Q: I love to bake at holiday time, but have two family members recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Are there ways to make my traditional red velvet cake and holiday cookies more diabetes friendly?

A: Baked goods are typically challenging for people with diabetes. It’s not only the sugar content either; it’s all that nutritionally empty, blood-sugar spiking white flour. Fortunately, there are some kitchen tricks for lower carb baking. Substitutes for white, all-purpose flour include soy flour and white whole-wheat flour, both of which are lower in carbs and much higher in nutritional value than their conventional counterpart. In many cases, it will require some experimentation to learn just how much white flour in a recipe you can replace before you negatively affect taste and structure. Sugar substitutes, too, can be used in different proportions, depending on the role sugar plays in the recipe. An easy option that works in many baking scenarios is a sugar-substitute blend, such as Splenda, Sugar Blend, or Brown Sugar Blend for Baking. Browse dLife’s dessert recipes to find inspiration.

Q: I typically make eggnog and other party drinks at my annual holiday get-together. Are there lower-carb versions or substitutions out there to put in my punch bowl?

A: Beverages are perhaps the easiest of holiday fare to adapt for a diabetes lifestyle. With the enormous selection of diet and sugar-free soft drinks, the sky is the limit in terms of flavors and combinations for punches and special, fruity and fizzy drinks. If your punch calls for a fruit juice that doesn’t come sugar-free, use less or substitute unsweetened cranberry juice and Splenda or another artificial sweetener. As for eggnog, you can use an egg substitute to reduce the saturated fat and calories and, again, a sugar substitute to reduce the carbs. Check out this dLife recipe for eggnog. Remember, another great option for a festive, winter drink is dLife’s hot, Spiced Apple Cider.

Q: I’m unclear about the rules regarding drinking alcohol if you have diabetes. As the holidays get into full swing, I know there will be a lot of wine and spirits around. How careful do I need to be?

A: Careful is the right word to use, and good for you for wanting to have complete information on the topic. Moderate alcohol consumption — two drinks a day for men, one drink a day for women — can usually be part of a healthy, diabetes lifestyle if you have good blood sugar control and are in overall good health. However, there are many caveats to this rule of thumb, so it’s crucial that you check with your doctor about how alcohol interacts with your individual health issues, medications, and lifestyle. Alcohol can lead to dangerous low blood sugar episodes, so be sure you have things well in hand on this subject. A good start is taking the dLife Diabetes & Alcohol quiz. You’re sure to learn a thing or two.

Q: My husband has type 2 diabetes. How do I choose good, healthy foods for him? Also, what can we do to help him lose weight?

A: First, read "13 Tips for Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain." Next, choosing healthy foods is a great start. The first rule of thumb is to choose fresh foods, in their most natural state, rather than prepared or processed foods. Second, go for variety. Try to mix it up when it comes to your sources of proteins and the plant foods you eat. Watch saturated fat intake and avoid trans fats —­ which are found in many processed foods — because these can affect cholesterol, which is important in people with diabetes, who are at a higher risk for heart disease. Last, avoid added sugar and salt and eat plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Check out dLife’s recipe database, and look for healthy versions of dishes you and your husband like. You can also read cookbooks or attend special cooking classes for people with diabetes. If you make these dietary changes and your husband steps up his physical activity (under his physician’s guidance, of course), you’ll surely see an improvement in his blood sugar control and his weight. Last and certainly not least, consult with a registered dietitian (preferably one who is also a certified diabetes educator, or CDE), who can help set goals and guide his eating plan.

Q: My dad loves to salt up his food and I wanted to know if this was bad for him since he is a diabetic.

A: You are right to be concerned about sodium and its effect on your dad’s health. Too much salt is not good for people with diabetes, especially. It can lead to (or exacerbate) high blood pressure, which is dangerous to the heart and kidneys. It is especially important for people with diabetes to protect their hearts because heart disease is the leading cause of death when you have diabetes. Kidney failure is also a common complication, so protecting them is equally as important. The first step is to give up the saltshaker. Have him try spices, herbs, pepper, lemon, etc. instead. Once he gets used to unsalted foods, he will begin to notice that he doesn’t need the saltshaker at all. And processed foods will begin to taste overly salty.

Q: I am having success limiting my carbohydrates to between sixty and ninety grams per day — losing weight and keeping my blood sugar in my target range. However, I find that I get very hungry at various points in the day. What can I do about that?

A: Don’t let yourself go hungry between meals! That's when you'll eventually resort to quick and easy (read: high-carb, nutrient-empty) foods to take care of your cravings. You may want to consider eating several small meals, and make sure each meal contains some protein. Always start with vegetables or low-glycemic fruits and then add a small amount of dairy, nuts, legumes, fish, poultry, or meat. Also remember that when following a low-carb diet you need to get a variety of natural fats (not chemically processed), preferably some from animals, seafood and fish, and from vegetables. Don't try to eat a low-fat diet if you're keeping your carbs low — some nutrients are bound to get left out.

Q: Some “sugar-free” foods may have 22 grams of total carbs, but 20 grams of sugar alcohols, so they claim that the “net carb” count is 2. How should I count sugar alcohols?

A: Sugar alcohols also know as polyols are used to sweeten a variety of foods. They contain 2 to 3 calories per gram as compared to the 4 calories per gram that sugar contains. As for carbs, the general rule is to subtract half of the grams of sugar alcohol from the total carbohydrate. In your example, you would subtract 10 grams from the total 22 grams of total carbohydrate. That would result in 12 “net” grams for carbohydrate counting purposes.

The reason that sugar alcohols have fewer calories and less blood sugar impact is because they are not completely digested in the stomach. As a result, eating too much may cause you may experience diarrhea, cramping, or gas. You may want to go easy at first, try a small amount, and learn how your body reacts.

It’s a good idea to go slowly and monitor your blood sugar closely afterward when experimenting with these foods. Also, realize that just because a junk food contains sugar alcohols and not sugar, it may contain saturated fat, trans fat, and other harmful ingredients — it’s still junk food!

Q: What’s the deal with sugar-free? Are artificial sweeteners OK?

A: Sugar-free means there are trivial amounts of sugar — less than one-half of a gram of sugar per serving — in a particular food product. This claim has no bearing on the amount of calories, carbohydrates, or fat in the food. Sugar-free products are often higher in fat or other carbohydrates in order to compensate for the lack of sugar.

Many product manufacturers substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar. There are five types of these sweeteners approved by the FDA: acesulfame-K (Ace-K), aspartame, neotame, saccharin, and sucralose. These sweeteners are approved for consumption as a tool to control blood sugar, for weight management, and cavity prevention. They have gone through extensive testing and have been repeatedly proven safe over long periods of time. So, enjoy sugar-free foods and artificial sweeteners in moderation, but continue to watch calories, carbohydrates, sodium, and saturated and trans fat.

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