# Diablo sugar free treats



## Mat.H (Jun 19, 2022)

Hi there.  I was diagnosed with type 2 about 8 weeks ago and have been avoiding anything sugary (biscuits/sweets and cakes in particular) I have been bought some Diablo sugar free cookies and cream biscuits as part of my Fathers Day present.  It looks like they are ok for diabetics, but could anyone confirm this? (I’m sure if they are it’s moderation in eating them?) and any recommendations on sweet treats that are ok.  I have stuck to fruit for my sweet treats so far to help with weight loss.  Thanks


----------



## grovesy (Jun 19, 2022)

I have never heard of this make, but I suggest you check in info on the package as some so called sugar free stuff can have a laxative effect.


----------



## Lucyr (Jun 19, 2022)

Looks like there’s a warning on the packet about the laxative effect that is common with sugar free foods because of the sweeteners so I’d stick to one at a time and see how they go


----------



## Mat.H (Jun 19, 2022)

Lucyr said:


> Looks like there’s a warning on the packet about the laxative effect that is common with sugar free foods because of the sweeteners so I’d stick to one at a time and see how they go


Thanks, think that’s all I would have anyway as dont want to get into the habit of snacking on sweet treats, more of an occasional treat, but I dont want to eat them if they still have an effect on my diabetes, I’d rather stick to fruit


----------



## Lucyr (Jun 19, 2022)

Mat.H said:


> Thanks, think that’s all I would have anyway as dont want to get into the habit of snacking on sweet treats, more of an occasional treat, but I dont want to eat them if they still have an effect on my diabetes, I’d rather stick to fruit


Fruit can be very sugary so depending on what fruit you snack on there may not be much difference in how biscuits or fruit affect your blood sugar.


----------



## Leadinglights (Jun 19, 2022)

I remember looking those up once before and although sugar free they were actually quite high carb, I would check the packet for the TOTAL carbs per biscuit .


----------



## helli (Jun 19, 2022)

Mat.H said:


> t I dont want to eat them if they still have an effect on my diabetes,


Everyone’s diabetes is different.
For example, some people have porridge every morning with no impact on their blood sugar levels but others have found it sends their sky high.

Looking at the total carbs ( all carbs turn to sugar so the “of which is sugar” is irrelevant) is a good indication but it is best to test yourself rather than relying on what someone says happens to them. As you say it is what happens to *your* diabetes that matters.


----------



## Mat.H (Jun 19, 2022)

helli said:


> Everyone’s diabetes is different.
> For example, some people have porridge every morning with no impact on their blood sugar levels but others have found it sends their sky high.
> 
> Looking at the total carbs ( all carbs turn to sugar so the “of which is sugar” is irrelevant) is a good indication but it is best to test yourself rather than relying on what someone says happens to them. As you say it is what happens to *your* diabetes that matters.


Thanks for the reply.  I was told by the diabetes nurse I don’t need to monitor by blood sugars as I’m on metformin p, and this is the bit I’m finding difficult as I don’t know what effect the foods I am eating are having on the diabetes, I feel like I’m guessing to an extent and hoping it’s working


----------



## Mat.H (Jun 19, 2022)

Lucyr said:


> Fruit can be very sugary so depending on what fruit you snack on there may not be much difference in how biscuits or fruit affect your blood sugar.


I was told by the diabetes nurse that berries are fine (strawberries, raspberries and blueberries I tend to go for) apples and oranges or satsumas. I was told to watch how many bananas I eat as they are high in carbs so i make sure I do t eat too many of them. Are these fruits ok or any I should avoid?


----------



## Leadinglights (Jun 19, 2022)

Mat.H said:


> I was told by the diabetes nurse that berries are fine (strawberries, raspberries and blueberries I tend to go for) apples and oranges or satsumas. I was told to watch how many bananas I eat as they are high in carbs so i make sure I do t eat too many of them. Are these fruits ok or any I should avoid?


You have got it about right, berries are lowest, apples, pears, oranges middleish  but all tropical fruits pretty high, bananas are a no go for some people. Water melon is not too bad. But as you rightly say without testing you don't know how something will affect you, that is why many people do ignore the DON'T TEST and get themselves a blood glucose monitor , Inexpensive ones with the cheapest test strips are the GlucoNavii or TEE2 available on line. The kit comes with only a few strips and lancets so you should buy more at the outset. 
The other thing you may find useful is Carbs and Cals book or app as it gives carb values for a whole range of foods with portion sizes, it is my bible and allows better food choices. 
Getting the carb info from Shop websites or the internet is also something which becomes habit. Make sure you look for the TOTAL carbs in the nutritional information.


