# Sugar free



## Billy Bob (Oct 11, 2019)

Found Voortman  Sugar free fudge brownie chocolate chip cookies per 20g serving 12.3g carbs of which are 0g sugars  in Asda on the free from shelves Quite expensive at £1.99 per pack but delicious 
They do other flavours and wafer biscuits as well


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## Drummer (Oct 11, 2019)

Wow - I have a whole breakfast for fewer carbs than that.
It isn't something I'll be seeking out, I know that I only have the necessary willpower to stay low carb if I stay low carb.


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## Billy Bob (Oct 11, 2019)

Yes but nice for the odd treat


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## Kaylz (Oct 11, 2019)

2 Maryland Chocolate Chip Cookies are only 13.9g carbs and less likely to upset the tummy and by far cheaper


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## Billy Bob (Oct 11, 2019)

Yes but how many of those carbs are sugar ?


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## Kaylz (Oct 11, 2019)

Most DSN's advise the real thing in moderation is better than sugar free have 1 cookie and its less


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## Billy Bob (Oct 11, 2019)

A packet of 12 lasted me over a week so I never binge eat them


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## Kaylz (Oct 11, 2019)

I didn't say you would or did but I'd much rather have a proper biscuit than an artificially sweetened thing as sweeteners taste absolutely disgusting and can have negative effects on the body


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## silentsquirrel (Oct 11, 2019)

Sugar free biscuits of any variety are usually higher in carbs than the standard version.  It's the carbs that matter, @Billy Bob , not the sugars!


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## Kaylz (Oct 11, 2019)

silentsquirrel said:


> Sugar free biscuits of any variety are usually higher in carbs than the standard version.  It's the carbs that matter, @Billy Bob , not the sugars!


I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall when I try to explain that to people who dont want to take that information in xx


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## karloc (Oct 11, 2019)

Kaylz said:


> I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall when I try to explain that to people who dont want to take that information in xx


It's almost like Carbs = Glucose and the only difference between Carbs and Sugar is a slight timing issue


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## Kaylz (Oct 12, 2019)

karloc said:


> It's almost like Carbs = Glucose and the only difference between Carbs and Sugar is a slight timing issue


Do folk actually listen to you when you give that explanation though? I get fed up of folk not listening especially in regards to sugar free etc, the amount of times I see people say "I've given up cakes, chocolate, sugary stuff" but then state they eat loads of high carb food and so on

No matter how much I try and tell folk it isn't just sugar that affects diabetes its total carbohydrates they just don't listen and take it in! I mean I know a Type 2 that's been struggling with high levels for a few months now, they've been Type 2 longer than I've been diagnosed so they are over 3 years in and they said they had tried everything to get their levels lower, I said have you tried low carb and the response I got was "no, not yet"!  I was absolutely dumbfounded 

Early morning rant over lol
xx


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## Billy Bob (Oct 12, 2019)

Kaylz said:


> Do folk actually listen to you when you give that explanation though? I get fed up of folk not listening especially in regards to sugar free etc, the amount of times I see people say "I've given up cakes, chocolate, sugary stuff" but then state they eat loads of high carb food and so on
> 
> No matter how much I try and tell folk it isn't just sugar that affects diabetes its total carbohydrates they just don't listen and take it in! I mean I know a Type 2 that's been struggling with high levels for a few months now, they've been Type 2 longer than I've been diagnosed so they are over 3 years in and they said they had tried everything to get their levels lower, I said have you tried low carb and the response I got was "no, not yet"!  I was absolutely dumbfounded
> 
> ...


Now you have an advantage over many of us who are trying to get to grips with understanding what is good to eat and what is not, which is the whole point of the reason why I joined the forum to hopefully educate myself from those that have more knowledge than myself . 
When I was first diagnosed about 6 years ago all that my doctor did was just prescribe a load of drugs including statins  from a text book ?  His diet advice was very vague as in don't eat eggs cut out sugar , butter , dairy , red meat , processed meat . Eat fish , chicken , nuts , beans and veg ? 
I was told to come back in 6 months for a follow up appointment where bloods were taken more of the same  medication prescribed and left to get on with it , I was never told or given any info on self testing .
I stopped taking statins after 18 months as they were making every joint in my body ache and my muscle waist was really visible . 
The doctor challenged me as to why I stopped the statins so I asked why I was put on them his reply was it's standard practice for high cholesterol 
I asked what my cholesterol was and when he looked back said it was within the normal range ?  Still no more info was given until about 12 months ago the surgery got a diabetic nurse but even with her I have had to push for more info and when I took my code free tester with me about 4 months ago to ask how to use it  she asked where I had got that from ? And gave me a omnitest 3 tester and prescribed test strips , so I am finally getting some assistance with my diabetes , although the diet side of things I have had to research myself which is still quite confusing . 
I am not very computer savvy hence why I have only just found this website forum so thank you for any advice given I will take on board . 
Kind regards Nigel A.K.A Billy Bob


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## Kaylz (Oct 12, 2019)

@Billy Bob sorry what do you see as my advantage? That I know that it's total carbohydrate that affects us and not just sugar? That for me isn't an advantage its necessity, if I were to only inject insulin for sugar content I wouldn't really be here now (that isn't meant to be nasty like the start of the question just wondering if that's the point you mean, so please don't think I'm being mean! haha)

Also you are very lucky that you get your strips on prescription, my mother in law used to get them on prescription but with cuts and the fact she isn't on hypo causing medication she had them removed so now has to self fund
xx


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## Ljc (Oct 12, 2019)

@Billy Bob . I agree with you Bob in that the dietary advise we are often given by the docs and nurses es at the Gp practice leave a lot to be desired and are often wrong. I was lucky that when I was diagnosed back in the 90s in my area everyone with T1 and T2 were under the care of the hospital diabetes team and they really knew their stuff. So I was taught carbohydrates were my enemy. My Gp though good only knew I had to avoid sugar, eventually all t2s were passed back to Gp. Since then I have trained many a practice diabetes nurse and several GPs about *my *diabetes . I am sorry to say their are still some GPs that only say avoid sugar and fats.

