A little is better than a lot, and none is better than a little, was RE: Re: New to list - Sherry

[Guest guest]

Perhaps this will help.

Let us take salad dressing as a 'for example.' If you go to that

section of the grocery store you will see that Wishbone (for example)

has for each variety or flavor a 'regular' version and a 'lite' or 'low

fat' or '[fat] free' version; this will probably be true for Kraft and

all the other brands as well. Now, all packaged and processed foods

must, by law, have nutrition information of the lable. Take a bottle of

regular Ranch (or whatever) and the 'low fat' or 'fat free' version of

the same manufacturer's Ranch (or whatever.) Compare. 99 times out of

100, the 'fat free' or 'low fat' version will have more sugar than the

'regular' version.

Why? Simple. FAT TASTES GOOD. When they take the fat out, the

resulting product doesn't taste good. If it doesn't taste good, nobody

will buy it more than once. Hence, the company will not make any money.

(We live in a capitalist country, remember? Companies are in business

to make money; they have a fiduciary duty to the shareholders to

maximize profits.) Accordingly, they add sugar to make it taste good

again.

Now, what does this have to do with diabetes? Well, diabetes is the

inability of the body to properly assimilate carbohydrates (starches and

sugars). Now, one wouldn't advise someone who is lactose intolerant to

drink a lot of milk, or someone with celiac sprue to eat a lot of wheat;

on the contrary, they should avoid such foods. Logically, therefore,

diabetics should avoid sugars and starches. Thus, if there are two

versions of something, one with a lot of sugar and one with only a

little, then we should prefer the version with only a little.

Think of sugar/starch as you would arsenic. A little arsenic won't hurt

you. Indeed, it is said to be good for the complexion. However, a lot

of arsenic is not. If you found yourself on an island with so much

arsenic in the soil that every plant's roots, leaves, and fruit had

arsenic in them, but some more than others, you would be careful to

avoid those that had a lot and seek out those that had a little,

wouldn't you? Naturally you would. Thus, logically, as a diabetic, for

whom large amounts of sugar/starch are just as deadly (although not as

imediately) as large amounts of arsenic would be for a normal person,

you should seek to reduce your intake of carbohydrates, and when

confronted with a choice between something that has a small carbohydrate

count with something that has a large one, to choose the former.

Re: Re: New to list - Sherry

In a message dated 1/12/2006 9:40:15 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,

sdwade@... writes:

Ok...now I'm thoroughly confused....

Sherry and The Snow Angels

Biscuit, Peppy, Piper, Abby and Sugar

http://www.picturetrail.com/gabluebird

[Guest guest]

Oh.... I see.....I didn't realize that, but understand better now. I think I

need to learn about carbs more than anything, but sugar too. <sigh>

Thank you for your help and time. It does mean more to me than you know. I'll be

saving your email so my husband can read it too. I think he needs to learn too.

Sherry and The Snow Angels

Biscuit, Peppy, Piper, Abby and Sugar

http://www.picturetrail.com/gabluebird

----- Original Message -----

From: , Bruce

Perhaps this will help.

Let us take salad dressing as a 'for example.' If you go to that

section of the grocery store you will see that Wishbone (for example)

has for each variety or flavor a 'regular' version and a 'lite' or 'low

fat' or '[fat] free' version; this will probably be true for Kraft and

all the other brands as well. Now, all packaged and processed foods

must, by law, have nutrition information of the lable. Take a bottle of

regular Ranch (or whatever) and the 'low fat' or 'fat free' version of

the same manufacturer's Ranch (or whatever.) Compare. 99 times out of

100, the 'fat free' or 'low fat' version will have more sugar than the

'regular' version.

Why? Simple. FAT TASTES GOOD. When they take the fat out, the

resulting product doesn't taste good. If it doesn't taste good, nobody

will buy it more than once. Hence, the company will not make any money.

(We live in a capitalist country, remember? Companies are in business

to make money; they have a fiduciary duty to the shareholders to

maximize profits.) Accordingly, they add sugar to make it taste good

again.

Now, what does this have to do with diabetes? Well, diabetes is the

inability of the body to properly assimilate carbohydrates (starches and

sugars). Now, one wouldn't advise someone who is lactose intolerant to

drink a lot of milk, or someone with celiac sprue to eat a lot of wheat;

on the contrary, they should avoid such foods. Logically, therefore,

diabetics should avoid sugars and starches. Thus, if there are two

versions of something, one with a lot of sugar and one with only a

little, then we should prefer the version with only a little.

