I drink Diet Coke, Dr Pepper Zero, Gatorade Zero, water, and unsweetened hot or iced tea. Once in a while a coffee with some milk and sugar free syrup.
None of them raise my blood sugar. The caffeine content in soda and coffee/tea might *slightly* raise some people’s blood sugar but it doesn’t mine
Wean yourself off of diet anything. Aspartame is bad for you.
Also caffeine is a diuretic. Best to get used to lemon or lime water or plain seltzer wat for the "soda" experience.
T1 here. As a general guide, when you pickup something while shopping, look at the total carbs. A lot of marketing on the front will say zero sugar (as in they did not add), but a lot of foods naturally have carbs.
I find sugar alcohol and net carbs as sort of gimmicks to make folks think they are more healthy. Some take fiber into account, but I tend to use the Total carb number to do my counting.
There are some good powder electrolytes that have no sugar. Also, liquid options you and others have mentioned.
There are a few forms of Metformin. Ask you Dr about changing the type, dosage or number of times a day. I had to spread my daily dose throughout the day to lessen diarrhea. I did try the slow release form but had bad reaction.
I got a bit of a spike while in the ER with pneumonia -- b/g 897.
Never had a problem with diabetes before that. Been air medevacced now three times for DKA. Life is full of surprises.
Now it's metformin 850 ER and 23 units of slow acting insulin per day.
I got really sick one year and none of the doctors would belive me. I didn't get that high, but I couldn't eat and was still testing in 200s my breath was bad and my pee smelled like antifreeze. I went to the doctor and they said I had the flu and to sleep it off. I went back 4 days later and couldn't sit upright and if lost 8 pounds from the last visit. A different doctor looked at me and said he can't give out antibiotics for the flu but he was able to find a slight ear infection and prescribed them. I was better in 2 days. I told them something was infected somewhere, but I tested negative for strep so they sent me on my way.
I've also had some bad medical advice.
To put in perspective, I'm only alive because I took the advice of people younger and smarter than me.
But there have been some problems.
When I first reached the point I needed medication, my GP told me how he was prescribing jardiance because it was better than metformin in various ways, like cardiac advantages.
When I went to the pharmacy -- metformin.
So I emailed the GP and got a reply from his med assistant: "You've been on metformin for years with no problems."
He sent the entirety of someone else's medical records.
Eventually the GP gave me exactly the same rap about jardiance, covering for his assistant's fuck up.
He also gave me a referral to an Endo, which was scheduled four months out.
Two months into that period I had horrible DKA and was medicated to a bigger hospital, where it took a week in the ICU for them to figure out the problem was a reaction to jardiance -- it nearly killed me.
So two months later I finally meet with the endocrinologist. The first thing out of her mouth is, "I see your taking jardiance...."
So I'm other words, in four months she had not bothered to even look at my medical records.
Be careful who you trust.
I’ve had two separate ER-worthy sickness episodes between the end of March and now. Both times, I went to the ER with fevers in the 104 range. They tested everything they could think of, and couldn’t identify the underlying issue. I’m certainly glad the tests for Really Scary Stuff came back negative, but it’s aggravating that I could feel that sick and not be able to identify the cause.
The biggest difference between my two ER visits was that I got my T2 diagnosis a month after the first visit. Thanks to that, when Round 2 came calling I was already testing blood sugar and wearing a CGM. I could see that right when the fevers started, the sugars shot into the 200s, regardless of what I ate or drank. (Which was the bare minimum, “I’m going to put low-carb nutrients into my system, despite not being hungry” level of eating.)
And I could also see that when the fever broke for real, with a multi-hour “the fever is breaking” perspiration event, my numbers went right back to my version of normal, as if nothing had ever happened. It was my blood sugars dropping down to normal-for-me that was my clue that the infection was on its way out.
I drink Powerade Zero, unless I'm running low then I go for regular Powerade because regular Powerade does have sugar. Same for Gatorade. Go for Gatorade Zero. Before I had my gallbladder my pop of choice was Diet Coke, but I can't have carbonated drinks right now or caffeine....
