Help please with understanding sugar levels in food.

[CaffeineInfusion]

Just that really.

I usually cook from scratch, but if I do buy something packaged, I look at the traffic light system. Now, however, I am looking at sugar levels specifically, but I don't understand.

For example, a tin of mixed beans. Half a can is 7.2g of sugar. In real terms, what does that mean for me? It's coded green.

I suppose I need to know really, how much sugar is acceptable as a daily intake.

I am newly diagnosed, and floundering, but attempting to meal plan for the week ahead.

TIA.

Pretty much all packaged foods are likely to have sugar in. Anything that is grown above ground, meat, fish, cheese, cream has none. 7.2g is around 1.5 tea spoons of sugar which is a lot, especially if your diabetec. I would really recommend looking into a keto diet if your type 2 as you could likely reverse your diabetes. Good luck!

Some info on diabetes U.K.

The maximum recommended daily amount of sugar is 30g for adults – which works out at just seven teaspoons a day. Given that a tablespoon of ketchup contains around one teaspoon of sugar, a chocolate biscuit has up to two, and a small serving of baked beans almost three, you can see how quickly the teaspoons tot up
www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/eating-with-diabetes/food-groups/sugar-and-diabetes

www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/food-shopping-for-diabetes/understanding-food-labels

@roxybear

Pretty much all packaged foods are likely to have sugar in. Anything that is grown above ground, meat, fish, cheese, cream has none. 7.2g is around 1.5 tea spoons of sugar which is a lot, especially if your diabetec. I would really recommend looking into a keto diet if your type 2 as you could likely reverse your diabetes. Good luck!

That anything grown above ground doesn't contain sugar is not true. And this is really bad advice for someone with diabetes. Please look at the diabetes uk website for proper information. And your GP will also be able to point you in the direction of community support. Diabetes is a serious illness but with correct diet you could even reverse it, and definitely get it under control. Try and learn what happening inside your body and it will make much more sense of what it is possible for you to eat

Thankyou. Exactly what I wanted.

Max 30g. I can work with that.

I'm probably working along the lines of a keto diet, but I also have to feed my family, so can't go too strict too quickly. There would be uproar🤣

Sugar is not what you are interested in - you need to look total carbohydrate... all carbohydrates end up as sugar ultimately! For some carbs this is quick and for others eg complex carbs this is a bit slowly but it all turns to sugar.
Consider switching to a low carb diet and remove bread, pasta, potatoes & rice as well as sugar.
Get yourself a cheap meter and strips and rest before a meal and 2 hours afterwards and record everything on my fitness pal or carb counter and then you can see what impact foods have on your blood sugar levels..
Was just in the diabetic range when diagnosed and am now “normal” with moderate low carb....

Test not rest .... and actually a 15 min walk pose eating helps to reduce levels as well

There are all sorts of apps now which can tell you how much carbohydrate are in your meals.

@CaffeineInfusion I do keto and just adapt my meals slightly as my family would be so upset without the carbs 🤣 best thing I ever did. The energy increase is so good for me. I feel quite low when I have carbs in my diet. Also lost a lot of weight and I find it so easy to do once you know what's good for you etc. Everyone is different though! Once you're about 1 week in, you literally have no desire to eat sugar at all.

@MamaNell sorry I meant the fish, meat, dairy stuff. Above ground foods tend to be very low in carbs compared to underground veg.

A further question, on a similar vein...

2 weetabix is 26g carb of which 1.6g sugar.

I've been looking at the of which sugar line. Based on a previous comment, I could theoretically have 30 g sugar daily. BUT... where do the carbs fit in? Is there an approx daily amount for that too?

Or am I just totally confused.

Please help, I cannot exist on cauliflower rice for the rest of my life🤣

I need to get my head straight, I have 3 months before I see the diabetes nurse again and I want to see a difference myself. 👍

Thanks guys.

Oh, probably should add, I am planning to start the 800 cal no (low) carb diet tomorrow morning, not squeezing in as much sugar as I can... 😂(send help... 🙊)

Here is a link to a diabetes recipe/ meal planner. Maybe if you are finding it overwhelming you could just follow this? www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/eating-with-diabetes/i-have-type-2-diabetes#breakfast

There is also a postcode checker on the website that will link you to groups and support near you so you can get in person advice.
Good luck

What was your hb1ac and did you eat lots of carbs? Are you overweight? How active are you?
I was diagnosed with hb1ac of 48 so just diabetic but was very overweight - I am now in the normal range for hb1ac and still a bit fat. I try to eat less than 100g of carbs a day which is moderate low carb as I check my blood sugars periodically and know I can live like this long term. For keto it is typically between 20-50g a day depending on individuals. Moderate low carb allows me an odd slice of toast, full fat yoghurt and loads of veg ( still eat carrots!) and keeps my blood sugars at a non diabetic level. I think the answer is to test to see how you react to carbs so you can keep blood sugars down. I can’t eat weetabix but other people can - we are all individual. Pick a lifestyle you can live with long term ....

Good luck with the 800 cals - very brave!
Fill up with loads of veg - veg soup a lifesaver for me 😋

Hi everyone! Well done for your effort in being mindful of your sugar intake whilst following a ketogenic diet.

I'm a neuro nutritionist at brain feed and I recently wrote an article 'can the ketogenic diet enhance brain function?' brain-feed.com/what-keto-and-ketosis-can-do-for-the-brain/

This article provides you with an insight into how a reduced sugar intake in the ketogenic diet may play a role in your memory and mood stability. Has anyone noticed such changes whilst following a keto diet?

Don't look at the front package nutrition- always look at the back info in full. You want total carb value. All carbs break down into glucose.....which will raise your blood sugar. The of sugar content infers the GI...so something with a higher content is likely high GI and will cause a faster glucose rise

I’m type 1 and I count carbs and adjust insulin dose to them.