Think of sugar/starch as you would arsenic. A little arsenic won't hurt

you. Indeed, it is said to be good for the complexion. However, a lot

of arsenic is not. If you found yourself on an island with so much

arsenic in the soil that every plant's roots, leaves, and fruit had

arsenic in them, but some more than others, you would be careful to

avoid those that had a lot and seek out those that had a little,

wouldn't you? Naturally you would. Thus, logically, as a diabetic, for

whom large amounts of sugar/starch are just as deadly (although not as

imediately) as large amounts of arsenic would be for a normal person,

you should seek to reduce your intake of carbohydrates, and when

confronted with a choice between something that has a small carbohydrate

count with something that has a large one, to choose the former.

[Guest guest]

Oh.... I see.....I didn't realize that, but understand better now. I think I

need to learn about carbs more than anything, but sugar too. <sigh>

Thank you for your help and time. It does mean more to me than you know. I'll be

saving your email so my husband can read it too. I think he needs to learn too.

Sherry and The Snow Angels

Biscuit, Peppy, Piper, Abby and Sugar

http://www.picturetrail.com/gabluebird

----- Original Message -----

From: , Bruce

Perhaps this will help.

Let us take salad dressing as a 'for example.' If you go to that

section of the grocery store you will see that Wishbone (for example)

has for each variety or flavor a 'regular' version and a 'lite' or 'low

fat' or '[fat] free' version; this will probably be true for Kraft and

all the other brands as well. Now, all packaged and processed foods

must, by law, have nutrition information of the lable. Take a bottle of

regular Ranch (or whatever) and the 'low fat' or 'fat free' version of

the same manufacturer's Ranch (or whatever.) Compare. 99 times out of

100, the 'fat free' or 'low fat' version will have more sugar than the

'regular' version.

Why? Simple. FAT TASTES GOOD. When they take the fat out, the

resulting product doesn't taste good. If it doesn't taste good, nobody

will buy it more than once. Hence, the company will not make any money.

(We live in a capitalist country, remember? Companies are in business

to make money; they have a fiduciary duty to the shareholders to

maximize profits.) Accordingly, they add sugar to make it taste good

again.

Now, what does this have to do with diabetes? Well, diabetes is the

inability of the body to properly assimilate carbohydrates (starches and

sugars). Now, one wouldn't advise someone who is lactose intolerant to

drink a lot of milk, or someone with celiac sprue to eat a lot of wheat;

on the contrary, they should avoid such foods. Logically, therefore,

diabetics should avoid sugars and starches. Thus, if there are two

versions of something, one with a lot of sugar and one with only a

little, then we should prefer the version with only a little.

Think of sugar/starch as you would arsenic. A little arsenic won't hurt

you. Indeed, it is said to be good for the complexion. However, a lot

of arsenic is not. If you found yourself on an island with so much

arsenic in the soil that every plant's roots, leaves, and fruit had

arsenic in them, but some more than others, you would be careful to

avoid those that had a lot and seek out those that had a little,

wouldn't you? Naturally you would. Thus, logically, as a diabetic, for

whom large amounts of sugar/starch are just as deadly (although not as

imediately) as large amounts of arsenic would be for a normal person,

you should seek to reduce your intake of carbohydrates, and when

confronted with a choice between something that has a small carbohydrate

count with something that has a large one, to choose the former.

[Guest guest]

Sugar is a type of carbohydrate; so is starch.

Re: A little is better than a lot, and none is better than a

little, was RE: Re: New to list - Sherry

Oh.... I see.....I didn't realize that, but understand better now. I

think I need to learn about carbs more than anything, but sugar too.

<sigh>

Thank you for your help and time. It does mean more to me than you know.

I'll be saving your email so my husband can read it too. I think he

needs to learn too.

Sherry and The Snow Angels

Biscuit, Peppy, Piper, Abby and Sugar

http://www.picturetrail.com/gabluebird

[Guest guest]

Yes, it does. Potatoes, rice, pasta, etc. all break down into sugar.