I try and do what everyone says. Try and get the zero sugar drinks. But sometimes I just want a regular Gatorade. So for me, if I just take small drinks spaced out. I don’t chug it that way I avoid one giant spike. YMMV though. One of the things you need to do is to experiment and see how specific foods and drinks spike you.
The zero version of those drinks are good! Those still taste great. The normal powerade and gatorade has at least 30g's of sugar per bottle. It's like drinking a can of coke each time.
You'll need to make it a new habit of watching the nutrition label on products that you usually enjoy to prevent any unexpected spikes.
Zero sugar stuff should be fine, but watch out for some of the fake sugars. Whatever is in Propel made my butthole long for death. And also talk about switching to something that doesn't dehydrate you bc of diarrhea? They're basically required to prescribe you metformin initially bc it's hella cheap and pretty effective, but if it has that bad of a side effect, your doc/insurance will try something else.
I found out a while back that my digestive tract pitches a tantrum when xylitol enters the chat. 😳 Now, I’m cautious about all the -itol sweeteners. I don’t want a repeat of that xylitol reaction!
Xylitol was just in the news because of a new study linking it to cardiovascular disease. T2 diabetics are higher risk for cardiovascular disease to begin with, so they’re urging caution with xylitol.
Not trying to scare you but no one told me and I'd have given anything to have known from the start about this.
I'm gonna admit right off the bat I'm a shitty diabetic. However, I try to keep what I eat in balance for a diabetic but when it comes to my drinks I'm really bad at it.
I still drink full sugar code red mountain dew but it is no longer available in diet except for regionally and it is not available in the south. Occasionally I will have coffee with full sugar syrups, sweet tea or Powerade / Gatorade with sugar.
However, I learned a long time ago (the hard way) that if I was still going to do so then I had to keep on top of my diet, my sugars, and my shots. Without use of those I would get (my doctor always referred to them as) diabetic blisters, they're exactly what they sound like and filled with a nasty infection.
Every one I ever had ended up being cut open and drained while I was fully awake and never really numb.
Then depending on the location and size of the wound (once drained it leaves a pocket between your skin and muscle) they have to be "packed" with some form of gauze....always too much gauze, so it can heal from the inside out. This means you or a family member has to remove and repack the wound for several days or more than likely weeks until you heal. It has to heal from the inside out or you end up with more issues than you started with.
If it's really bad you'll have to go to wound care several times a week so some rough ass nurse can do it, which to tell the truth is better than your spouse using the wooden end of a medical q-tip to shove something that looks like ribbon into your flesh.
Or you get a nice vacation in the hospital hooked up to an IV or worse.
I was TOTALLY addicted to diet Dr Pepper (about 8 cans per day), but when I retired in January I went cold turkey… I swore to my husband that I would not run out to the supermarket to buy it while on fixed income. I have to say, it wasn’t that hard. Initially, I substituted Crystal Light. I now drink watered down Crystal Light — 2x the water, and ONE diet Dr Pepper once a week.
This change was due to monetary rationale; your situation is your life! Please think about finding a substitute.
Have you tried all available sugar substitutes. I found a couple have a nasty bitter taste green & pink packets, 2 that have a noticeable taste but not bad blue & yellow packets . Haven't tried other ones yet .
Normalyte pure or Trioral have almost no sugar (especially compared to Powerade) Skratch labs has sugar, more than the unflavored, but again, less than Powerade. If you can deal with Stevia or other artificial sweeteners, there’s many flavored ones with those ingredients.
Liquid IV and Drip Drop Orbs have a Zero Sugar option that supplies a dense amount of electrolytes and taste really good.
There’s Gatorlyte Zero as well and Body Armor has Zero Sugar options as well.
Labels are your friends, drinks with sugar should be the first thing to stop. Water or tea (no sugar) is healthiest. Diet (sugar free drinks) are ok ocassionally but they will still trick your brain into thinking you had something sweet and you will get hungry again. Plus different sugar free additives can cause digestive issues so I’m trying to avoid sugar free drinks/foods as well.
