Problematic Diabetic

( PART 3 )

(Foreword: This is a continuation of our letterresponse to Nick, the diabetic regarding his concerns on choosing the good habits for diabetics.)

Dear Nick, the Diabetic,

Now, here are more good things which you think would help you in your crusade against diabetes, but, the truth is they are not really helping you, but instead pushing your health to risk.

4. Choosing to drink juice

Think about this. It doesn’t mean it’s natural, it’s healthy. Look at some equation here. A cup of apple juice has 25 grams of sugar, but only 0.5 grams of fiber.

But if you eat apple rather than juicing it, you will get less sugar at only about19 grams, but fiber would be 4.5 grams. This will make you feel full and satisfy you a lot longer and your blood sugar will also be stabilized. Moreover, there is a study that found out that drinking juice every day increases the risk of developing diabetes. But eating whole fruit regularly lowers your risk for diabetes. So, eat whole and drink fruit juice less.

5. Loving diet soda

Who wouldn’t love diet sodas? They are calorie-free, as in zero calories, carbohydrate-free and sugar-free. But the problem is, you might overdo things. As a matter of fact, there is a study which found that those people who are overweight who relies on diet soda end up not losing weight at all. Why? Because these people think that they are saving calories on drinks and so they can afford to splurge on other foods, which, before they knew it, the calories just heap up and the heavier they become on the weighing scale.

Here’s more problem here. These artificial sweeteners also confuse your body because they taste sweet but don’t provide the calories.

I know we all crave for cola once in a while. Go, treat yourself and satisfy that craving. But, it’s definitely a NO-NO, if you do it all of the time. Learn to discipline yourself and cling to your determination no matter what temptation you might run into. What you really need to fill yourself instead is just a glass of water, with a dash of lime if you wish.

Oh, oh, I would have wanted to talk more, but again, we are running of space for now. So, let me then continue this in my next issue. Until then again!

Dr. Fritz

(Dr. Fritz Legarde Espedilla is an aesthetic dermatologist and surgeon and a clinical sexologist. She is also trained in hypnotherapy and Medical Acupuncture. She has been in the broadcast media for more than a decade and has written a book based on her 15-year stint with her radio program, “Healthy is Sexy Secrets ni Dr. Fritz.” She is also a faculty in a College of Pharmacy. For your questions, you may send them to Dear Dr. Fritz, c/o Sunstar-Davao Publishing Inc., Ebro-Pelayo Building, Jacinto St., Davao City, (former Department of Foreign Affairs office), across Ateneo de Davao University and beside Holy Child School of Davao, or you e-mail them to dokfritz@yahoo.com. If you don’t wish your letter to be published, we regret that we cannot answer them. Thank you for your understanding.)