participants’ blood sugar.

However, the people on a Mediterranean eating for at least six months plan also lost an average of 4 pounds, where none of the other diets had a significant impact on weight. A Mediterranean-style diet features fruits, vegetables and legumes, whole grains, fish, and replacing saturated fat and sodium with healthy olive oil and herbs. Saturated fats from red meat and dairy products are typically less than eight percent of total calories consumed.

The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, also noted that low-carb, low-glycemic and Mediterranean diets all led to increases in markers of heart health – higher HDL (“good”) cholesterol rose by 4 percent to 10 percent, and triglycerides fell by up to 9 percent.

Some experts suggest that the success of Mediterranean-style diets is partially because the eating plan is easy to maintainDr. Olubukola Ajala, a diabetes specialist at Western Sussex Hospitals in the UK and her colleagues evaluated the results of 20 studies comparing the effect of seven popular diets on adults with type 2 diabetes. Mediterranean diets, low-carb diets, high-protein diets and low glycemic index diets were all effective lowering participants’ blood sugar.

However, the people on a Mediterranean eating for at least six months plan also lost an average of 4 pounds, where none of the other diets had a significant impact on weight. A Mediterranean-style diet features fruits, vegetables and legumes, whole grains, fish, and replacing saturated fat and sodium with healthy olive oil and herbs. Saturated fats from red meat and dairy products are typically less than eight percent of total calories consumed.

The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, also noted that low-carb, low-glycemic and Mediterranean diets all led to increases in markers of heart health – higher HDL (“good”) cholesterol rose by 4 percent to 10 percent, and triglycerides fell by up to 9 percent.

Some experts suggest that the success of Mediterranean-style diets is partially because the eating plan is easy to maintain

Smoked Salmon Buckwheat Beggar’s Purses

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Join Toby as she prepares this amazing dish from the New Sonoma Cookbook by Connie Guttersen, PhD, RD. The combination of smokey, rich cream cheese, nutty buckwheat and fresh cucumber is indescribable. Try it yourself and think about

so you can have a week’s worth of diabetes perfect recipes waiting for you every Saturday morning.

Join Toby as she prepares this amazing dish from the New Sonoma Cookbook by Connie Guttersen, PhD, RD. The combination of smokey, rich cream cheese, nutty buckwheat and fresh cucumber is indescribable.