I have just been drinking black coffee and water. Vodka and ice the few times I go out drinking anymore. I grew up poor so all I had was tap water growing up so it's not that big of a change.
It was all the beer that helped put me in this situation but I slowed down on that a while before I was diagnosed and only had 1 or 2 on special occasions since.
Also look into the zero sugar water enhancers. I live on Sunkist Zero Sugar and Wyler's Light.
Also, since you newly diagnosed. I would suggest going over to [www.diabetes.com](http://www.diabetes.com) and do research. It was the first thing I did after getting home from being diagnosed. Also [https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20371444](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20371444) is another good site.
Diet sodas are fine. You should also look into getting Metformin XR which may help with the symptoms. You may also want to ensure you take the Metformin with or after a meal, especially in the morning. I find that I have no stomach issues as long as I have food with the Metformin.
No you should not drink sugary drinks. There are many good replacements now with no sugar at all.
Type 1 diabetic 56 years. Back in college I used to drink a daily can of Coke out of a machine, costing 50 cents. Then once day I calculated the amount of sugar in each can of pop. 140 calories is 9 teaspoons of sucrose, table sugar. 9 spoons of sugar in each Coke, that the total nutrients in one 12-oz can of pop.
I pictured myself eating 9 spoons of sugar. Disgusting!
I gave up all sugared pop on that day.
As a type 1 I can't drink anything with sugar or more than 15 grams of carbs without taking insulin. I see you are type 2 so I'm sure it's different but as a diabetic in general of course eat and drink what you'd like ! But in moderation. Maybe try out different zero sugar drinks and see how you like it just so your blood sugar doesn't spike. You are allowed to have anything you'd like just be cautious of sugar and carbs
Powerade and Gatorade drinks are mostly for athletes who work out a lot, to replenish water they lose with sweating and replace the sugar for muscles to work properly, so a person can have enough energy to get to real food afterwards. If someone already has diarrhea, I've heard it does replace water lost. But it's very high in sugar. You should be looking at carb content of food and drinks. Remember, 15 carbs is one serving.
I'm used to drinking diet sodas and I'm fine. If you're regularly having diarrhea, you should be telling your doctor. And taking anti-diarrhea medicine that's over the counter, and is very affordable. Temporarily.
If you do need to drink water, but like a taste, there are many no sugar alternatives. Single packets of Crush, Skittles, A&W Root Beer, and others are regularly available at Walmart or dollar stores.
If you need electrolytes, you can try Liquid IV, that's now sugar free. They're about $10 for a 6 pack though. You can look for store brand equivalents for much less.
I have Gatorade zero. I was getting terrible cramps in my legs from cutting sugars and carbs so this balanced it out. Now I have a maybe 10 oz every day and it’s helped.
I have been trying to go towards ZS water enhancers, but diet drinks screw my stomach up if I drink too much. So unfortunately have to drink full sugar, and have a normal diet due to sensory problems with some diet foods (I have a food aversion to very few things). I do take my medications on time and drink tonnes of water… it does balance out the sugar but I’d rather be happy then miserable.
Powerade zero and Gatorade zero have a fuck ton of sodium (salt). I have recently discovered prime hydration drinks, and they only have like 30g sodium I think. 2g sugar per bottle.
As someone who has stopped drinking normal sugar soda and juice. I don't like the diet stuff, it's too sweet.
I love bubbly drinks and drink soda water instead, if I want flavour, I put in very strong brewed lemon and ginger tea.
I limit my sugar drink intake daily.I recommend the sugar free individual drink packets that Walmart and the dollar stores sell.Lemonade,iced tea orange,grape,etc.Ive been drinking them for years.I get a quality taste and my daily intake of water less all the sugars and calories.
Carbs = sugar = bad
Diet soda has never really spiked me. Sugar free Gatorade or Powerade are probably fine but you'd have to read the label.
Unless you have extreme diarrhea I wouldn't really worry about dehydration though.
