Diabetes

My husband was just diagnosed as having diabetes. He's not taking any shots or pills. His doctor suggested we see a registered dietitian to get a diet. The hospital dietitian gave him a book called "Exchange List" and explained it. The list is pretty complicated and so different from the way we eat. Couldn't...

Thanks so much for your prompt and detailed response regarding my question about a low carbohydrate diet. I very much appreciate your professional opinion because I don't want to do anything harmful. Just so you know, when I said I "had trouble" with a low-calorie diet, I simply meant I had trouble staying on...

How do you exchange soup with the Exchange List? I cannot find it listed in my booklet. I make both canned and homemade soup for my husband who is a diabetic. Most canned soups can be exchanged as follows: one cup reconstituted broth soups equals one starch; one cup reconstituted cream type soups equals one...

Thanks for the groovy webpage, but I'm looking for a diet for "reactive hypoglycemia". I couldn't find anything on your site using my "find" feature. Do you know where one goes for that information? Thanks Click on the nutrition topic hypoglycemia which is listed in a column on the left side of Ask the Dietitian's...

I am a diabetic and I've read that I can use fructose as a sweetener. Is that true? Am I limited in how much I use? Fructose as a sweetener doesn't stimulate insulin secretion though it will add calories because fructose contains two glucose molecules. By using fructose as a sweetener, your blood glucose may...

I am an adult nurse practitioner who sees many persons with diabetes. I am in need of a reference for exchange lists for my patients who eat predominantly Asian / Oriental foods and one for my orthodox Jewish patient who is out of the country 200 days per year. Can you help me? This same...

My husband is a diabetic and I work for a physician where I help other diabetics and their spouses learn how to change their method of eating. I also have recently started teaching a program that focuses on healthy eating and has learned to convert recipes to exchanges. Is there a software program that...

I am really enjoying your web page. I just recently graduated from Junior College as a Dietetic Technician. But I am not ending my education as a DT. I am starting at the University in the Fall to become a Registered Dietitian. Through my two years of training, I had never seen so much information...

What helpful hints do you have for converting homemade ice cream recipes for use by diabetics? Is it possible to substitute non-dairy creamers plus skim milk for cream? What substitutions can be made for the sugars? What is the use of cornstarch in recipes? I do not have a specific recipe for homemade ice cream for...

Visitors note: Updated 2008 diabetic exchanges The following answers are based on "Choose Your Foods: Exchange Lists for Diabetes" published in 2008 by the American Diabetes Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.