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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1995-11-29, Page 30Page 30 Times Advocate, November 29, 1995 CQMMLJNITY Sugar now allowed in healthy diabetic diets A4/44,444444,444/00 044,po 04,444444144440`0444 4, Debra Stewart, left, and Lorraine Devereaux spoke about dia- betes at a one -day seminar in Holmesville On Nov. 15. Brenda Burke T -A staff HOLMESVILLE - A new sugars group has been added to the di- abetic diet. Referring to a pamphlet released in August by the Canadian Di- abetes Association named "You 'lave diabetes...Can you have that?" Exeter resident Debra Stewart. a dietician with the Huron County Health Unit, elaborated on this 1994 recommendation at a diabetes seminar presented by the Huron Chapter of Diabetic Educators on Wednesday. "The latest research has shown moderate sugar is okay for people with or without diabetes," she said, adding diabetics, contrary to pop- ular belief, don't have to consume Tess sugar than the rest of the pop- ulation. "An occasional small chocolate bar can be used," she said, adding sugars should make up only 10 per cent of anyone's diet. In a healthy meal plan for di- abetics, she explained, small sugar choices may be occasionally sub- stitutfd for fruit or vegetable choic- es. Although eating added sugar does not have nutritional benefits, it will not increase blood glucose if the person's diet is balanced. "We still warn people to avoid words ending in 'ose'," she said, re- ferring to package label ingredients that itemize the sugar content of foods. However, she explained a high percentage of fat from total calorie consumption is what causes weight gain, not starchy or sugary foods alone. But according to Lorraine De- vereaux, director of nutrition and food services at Seaforth Com- munity Hospital, who also spoke at the seminar named Practical As- pects of Diabetes - Hospital to Home. it's not easy for people with diabetes to change their diets. "We have to be very sensitive when we're dealing with a diabetic community," she said. "The educa- tion of diet is tough. It's not an easy thing for these people to learn to eat differently." "Nlany of these people are told...all you have to do is stay away from sugar and lose a little weight," she added. "Eighty per cent are not receiving diet educa- tion beyond their doctor's office." People have to first understand food before they can make changes, she said, adding label reading and breaking food into nutrients are beneficial practices. She stressed the aim of diabetes educators is not to impose an eating lifestyle on people but rather to introduce healthy eating habits to individuals. Samples of food packages were passed out for seminar participants to categorize into Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating. "It's not an easy thing to do to break the foods down into their ba- sic nutrients," she said as the group of about 80 people, including nurs- es and dieticians, categorized the samples. After explaining people should eat food from every food group and that 55 nutrients are needed daily in order to be well nourished, De- ' vereaux spoke about the length of time it takes for certain foods to raise blood sugar levels. After men- tioning terms such as macro- nutrients, micro -nutrients, simple complex carbohydrates and com- plex simple carbohydrates, she said, "We tend to think sugar is sugar and starch is starch. We now know that things are not that easy to categorize." Referring to the glycemic index, which compares the extent to which different carbohydrate foods rare blood sugar levels, Devereaux used some surprising examples. For instance, she pointed out carrots raise blood sugar levels faster and higher than a Mars Bar. "You want sugars to be slowly, slowly absorbed into the blood- stream," she said, suggesting peo- ple with diabetes develop their own ,glycemic index by monitoring their glucose an hour after eating to ex- amine how their bodies handle cer- tain foods. Cooking techniques are also a factor, she explained, in how a di- abetic's blood sugar level rises. Eating overcooked pasta, for ex- ample, raises glucose levels. But the key to keeping blood sug- ar levels under control, said De- vereaux, is to• maintain a balanced diet. Although those eating bal- anced meals may still experience a rise in sugar levels, absorption of sugar into the blood will be more gradual. Protein, for example. is slowly released into the blood- stream, slowing down food absorp- tion and not noticeably raising blood sugar levels. "Protein can be converted to glu- cose. A lot of people don't know that," she said. A diabetic diet should be low in fat and protein. and high in car- bohydrates and fibre. The Canadian Diabetes Association once rec- ommended a diabetic's fat intake be a maximum of 30 per cent of their daily food consumption. New research suggests someone with di- abetes should now consume 20 to 25 per cent fat per day. Also, meals should be eaten four to six hours apart to promote less fat storage and to aid the work of the pancreas in producing insulin, which takes glucose to the cells. "You'd be shocked to hear how many people are not on a three- nteal-a-day pattem," said De- vereaux. "We tell people they have to eat like a cat, that is, small quan- tities of food frequently." She pointed out 89 per cent of Type II -R diabetics are overweight, and it's difficult for them to lose more than 10 per cent of that weight. However, this amount of Exeter Lions Club donate to local groups EXETER - At their November 22 meeting the Lions Club approved expenditures of $1500. to the Huron County Christmas Bureau, $707.45 to Community Liv- ing - South Huron for wheel chair repairs, and S1000. to be distributed evenly among the Beavers, Clubs, Scouts and Venturers. Funds are raised by the Lions Club through Ne- vada Tickets, TV Bingo and other activities, most of which toes back into the local community. weight Toss is all that's required to prevent complications with insulin levels. "Fat storage is a big issue with these people," said Devereaux, add- ing they often have other medical problems to deal with such as high blood pressure. The "thrifty gene theory" may be one reason for excess weight gain in people with diabetes because the disease, she explained, favors peo- ple who have evolved from the 'feast and famine' existence. "Those are the people who have survived concentration camps, who have survived wars," she said, ex- plaining they need less calories to sustain life and therefore store fat very easily, passing on these genes to offspring. Because "there are virtually no Type I (diabetics) seen in Huron County," which includes those not producing any insulin, Devereaux explained the difference between Type [I -D (deficient) and Type II -R (resistant) diabetes, which includes 80 to 90 per cent of the diabetic population. Type II -D diabetics don't pro- duce enough insulin and must take supplemental amounts while Type II -R people, often because of genet- ic error, produce too much insulin which triggers their appetite and leads to cravings of fatty foods and overeating. "You've got a whole lot of fat cells producing a whole lot of in- sulin and it's still not enough to keep up," she explained. Because Type II -R people have an abnormally high glucose level in their bloodstream, this leads to an overflow of blood sugar in the morning. The goal. is to get their morning blood sugar levels at a normal range to control levels throughout the day. Because these people must deal with hi amounts of insulin in their bodie they are more prone to heart di ease than those classified as Type II -D. Your Views I.—. LettelM to the editor • Looking for descendents Thomas and Lydia lived in Hensall.... Dear Editor: I am interested in hearing from any of your read- ers who are descended, as I am, from Thomas Hicks and Lydia Hicks (nee Humiston?). Thomas and Lydia lived in Hensall, and may have operated a ho- tel in Goderich in the 1880s. Une of their sons, my great grandfather John Hicks; was for many years a principal in Beamsville Ontario. 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