What sugar substitutes are diabetics able to process? Do you have to give up sweets forever?

Not at all. However it is worth bearing in mind that many sugar substitutes for the purposes of dieting are not suitable for diabetics (according to my educator). One of the tricks is to arrange exercise right after the treat that you wish to consume (or rather, within the period of time that you know your glucose levels will peak). By making sure that your sugar that you consume is used up right away, you have less problem with it.

I wouldn't recommend doing this all the time, but it helps when the cravings set in

I'm curious about which sugar substitutes widely available in North America would be appropriate for people with diabetes?

I'd also be interested if you could use them in baking.

I'm no expert but this is what I have learned over the years about the top 3 sweetners.

Equal (comes in the blue packets) - I used this when I was a kid. For some reason, it raised my bloodsugars. I had to stop using it.

Sweet N Low (comes in the pink packets) - This worked well for me but it contains Saccharin. From what I understand, Saccharin causes cancer.

Splenda (comes in the yellow packets) - So far, so good. All natural and made from sugar. Doesn't raise my bloodsugars and no cancer fears.

I use Splenda 100% of the time. It comes in packets for coffee and also in flakes for cooking and baking. I have not had a problem with this sweetner.

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Christopher Berry
Diabetic Discussion

I use Splenda and am hoping it is the right one. Yes, Saccharin does cause cancer, and I tell everyone I meet that. Everything I know about Splenda is great