With us it’s carbohydrates especially the white ones ie, flour, potatoes, rice, pasta and white bread (some of us are ok with wholemeal varieties but it’s best to go by what your meter says) these are high carb too fruit juice, breakfast cereals, many of us have to be careful with fruit so we stick to those with berry in their name as we often tolerate them better, some find that other root veg (veg that grows underground) raises their  BGs to high , some nuts are low carb .

We usually have no problems with protein or good fats.
Things like meat, fresh fish, eggs, cheese, butter , cream need not be off the menu.

I don’t know if you have already read these threads, apologies if you have (just click on the links)
maggie-daveys-letter-to-newly-diagnosed-type-2s

test-test-test by Alan S


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## Billy Bob (Oct 12, 2019)

Thank you to all of you that have replied as I said this is an ongoing education for not just myself but many others so any advice of what to avoid is appreciated as a lot of the professional help is not given when diagnosed . 
Ignorance on my part is not an excuse but just means there is still a lot to learn like anything in life there is room to improve.


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## Ljc (Oct 12, 2019)

Billy Bob said:


> Thank you to all of you that have replied as I said this is an ongoing education for not just myself but many others so any advice of what to avoid is appreciated as a lot of the professional help is not given when diagnosed .
> Ignorance on my part is not an excuse but just means there is still a lot to learn like anything in life there is room to improve.


Bob. We have all been where you are now, we do understand. It really gets to us that people like yourself are still being given insufficient or even wrong info by the very people who should be helping yo make the right decisions/choices. Being told just to avoid sugar in this day and age imo is dreadful .


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## EmWills (Oct 13, 2019)

Kaylz said:


> Do folk actually listen to you when you give that explanation though? I get fed up of folk not listening especially in regards to sugar free etc, the amount of times I see people say "I've given up cakes, chocolate, sugary stuff" but then state they eat loads of high carb food and so on
> 
> No matter how much I try and tell folk it isn't just sugar that affects diabetes its total carbohydrates they just don't listen and take it in! I mean I know a Type 2 that's been struggling with high levels for a few months now, they've been Type 2 longer than I've been diagnosed so they are over 3 years in and they said they had tried everything to get their levels lower, I said have you tried low carb and the response I got was "no, not yet"!  I was absolutely dumbfounded
> 
> ...


That's my problem I love bread, buttered toasted, u name it, what the hell I dont want to give it up theres got to be good bread surely xxx


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## karloc (Oct 13, 2019)

EmWills said:


> That's my problem I love bread, buttered toasted, u name it, what the hell I dont want to give it up theres got to be good bread surely xxx


I have the same problem, plus love sugar! but decided my health was more important so given it all up.
I have a vague hope that if I can 'fix' the state I put my body in I will be able to one day have some of the lovely things again that I have given up - but with more limitations so I don't end up back in the same state.


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## Eddy Edson (Oct 13, 2019)

Kaylz said:


> I didn't say you would or did but I'd much rather have a proper biscuit than an artificially sweetened thing as sweeteners taste absolutely disgusting and can have negative effects on the body



Agree! The other thing is that if the non-sugar sweeteners are sugar alcohols, which they usually are, then they can actually affect ypur blood glucose.  Sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, isomalt etc.  

It's an individual thing, depending on what yr gut microbes and other parts of your metabolism do with them, but it's just a myth that they have no effect. Personally, I have a surprisingly big reaction to xylitol.

Also, as you say, it's pretty disgusting.


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## Kaylz (Oct 14, 2019)

EmWills said:


> That's my problem I love bread, buttered toasted, u name it, what the hell I dont want to give it up theres got to be good bread surely xxx


there are lower carb breads available but I couldn't tell you if their good or not as I haven't tried it, if it was a choice I had to make though I'd probably just give bread up though xx


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## chaoticcar (Oct 14, 2019)

When I was first diagnosed after a blood test the GP told me to eat lots of fruit and vegetables but not melon or mango .that was it !! I was also told that I would get an appointment with the diabetic clinic . 3 months later I rang to find out when my appointment would be ! Fortunately I found a couple of good forums and .educated myself to low carb high fat , I don't eat melon or mango 
  Carol


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## Kaylz (Oct 14, 2019)

chaoticcar said:


> When I was first diagnosed after a blood test the GP told me to eat lots of fruit and vegetables but not melon or mango .that was it !! I was also told that I would get an appointment with the diabetic clinic . 3 months later I rang to find out when my appointment would be ! Fortunately I found a couple of good forums and .educated myself to low carb high fat , I don't eat melon or mango
> Carol


Oh melon, I used to eat heaps of watermelon, galia, cantaloupe etc, melons aren't too bad actually, well at least the 3 I mentioned all have less than 10g per 100g product xx


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## Pine Marten (Oct 14, 2019)

Billy Bob said:


> Thank you to all of you that have replied as I said this is an ongoing education for not just myself but many others so any advice of what to avoid is appreciated as a lot of the professional help is not given when diagnosed .
> Ignorance on my part is not an excuse but just means there is still a lot to learn like anything in life there is room to improve.


Don't worry, Billy Bob, the learning part is a very long and ongoing one and I for one still feel like a novice at times! The best advice is to try different foods, test their effects with your meter and find out which ones suit *you*, which may not be the same as anyone else.

Please ask whatever questions you like, and we'll do our best to help. All the best to you


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