Now, fiber does NOT break down, so you can subtract the fiber from the

carbohydrate count. There are various brands of low-carbohydrate pasta

on the market, usually made with soy flour; some are good, some are

horrid. I rather like Keto and CarbFit; some people like Dreamfields,

but I've never tried it. Most of the mainstream pasta companies (like

Muller's) make whole wheat pasta now; I find that even whole wheat makes

my blood sugar go up too high. Each of us is a little different, so the

best advice is to try different things and test afterwards. If you find

that something makes your reading go up too much, put it on the list of

'things to avoid.'

As I said before, you can often substute parsnips, turnips, or rutabagas

for potatoes; it will not be the same, but it will be close and very

good.

Re: A little is better than a lot, and none is better than a

little, was RE: Re: New to list - Sherry

Ok...<scratching my head> LOL Starch...pasta right? And pasta turns to

sugar in your body?

Sherry and The Snow Angels

Biscuit, Peppy, Piper, Abby and Sugar

http://www.picturetrail.com/gabluebird

[Guest guest]

Yes, it does. Potatoes, rice, pasta, etc. all break down into sugar.

Now, fiber does NOT break down, so you can subtract the fiber from the

carbohydrate count. There are various brands of low-carbohydrate pasta

on the market, usually made with soy flour; some are good, some are

horrid. I rather like Keto and CarbFit; some people like Dreamfields,

but I've never tried it. Most of the mainstream pasta companies (like

Muller's) make whole wheat pasta now; I find that even whole wheat makes

my blood sugar go up too high. Each of us is a little different, so the

best advice is to try different things and test afterwards. If you find

that something makes your reading go up too much, put it on the list of

'things to avoid.'

As I said before, you can often substute parsnips, turnips, or rutabagas

for potatoes; it will not be the same, but it will be close and very

good.

Re: A little is better than a lot, and none is better than a

little, was RE: Re: New to list - Sherry

Ok...<scratching my head> LOL Starch...pasta right? And pasta turns to

sugar in your body?

Sherry and The Snow Angels

Biscuit, Peppy, Piper, Abby and Sugar

http://www.picturetrail.com/gabluebird

[Guest guest]

I'm not a big potato person, but I do like sweet potatoes. Forget parsnips,

turnips or rutabagas. I remember having to eat rutabagas when I was little,

yucky! ;-) I have no idea what Keto and CarbFit are, or Dreamfields. Are they a

brand name for some kind of pastas? This may seem like a dumb question, but what

would be too high after eating something?

Sherry and The Snow Angels

Biscuit, Peppy, Piper, Abby and Sugar

http://www.picturetrail.com/gabluebird

----- Original Message -----

From: , Bruce

Yes, it does. Potatoes, rice, pasta, etc. all break down into sugar.

Now, fiber does NOT break down, so you can subtract the fiber from the

carbohydrate count. There are various brands of low-carbohydrate pasta

on the market, usually made with soy flour; some are good, some are

horrid. I rather like Keto and CarbFit; some people like Dreamfields,

but I've never tried it. Most of the mainstream pasta companies (like

Muller's) make whole wheat pasta now; I find that even whole wheat makes

my blood sugar go up too high. Each of us is a little different, so the

best advice is to try different things and test afterwards. If you find

that something makes your reading go up too much, put it on the list of

'things to avoid.'

As I said before, you can often substute parsnips, turnips, or rutabagas

for potatoes; it will not be the same, but it will be close and very

good.

[Guest guest]

I'm not a big potato person, but I do like sweet potatoes. Forget parsnips,

turnips or rutabagas. I remember having to eat rutabagas when I was little,

yucky! ;-) I have no idea what Keto and CarbFit are, or Dreamfields. Are they a

brand name for some kind of pastas? This may seem like a dumb question, but what

would be too high after eating something?

Sherry and The Snow Angels

Biscuit, Peppy, Piper, Abby and Sugar

http://www.picturetrail.com/gabluebird

----- Original Message -----

From: , Bruce

Yes, it does. Potatoes, rice, pasta, etc. all break down into sugar.

Now, fiber does NOT break down, so you can subtract the fiber from the

carbohydrate count. There are various brands of low-carbohydrate pasta

on the market, usually made with soy flour; some are good, some are

horrid. I rather like Keto and CarbFit; some people like Dreamfields,

but I've never tried it. Most of the mainstream pasta companies (like

Muller's) make whole wheat pasta now; I find that even whole wheat makes

my blood sugar go up too high. Each of us is a little different, so the

best advice is to try different things and test afterwards. If you find

that something makes your reading go up too much, put it on the list of

'things to avoid.'