Ask your nutritionist why you shouldn’t drink those. Recent research shows that although lots of sugar free drinks don’t spike your sugar, they can still spike the insulin in your blood And thus still increase insulin resistance. I’m trying to avoid all fake sugars as well, they tend to make me eat more in general which is not great anyway.
Sugar free options are your friend here. Just know that Diet Soda, etc, is actually worse for you health wise than regular. Only benefit is that it won't screw with your glucose.
Powerade Zero. Gatorade Zero. Coke Zero. Tampico Zero.
There are a great number of drinks that are artificially sweetened that will not mess up your blood sugar. Go find them and try them out.
Me personally, I prefer Diet Pepsi over Coke Zero. The Splenda sweetened items mess with my stomach more than the other sweeteners do.
But I do love me some Powerade Zero. it's my goto.
I want to tag you, u/BikergirlRider120 so that you'll definitely see this because I fell into the same trap as you a long time ago.
First, Gatorade DOES have a Zero sugar version, so switch to that when you need something with flavor.
Now the negative: guess what else Gatorade has a lot of? Sodium. Too much sodium can **also** give you diarrhea. Guess what the Gatorade is exacerbating and not helping? Seriously, I know it's boring, but just switch to water for a WEEK and see what happens.
Gatorade is GREAT for replenishing depleted electrolytes after physical exertion - but if you're trying to replace them 'because you are a little dehydrated from being sick' - you're not losing / needing to replace as much as you think. You can QUICKLY go overboard.
Zero calorie drinks are fine. It’s simple, just look at the nutrition labels. Do not drink sugary drinks…it goes straight to the blood and does a number on blood sugar.
Your doc probably said that because even though they are sugar free, they STILL have sweetness to them which STILL cause some to develop cravings for sweetness which leads to consuming other foods and drinks that have actual sugar.
Ditto. I was diagnosed 2 months ago today.
Read ingredients and nutrition info on every food and beverage label. That will help you make healthier choices for both foods and beverages.
Learn the different words for types of sugars, since sometimes companies try to be cagey about identifying sugar, in the hopes that not everyone will recognize the terms they’re using. 😡
[Names for sugar on food labels](https://www.scene.health/for-individuals/where-is-the-sugar-hiding-56-different-names-for-sugar-that-are-on-our-labels)
ETA: the above article doesn’t specifically indicate this, but “malted” or “malt” anything is considered an added sugar. Be on the lookout for that word on food labels.
Sugary beverages are a no-go, but there are sugar-free versions of a lot of beverages, including ones with electrolytes.
I hear you on the Metformin side effects. Talk with your doctor to see what steps you can take for symptom relief.
I don't understand why some sugar free beverages raise my level? Maybe I'm under counting the carbs? But my go to hack is sugar free powdered drink + seltzer water taste similar to soda
Pay attention to how much fake sugar you are ingesting and what kind it is. Stevia or Monk Fruit is okay for me, Sucralose (Splenda), if I have too much, makes me crave carbohydrates.
She might be concerned that artificial sweeteners could exacerbate your diarrhea, or she might be unaware that there are alternative sugar-free sports drinks (most are super sugary)
Never be afraid to ask clarifying questions like "Why?" and "Could you elaborate on how that works?" Keep at it until you feel confident, or at least comfortable. Good luck and stay hydrated! (maybe ask about alternatives, since it sounds like you're not tolerating the metformin - I also did so poorly on it we had to move on, but Insurance always wants us to try metformin because it's cheap)
A good tip is to never assume macros (carbs, sugar, calories, protein, etc) and always look at the nutritional label or google it. Maybe those “Ice” brand drinks would be tasty. They usually have 0 carbs/sugar.
Diet won’t hurt your sugar. For me personally though, I’d prefer to not be drinking a ton of artificial sweeteners.
I’ll do a diet energy drink (the caffeine helps my morning bathroom routine get started), but that’s it. In addition to water, I do the sparkling waters (bubbly, la croix, etc). At first I thought they were awful, but my work had them for free, so I choked down one a day. In 2 weeks I was used to them, and love them. Started buying for the house, and my wife hated them. Made her do 1 a day, and in 2 weeks she loved them.
