Most diabetes organisations globally advise that you do not need to avoid sugar all together – you just need to limit foods with lots of added sugar and little nutritional value such as confectionery, cakes, biscuits, soft drinks and desserts.
When consumed over the long term, these types of foods not only affect blood glucose control, they are also likely to affect your weight and dental health.
At times like Easter, you can of course enjoy small portions and celebrate with an Easter egg or chocolate bunny – but they shouldn’t be included in your diet as an ‘everyday’ food.
Other foods such as home-made fruit-based desserts (baked with less sugar), fruit yoghurts and low GI whole grain breakfast cereals are all nutritious and can add enjoyment to your diet as part of a healthy eating plan over the Easter holiday break.
In general, always try to look for foods that naturally contain sugar and also offer lots of nutrition, particularly fruit and dairy foods.
On a low GI diet, there is no need to avoid fruit, as the sugar it contains is bound up within the plant cell walls, so the body has to work hard to get the sugar out and absorbed for the body to use.
Fruit also contains other important beneficial nutrients such as fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Aim for two serves of fruit a day, enjoy mainly whole seasonal fruit and avoid too much fruit juice.
