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Diabetes Diet

Guiltless Indulgences

Guiltless indulgences might sound like a contradiction in terms. But it’s not — as long as we control how much we indulge ourselves.

Recently I have been researching some of those sweet foods that are usually off limits but we can now buy or prepare with non-caloric sweeteners. Almost since I learned in 1994 that I have diabetes I’ve avoided even these guiltless indulgences. But my good friend Barry “the low-carb vegetarian” has more of a sweet tooth than I do and has been leading me down this path.

“Do you know of any low-carb chocolate drink that tastes good?” I asked him.

“Hot chocolate couldn’t be simpler,” he replied. “Grind some organic cacao nibs into cocoa powder, or get 100% unsweetened cocoa alkalized powder, sweeten with erythritol and/or stevia, mix in to unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened soy milk… add cinnamon, vanilla extract, nutmeg… however you like it, even a little high fat low carb whipped cream on top, and voila!”

This was all I needed to make my new favorite warming drink. I make it with Scharffen Berger unsweetened natural cocoa powder that doesn’t have any milk or alkali, the chemical in Dutch-process cocoa.

Barry is also the expert on low-carb ice cream. I hope that he will add a comment to this post about his discoveries.

But just yesterday I cooked cookies for the first time in my life. These cookies were well worth cooking, not that it was at all difficult.

David Fulton, the inventor of Yes! To Cookies, had sent me a couple of boxes of his wonderful cookie mix while I was vacationing in Alaska. After buying the two ingredients — eggs or egg whites and butter or margarine — that I needed to add to the bag of mix, all I needed to do was to whip them together, spoon out the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and cook in the oven.

I was amazed that I could cook cookies. And even more amazed at how good these cookies tasted. They have no sugar, no starch, no net carbs, no gluten. The main trick is using erythritol, which is the best sugar alcohol, and psyllium fiber.

The trick for us when we eat these guiltless indulgences is to limit ourselves to moderate amounts. When we do that, none of them will have any significant effect on our blood glucose levels.

None of these foods are free of calories. Controlling how much we consume of these sweet foods is the challenge.

Personally, I can’t handle the ice cream challenge and can’t stop until I finish the carton. So I avoid even low-carb ice cream. Otherwise I have learned to enjoy my guiltless indulgences.

This article is based on an earlier version of my article published by HealthCentral.

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  • Phyllis at

    I, too, failed the ice cream challenge every time. HagenDaz rum raisin was made to be eaten all up at one sitting – right out of the container. So, I just stopped buying it. That’s not a boast, I ca pass something by in the store with no problem. It’s when it makes it into the house that the trouble starts.

    When I started becoming concerned about carbs and T2 Diabetes, I took ice cream out of my diet permanently. However, I make a version of ice milk that works for me. I use the unsweetened chocolate almond milk from Blue Diamond : 45 cal for 8oz, 3gm carb, zero sugars, 1gm protein. I add a teaspoon of raw cacao powder, a tiny pinch of salt, one drop of vanilla and stevia to taste. You can probably add cream and make the texture more like ice cream, but I’m happy with the result. I make a cup at a time, so if I’m tempted to have more (which I usually am). I need to make another batch ad wait.

    • David Mendosa at

      Dear Phyllis,

      That is the best strategy and a delicious-sounding and healthy desert! I’ll make this this afternoon, since I have all of those incredients in the house (except I use Pacific Natural Foods unsweetened almond milk). If that doesn’t work, I’ll get the almond milk that you use!

      Best regards,

      David

  • HerbalJunky at

    Hey David have you ever tried using stevia in cookies. I feel using stevia specialy with flavours like cocoa or chocolate could be another option to make a sweet cookies without adding carbs or calories to it

    HerbalJunky

  • Ellen at

    Another good hot chocolate recipe. Boil 6 -8 oz of water. Take a rounded teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa and about a tablespoon of DaVinci sugar free syrup (whatever flavor you like) and mix well in a cup. Gradually pour in the hot water and mix well. Then add about a tablespoon of heavy cream (only .5 g carb). You can modify any of the ingredients to suit your taste.

  • John Dorey at

    Good for ol’ Barry! That hot chocolate sounds delicious. I’ve been using regular cocoa, unsweet almond milk and splenda. I like his recipe better.

    Next on my list is “Yes to Cookies!”. David, thanks for the tips.

    JD