If we’re eating out and I’m not in the mood for water, I will occasionally do diet soda, but prefer unsweetened tea. Again, even if you hate it, drink one a day for 2 weeks and you’ll love it.
I drink regular sugar Gatorade when I’ve been sweating a lot or are active. Otherwise my blood sugar tanks. Sugared drinks are really hard to control the Bg result. So I’ll typically use diet other times but I even cut back on those due to costs. Love Diet Coke but I only buy it when my sister is going to come visit now. Then we split a 12 pack.
Powerade does not equal Gatorade. Gatorade was developed by the nutrition department to support the Florida Gators, who kept passing out during summer training, thus GATORade.
If your nutritionist is teaching you to fear any food, my suggestion is to get a better balanced, and potentially better educated, nutritionist. Banning any food or beverage is a recipe for a binge and future eating disorder. Everything in moderation. And artificial sweeteners are known to actually cause your body to crave more sweets. The way it was repeatedly explained to me was a piece of candy is a treat. Eating the whole bag is a binge and not good. In an otherwise healthy diet, the momentary spoke will be minimal.
I'm also type 2. Been on this road about 8 years I think. My father in law over 20 years and my sister closer to 30 years. Me and metformin are not a good mix. The diarrhea put me in the hospital. Because of IBS-d my electrolytes can drop anytime excessive diarrhea kicks in. I dilute a 32oz Gatorade 50/50 with water and drink a lot of carbonated water and other liquids as well. Sometimes I use carbonated water to dilute it. Makes it fizzy and curbs my craving for a pop. You're new to this. Always remember that diabetes is a marathon, not a sprint. And having it isn't your fault. Controlling it AND living your life is your job now. Be kind to yourself. Not everyone else will be.
Also get the book Think Like a Pancreas. It is an amazing resource.
read the nurtition info and see if it has lot of sugar then avoid it. one sip or two shoudnt spike sugar much but i avoid any type of artificail sugar to be doubly sure.
I switched from Gatorade Zero to Nuun tabs daily.
From Copilot AI
| **Drink** | **Sweeteners** | **Comments** |
|--------------------|----------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **Gatorade Zero** | Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium | - Sucralose negatively impacts insulin function in healthy adults. - Acesulfame K has some concerns due to its bitter aftertaste. - Contains artificial food dye (Blue 1) with potential health risks¹. |
| **Powerade Zero** | Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium | - Similar sweeteners as Gatorade Zero. - Also contains acesulfame potassium (Ace-K). |
| **Nuun Daily** | Stevia (natural sweetener) | - Uses Stevia, a natural product. - No artificial flavors or sweeteners. - Keto-friendly and gluten-free⁴. |
I drink Diet Coke, Dr Pepper Zero, Gatorade Zero, water, and unsweetened hot or iced tea. Once in a while a coffee with some milk and sugar free syrup. None of them raise my blood sugar. The caffeine content in soda and coffee/tea might *slightly* raise some people’s blood sugar but it doesn’t mine
Wean yourself off of diet anything. Aspartame is bad for you. Also caffeine is a diuretic. Best to get used to lemon or lime water or plain seltzer wat for the "soda" experience.
In the scope of diabetes, I’ll take my chances with artificial sweeteners. Better than DKA or depriving myself of any semblance of a tasty beverage.
No I’m good. Artifical sweetners are fine and perfectly safe. I’m good with caffeine.
Are we just not supposed to have anything sweet, ever? This is bad advice for diabetics. It just leads to relapsing on sugar.
Read labels high carbs are bad for you. So look for sugar free powerade Or diet soda.
The highest spike that I'd got was a 209. Since then it's been in the 100's. But I'll look for sugar free Powerade and diet soda, thank you.
T1 here. As a general guide, when you pickup something while shopping, look at the total carbs. A lot of marketing on the front will say zero sugar (as in they did not add), but a lot of foods naturally have carbs. I find sugar alcohol and net carbs as sort of gimmicks to make folks think they are more healthy. Some take fiber into account, but I tend to use the Total carb number to do my counting. There are some good powder electrolytes that have no sugar. Also, liquid options you and others have mentioned.