----------



## Mat.H (Jun 19, 2022)

Leadinglights said:


> You have got it about right, berries are lowest, apples, pears, oranges middleish  but all tropical fruits pretty high, bananas are a no go for some people. Water melon is not too bad. But as you rightly say without testing you don't know how something will affect you, that is why many people do ignore the DON'T TEST and get themselves a blood glucose monitor , Inexpensive ones with the cheapest test strips are the GlucoNavii or TEE2 available on line. The kit comes with only a few strips and lancets so you should buy more at the outset.
> The other thing you may find useful is Carbs and Cals book or app as it gives carb values for a whole range of foods with portion sizes, it is my bible and allows better food choices.
> Getting the carb info from Shop websites or the internet is also something which becomes habit. Make sure you look for the TOTAL carbs in the nutritional information.


Thanks, that’s really useful and very helpful. I’ll look up that test you mentioned online and look at ordering one and the carbs and calls app looks like a must


----------



## Leadinglights (Jun 19, 2022)

Mat.H said:


> Thanks, that’s really useful and very helpful. I’ll look up that test you mentioned online and look at ordering one and the carbs and calls app looks like a must


What I didn't say was that by testing before you eat and after 2 hours is the way to assess if your meal has been tolerated. The increase should be no more than 2-3mmol/l and as your levels come down then a post meal level of no more than 8-8.5 mmol/l. Before meals and fasting (morning reading) the range to aim at is 4-7mmol/l


----------



## harbottle (Jun 19, 2022)

I’ve seen that Diablo stuff in a large cheap ‘bazaar’ in Burnley and in a shop called Grape Tree this weekend. The carbs are ‘polyols’ which don’t affect blood sugar, apparently, as they aren’t absorbed. 

I didn’t bother with them - prefer to just have some real dark chocolate.


----------



## Mat.H (Jun 19, 2022)

harbottle said:


> I’ve seen that Diablo stuff in a large cheap ‘bazaar’ in Burnley and in a shop called Grape Tree this weekend. The carbs are ‘polyols’ which don’t affect blood sugar, apparently, as they aren’t absorbed.
> 
> I didn’t bother with them - prefer to just have some real dark chocolate.


Thanks for the reply. I’ve just been reading that high cocoa content dark chocolate is ok, it seemed to say 70% or higher….any you can recommend?


----------



## Leadinglights (Jun 19, 2022)

Mat.H said:


> Thanks for the reply. I’ve just been reading that high cocoa content dark chocolate is ok, it seemed to say 70% or higher….any you can recommend?


Aldi Moser Roth or Lindt are all good.


----------



## everydayupsanddowns (Jun 20, 2022)

I was bought some similar ‘diabetic’ products (chocolate and biscuits etc) soon after diagnosis by well-meaning relatives (before the law was changed to make that description illegal). 

Personally I found them largely unhelpful. they gave me very unpleasant wind (as the undigested sugar alcohols passed through my gut), and actually weren’t very nice. 

Plus as others say it isn’t only the sucrose that affects blood glucose levels. 

I decided that if I was going to have that sort of thing as an occasional treat, I should stick to the ‘real deal’ and just take and glucose disruption on the chin.


----------



## harbottle (Jun 20, 2022)

I like Montezuma the most, but also like a Guylian one, one I get from Waitrose whose name escapes me and Green and Blacks. The Co-Op do one that's quite. Oh, Hotel Chocolat is good as well. 

The ALDI one I've had is OK.

It's quite calorific so you don't need much of it (And it's high in saturated fats.)


----------



## trophywench (Jun 20, 2022)

@Leadinglights - oranges are more or less a tropical fruit.  Yes they grow em in Spain and Portugal as well as eg Israel because it has to be stinking hot for a lot of the time (and a good supply of non salinated (if not completely potable) water..  Lack of stinking heat/water = poor harvest wherever the tree is.


----------



## Leadinglights (Jun 20, 2022)

trophywench said:


> @Leadinglights - oranges are more or less a tropical fruit.  Yes they grow em in Spain and Portugal as well as eg Israel because it has to be stinking hot for a lot of the time (and a good supply of non salinated (if not completely potable) water..  Lack of stinking heat/water = poor harvest wherever the tree is.


According to my Carbs and Cals they are less carbs than apples or pears.


----------



## trophywench (Jun 20, 2022)

According to my body, though, they aren't.


----------



## Rae (Jun 20, 2022)

Leadinglights said:


> Aldi Moser Roth or Lindt are all good.


I've developed a taste for the 90% Lindt. It's so rich you only need 15-20g to get a full chocolate hit. At 14g carb per 100g, it has very little effect on my BG. About the same as 3 grapes XD Something I've learned recently, a lot of the 'diabetic' treats cut out sugar in place of sweetener but are still super high carb, for eg sugar free polo's are 98g carb per 100g - slightly higher than regular ones!


