# Diabetic Marmalade????



## Cat1964 (Feb 24, 2013)

Before I got my diabetes diagnosis I was (and could still be) a prolific baker. My forte being Christmas Cakes baked in September and fed copious amounts of brandy right up till Christmas. Anyway since my diagnosis I have stopped baking. But before that I bought some tins of prepared oranges from Lakeland to make marmalade. All you needed to do was add 4lbs granulated sugar and hey presto marmalade. So, I've emailed Lakeland to ask can i use something like Splenda to make diabetic marmalade. I have also read somewhere?? That diabetic foods can sometimes cause diahorrea. Can I have an opinion am I liable to give myself a dodgy tummy using something like Splenda?


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## Northerner (Feb 24, 2013)

'Diabetic' foods often use sweeteners called polyols which can cause, erm, gastric distress  Most people avoid such foods like the plague - it's better to have the real stuff, but in moderation 

Here's a poem I wrote on the subject of Diabetic Jam:

http://diabetespoetry.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/diabetic-jam.html


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## Cat1964 (Feb 24, 2013)

Northerner said:


> 'Diabetic' foods often use sweeteners called polyols which can cause, erm, gastric distress  Most people avoid such foods like the plague - it's better to have the real stuff, but in moderation
> 
> Here's a poem I wrote on the subject of Diabetic Jam:
> 
> http://diabetespoetry.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/diabetic-jam.html



Your poems are amazing Northerner, very good. I had a feeling it would be a bad idea to use artificial sweetener. I have avoided jams and sweet spreads since. I was just looking at the tins sitting there lonely and unused on top of the fridge and thought they need to be used up. Guess what I'll do is make a glut of the stuff and gift it to family and friends.


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## LeeLee (Feb 24, 2013)

Aspartame would be a bad idea because it doesn't do well at high temperatures.  If you were to use Splenda or Truvia, the marmalade would taste OK but would remain runny.  Neither of those would give you tummy trouble, but if the texture is wrong you wouldn't want to eat it.  Maybe you could experiment by doing a small batch half-and-half.  But you're probably best making it as normal... give away most of the jars and then enjoy the occasional teaspoonful.


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## Northerner (Feb 24, 2013)

Cat1964 said:


> Your poems are amazing Northerner, very good. I had a feeling it would be a bad idea to use artificial sweetener. I have avoided jams and sweet spreads since. I was just looking at the tins sitting there lonely and unused on top of the fridge and thought they need to be used up. Guess what I'll do is make a glut of the stuff and gift it to family and friends.



People do cook with Splenda, I don't think it is as bad as the stuff you get in 'diabetic' chocolate and sweets, although I've never used it personally. If you have generally good control, then eating a bit of the real stuff as part of a main meal will lessen the impact on your BG levels


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## Cat1964 (Feb 24, 2013)

LeeLee said:


> Aspartame would be a bad idea because it doesn't do well at high temperatures.  If you were to use Splenda or Truvia, the marmalade would taste OK but would remain runny.  Neither of those would give you tummy trouble, but if the texture is wrong you wouldn't want to eat it.  Maybe you could experiment by doing a small batch half-and-half.  But you're probably best making it as normal... give away most of the jars and then enjoy the occasional teaspoonful.



I can't do occasional LeeLee!!!! I'd want it everyday if it was nice. That's why I've stopped baking too....if I can't have it then no-one else can....lol.  I make the most amazing Scottish Tablet that quite often people ask me to make so they can buy from me, it is heaven. The condensed milk is sitting in my baking cupboard pleading to be used but the thing with my tablet is, one bit leads to another. Can you imagine what all that pure sugar would do for the BG?!!


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## Cat1964 (Feb 24, 2013)

Northerner said:


> People do cook with Splenda, I don't think it is as bad as the stuff you get in 'diabetic' chocolate and sweets, although I've never used it personally. If you have generally good control, then eating a bit of the real stuff as part of a main meal will lessen the impact on your BG levels



Not sure that my control is that good just now Northerner. My waking BG this morning was 7.0 which I thought was quite good considering my waking BG's most of this week have been in the 9's. I went to church and they have a tearoom after mass, so as usual I went to the tearoom with hubby and because he's still not quite used to me being diabetic and bought me a cup of coffee with sugar in it (so nice) and a little iced cupcake. My thoughts were its only a little cake, two bites and its gone. I checked my BG when I got home and it was up to 9.5!!!


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## LeeLee (Feb 24, 2013)

Give it time, Cat... after a period of complete abstention you may well learn to live with a tiny bit now and again.  I've gone from an 'eating a 100g bar of Toblerone in one sitting' kind of girl to one that can manage with a treat-size choccy bar once a week (the rest live in the freezer).


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## Cat1964 (Feb 24, 2013)

LeeLee said:


> Give it time, Cat... after a period of complete abstention you may well learn to live with a tiny bit now and again.  I've gone from an 'eating a 100g bar of Toblerone in one sitting' kind of girl to one that can manage with a treat-size choccy bar once a week (the rest live in the freezer).



LeeLee I can't even buy Jelly Babies. I wouldn't want to have just one or two. I know I'd want the whole pack!  So I abstain and just quietly sob at the sight of a bag or box of Jelly Babies....lol. 

Though Northerner, I just did my BG before dinner and got the lowest reading yet....5.8.....woohoo!  But I figure I only have that reading because I've only had breakfast today.


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## Northerner (Feb 24, 2013)

Cat1964 said:


> ..Though Northerner, I just did my BG before dinner and got the lowest reading yet....5.8.....woohoo!  But I figure I only have that reading because I've only had breakfast today.



Nevertheless Cat, that is effectively an excellent fasting number!


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## Cat1964 (Feb 24, 2013)

Northerner said:


> Nevertheless Cat, that is effectively an excellent fasting number!



My thoughts exactly.....it's the lowest reading I have had since I started testing this week......well chuffed!!! . Dinner is served!!!


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## Cat1964 (Feb 24, 2013)

Northerner said:


> Nevertheless Cat, that is effectively an excellent fasting number!



Well we can scratch that and go back to the drawing board. I've just gone from the lowest reading of the week to my highest. 5.8 before dinner and 9.8 reading 2 hours later!!!  where did I go wrong???


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## trophywench (Feb 24, 2013)

Possibly (no cancel that, definitely!) what you ate for your dinner.

But you knew that, didn't you?

Own up.  Was it nice?


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## Cat1964 (Feb 24, 2013)

trophywench said:


> Possibly (no cancel that, definitely!) what you ate for your dinner.
> 
> But you knew that, didn't you?
> 
> Own up.  Was it nice?



I had sweet potato mashed with low cal mayo, a small pork loin steak and green beans. That was it but it was so nice considering there was no salt either.....so where did I go wrong? I was patting myself on the back for an incredibly healthy dinner. Whilst hubby and daughter had normal potato mashed with butter, loin pork steak and baked beans. I wouldn't have eaten their dinner anyway because I have a thing about baked beans and potatoes....can't eat them together....so wrong....odd I know but I have had that convo many times...lol.  Potato whether mashed or boiled and beans cannot be eaten together!!! . Anyway still puzzled over where I went wrong.


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## Sheilamidd (Feb 27, 2013)

I use Lakelands mix but don't use the full amount of sugar and husband never notices, I also make the Lakeland jam and do the same


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## DeusXM (Feb 28, 2013)

> Anyway still puzzled over where I went wrong.



Sweet potato might have fewer carbs and a lower GI than potato but it's still a big chunk of carbohydrate, which will affect your blood sugar. Have you tried cauliflower mash?


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