As I said before, you can often substute parsnips, turnips, or rutabagas

for potatoes; it will not be the same, but it will be close and very

good.

[Guest guest]

I microwave it. Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, fill the space

where the seeds was with water, then put in microwave for at least 10

min or until the insides are thoroughly cooked. The flesh comes out in

strings not unlike vermicelli.

I like it, but my father doesn't, so we don't have it very often.

Re: A little is better than a lot, and none is better than a

little, was RE: Re: New to list - Sherry

I have wondered how that spaghetti squash would be and how to make it.

I've also read that it had a lower GI than some of the other squash.

Maybe I will try that this weekend. Thanks for the information on it.

Darlene

[Guest guest]

What is spaghetti squash? And what is vermicelli? I've heard of both. Now I love

yellow squash!

Sherry and The Snow Angels

Biscuit, Peppy, Piper, Abby and Sugar

http://www.picturetrail.com/gabluebird

RE: A little is better than a lot, and none is better than a little,

was RE: Re: New to list - Sherry

I microwave it. Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, fill the space

where the seeds was with water, then put in microwave for at least 10

min or until the insides are thoroughly cooked. The flesh comes out in

strings not unlike vermicelli.

I like it, but my father doesn't, so we don't have it very often.

[Guest guest]

Sherry wrote: What is spaghetti squash? And what is

vermicelli? I've heard of both. Now I love yellow squash!

***

Spaghetti squash is a yellow squash starting around the size of a softball and

can be about the size of a football. When cooked (I microwave), the inside has

seeds, which you scoop out, and then the inner walls are similar to spagetti.

It's pretty good with marinara or sauce and can replace spaghetti or you can mix

it with spaghetti (like a half and half mixture). Mix it to get use to the

taste, which isn't bad.

Tracey

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Don't forget mashed cauliflower! Many variations of this recipe can be

found by doing a Google search. You just have to decide how " creamy " you

want it and how much fat you are willing to consume. I personally love

cauliflower!

Rhonda Y.

>

>

> As I said before, you can often substute parsnips, turnips, or rutabagas

> for potatoes; it will not be the same, but it will be close and very

> good.

>

[Guest guest]

Vermicelli is a kind of pasta; like very, very fine spaghetti.

A spaghetti squash is a kind of winter squash; it is about the size and

shape of a football and is yellow. Any large grocery store should have

it in the vegetable section. I'm told also that it is fairly easy to

grow, if you are into gardening.

Re: A little is better than a lot, and none is better than a

little, was RE: Re: New to list - Sherry

What is spaghetti squash? And what is vermicelli? I've heard of both.

Now I love yellow squash!

Sherry and The Snow Angels

Biscuit, Peppy, Piper, Abby and Sugar

http://www.picturetrail.com/gabluebird

RE: A little is better than a lot, and none is better than a

little, was RE: Re: New to list - Sherry

I microwave it. Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, fill the space

where the seeds was with water, then put in microwave for at least 10

min or until the insides are thoroughly cooked. The flesh comes out

in

strings not unlike vermicelli.

I like it, but my father doesn't, so we don't have it very often.

[Guest guest]

Vermicelli is a kind of pasta; like very, very fine spaghetti.

A spaghetti squash is a kind of winter squash; it is about the size and

shape of a football and is yellow. Any large grocery store should have

it in the vegetable section. I'm told also that it is fairly easy to

grow, if you are into gardening.

Re: A little is better than a lot, and none is better than a

little, was RE: Re: New to list - Sherry

What is spaghetti squash? And what is vermicelli? I've heard of both.

Now I love yellow squash!

Sherry and The Snow Angels

Biscuit, Peppy, Piper, Abby and Sugar

http://www.picturetrail.com/gabluebird

RE: A little is better than a lot, and none is better than a

little, was RE: Re: New to list - Sherry

I microwave it. Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, fill the space

where the seeds was with water, then put in microwave for at least 10

min or until the insides are thoroughly cooked. The flesh comes out

in

strings not unlike vermicelli.

I like it, but my father doesn't, so we don't have it very often.