----------



## Rae (Jun 20, 2022)

Mat.H said:


> Thanks, that’s really useful and very helpful. I’ll look up that test you mentioned online and look at ordering one and the carbs and calls app looks like a must


Found the carbs and cals book useful but the app pretty lacking. I'm using Nutracheck which is a fully UK food database even down to fast food restaurants to help you navigate meals out.

As for a monitor, I got a free Contour blue from their website by filling out a few questions. Strips aren't cheap mind, and that's why I couldn't afford to test very often until I went onto insulin and got them on prescription.


----------



## harbottle (Jun 21, 2022)

I got a free contour as well, and agree about the strips. However, I don't test much and find the Contour's results are a lot more consistent than the others I've used.


----------



## helli (Jun 21, 2022)

trophywench said:


> According to my body, though, they aren't.


There are a few things to consider - different types of oranges and different types of bodies and everything else that affects blood sugars
I have found that the carb content of navel oranges is different to satsumas is different to blood oranges is different to mandarins is different to ... The same is true for apples - Granny Smiths have a different impact to Braeburns. 
But when I say "I have found that the carb content" ... what I really mean is "I have have that my body reacts differently to ...". This is why we are advised to test ourselves rather than just rely on a book like carbs and cals.

That said, when there are 42 different things that can affect our blood sugars, relying on blood test meters to accurately tell us how many carbs there are in food, is a bit naive. The impact of a navel orange for me in the morning is different to having one in the afternoon and having it with nuts effects me in a different way again.  

We also have to deal with the (in)accuracies of our meters. 

But that is why we look after ourselves and don't rely on what others (or books) tell us when it comes to what we can eat or how to dose our insulin for it (if we take insulin).


----------



## Wutanga1 (Jun 23, 2022)

Going back to the Diablo.....I have been eating with minimal to no sugar for years, even though I am not diabetic......for other reasons. I do eat food with sweeteners like maltitol, xylitol, erithrol, etc. They are all different. Some are quite high quality in my view: 
- I like Gullon biscuits, which use Maltitol, but Diablo are mostly a bit meh in terms of taste.
- I have a penchant for Cavalier sugar-free Belgian chocs (made with stevia sweetener)

My two cents on the sweeteners are:
- They all have different GI, maltitol which is very common has a higher GI than others but there is a difference between maltitol powder and syrup
- Gas? Maltitol does give you one heck of a windy day......if you eat too much. Re-read that a thousand times. Most people who complain of maltitol-related gas have not read the label and/or think that a reasonable amount means half the pack of whatever it is. Heck, I can eat some jam with sorbitol (which is horrendous for gas/diarrhea......I think they use it in some laxatives!) in it without getting gas - but I keep it to ONE serving. Any more, and I strap myself onto the toilet like I'm about to go through 2 hours of turbulence on a transatlantic flight over the North Atlantic in winter. Xylitol, on the other hand, has never given me a gas problem. And why do these sweeteners give you gas? That's right. Because not all of the maltitol gets broken down in the gut and so the amount that does not get broken down does not get absorbed. By us. It DOES get absorbed by the zillions of bacteria in the gut though, who love it. And they all collectively fart.
- Some of these sweeteners have added benefits. Xylitol has good side effects in terms of mouth bacteria and dental health.
- Some of these sweeteners have potentially lethal disbenefits. Xylitol is very, very bad news for dogs. So when doggy friends come round I treat my xylitol bag and any xylitol-containing foods like they are rat poison and lock them away.


----------



## pawprint91 (Jun 23, 2022)

Rae said:


> Found the carbs and cals book useful but the app pretty lacking. I'm using Nutracheck which is a fully UK food database even down to fast food restaurants to help you navigate meals out.


Whereabouts on the Nutracheck app did you find the restaurants information please?


----------



## JJay (Jun 25, 2022)

pawprint91 said:


> Whereabouts on the Nutracheck app did you find the restaurants information please?


Just put the name of the restaurant and the dish in the search box eg. “Costa toastie” “pizza express romana” etc and all the options will come up.  I’m a big fan of NutraCheck, find it way better than Carbs & Cals


----------



## Lucyr (Jun 25, 2022)

If you want to look through a particular restaurants options in nutracheck press the 3 lines top right then eating out. Alternatively you can type in the search bar as above.


----------



## Jao41 (Jun 25, 2022)

These are in my local nisa shop!


----------



## Leadinglights (Jun 25, 2022)

Jao41 said:


> View attachment 21331 These are in my local nisa shop!


Just be aware that 'sugar free' does not necessarily mean low carbohydrate and they most likely will have artificial sweeteners which can cause stomach issues in some people if they have too much.


----------



## JJay (Jun 26, 2022)

Lucyr said:


> If you want to look through a particular restaurants options in nutracheck press the 3 lines top right then eating out. Alternatively you can type in the search bar as above.


You know, I'd never spotted that. Thanks!


----------

