1. Follow Your Glucose Level
Having diabetes can seem restrictive. Diabetics must carefully watch what they eat and monitor their blood glucose levels often. Insulin-dependent diabetics sometimes must change their insulin dose based on their fluctuating blood glucose levels. Sugar substitutes enable diabetics to enjoy desserts without impacting their blood glucose levels as much as table sugar does.
2. Consider Alternative Sweeteners
Brown rice syrup is a complex carbohydrate sweetener. It's possible to make a tasty dessert without sugar if you use brown rice syrup. Maple syrup and maple sugar are both good options as well. Maple sugar is sweeter than brown rice syrup but less sweet than sugar. It also has a milder effect on blood glucose levels than sugar does, but isn't quite as healthy as brown rice syrup. Brown rice syrup and maple sugar are usually available at natural food stores. Date sugar is a great dry sweetener alternative to table sugar. However, you should use these in moderation or they will send your blood sugar soaring.
3. Weigh the Risks of Artificial Sweeteners
Be careful when choosing artificial sweeteners, such as aspartamane, sucrolose and malitol. Many are safe, but some artificial sweeteners have been linked to increased cancer risk. Limit your use of them. The unfortunate reality is that many artificial sweeteners were at first thought to be healthy, but studies later indicated that they may have serious health consequences. Most of these tests have been inconclusive, most have not been conducted with humans and further studies are ongoing. But if there is a question about a sweetener's side effects, you are, in effect, playing the role of guinea pig until more conclusive evidence surfaces. If you're concerned about artificial sweeteners, opt for natural alternatives.
4. Juices Work Great
Fruit juices work well as sweeteners. Apple juice and orange juice work great as liquid sweeteners and eliminate the need for sugar in your favorite recipes. Fruit still contains sugar that can affect blood glucose levels in diabetics, but it's a natural sugar and can have less of a negative impact than table sugar.
5. Let Liquids Work for You
Liquid sweeteners work differently in baking than dry sweeteners, such as table sugar. Keep in mind that it will take some time to modify recipes properly to incorporate liquid sweeteners. One option is to find diabetic-friendly recipes that already list liquid sweeteners in the ingredients. You can modify your favorite recipes using liquid sweeteners, but it'll take some time to perfect. It's not possible to substitute the same amount of liquid sweetener for dry sweetener. You'll need to either reduce other liquids in the recipe or add more flour or dry ingredients to maintain an ideal liquid-to-dry ratio in your favorite baked goods.