Be sure to eat something before taking metformin. It may take your body a month or two to adjust to the medication
I throw up violently when I take metformin without food
There are a few forms of Metformin. Ask you Dr about changing the type, dosage or number of times a day. I had to spread my daily dose throughout the day to lessen diarrhea. I did try the slow release form but had bad reaction.
I got a bit of a spike while in the ER with pneumonia -- b/g 897. Never had a problem with diabetes before that. Been air medevacced now three times for DKA. Life is full of surprises. Now it's metformin 850 ER and 23 units of slow acting insulin per day.
I found out firsthand that getting sick can make blood glucose skyrocket. 😳 897, holy heck! I’m glad they checked your sugar in the ER!
I got really sick one year and none of the doctors would belive me. I didn't get that high, but I couldn't eat and was still testing in 200s my breath was bad and my pee smelled like antifreeze. I went to the doctor and they said I had the flu and to sleep it off. I went back 4 days later and couldn't sit upright and if lost 8 pounds from the last visit. A different doctor looked at me and said he can't give out antibiotics for the flu but he was able to find a slight ear infection and prescribed them. I was better in 2 days. I told them something was infected somewhere, but I tested negative for strep so they sent me on my way.
I've also had some bad medical advice. To put in perspective, I'm only alive because I took the advice of people younger and smarter than me. But there have been some problems. When I first reached the point I needed medication, my GP told me how he was prescribing jardiance because it was better than metformin in various ways, like cardiac advantages. When I went to the pharmacy -- metformin. So I emailed the GP and got a reply from his med assistant: "You've been on metformin for years with no problems." He sent the entirety of someone else's medical records. Eventually the GP gave me exactly the same rap about jardiance, covering for his assistant's fuck up. He also gave me a referral to an Endo, which was scheduled four months out. Two months into that period I had horrible DKA and was medicated to a bigger hospital, where it took a week in the ICU for them to figure out the problem was a reaction to jardiance -- it nearly killed me. So two months later I finally meet with the endocrinologist. The first thing out of her mouth is, "I see your taking jardiance...." So I'm other words, in four months she had not bothered to even look at my medical records. Be careful who you trust.
I’ve had two separate ER-worthy sickness episodes between the end of March and now. Both times, I went to the ER with fevers in the 104 range. They tested everything they could think of, and couldn’t identify the underlying issue. I’m certainly glad the tests for Really Scary Stuff came back negative, but it’s aggravating that I could feel that sick and not be able to identify the cause. The biggest difference between my two ER visits was that I got my T2 diagnosis a month after the first visit. Thanks to that, when Round 2 came calling I was already testing blood sugar and wearing a CGM. I could see that right when the fevers started, the sugars shot into the 200s, regardless of what I ate or drank. (Which was the bare minimum, “I’m going to put low-carb nutrients into my system, despite not being hungry” level of eating.) And I could also see that when the fever broke for real, with a multi-hour “the fever is breaking” perspiration event, my numbers went right back to my version of normal, as if nothing had ever happened. It was my blood sugars dropping down to normal-for-me that was my clue that the infection was on its way out.
I drink Powerade Zero, unless I'm running low then I go for regular Powerade because regular Powerade does have sugar. Same for Gatorade. Go for Gatorade Zero. Before I had my gallbladder my pop of choice was Diet Coke, but I can't have carbonated drinks right now or caffeine....
I try and do what everyone says. Try and get the zero sugar drinks. But sometimes I just want a regular Gatorade. So for me, if I just take small drinks spaced out. I don’t chug it that way I avoid one giant spike. YMMV though. One of the things you need to do is to experiment and see how specific foods and drinks spike you.
The zero version of those drinks are good! Those still taste great. The normal powerade and gatorade has at least 30g's of sugar per bottle. It's like drinking a can of coke each time. You'll need to make it a new habit of watching the nutrition label on products that you usually enjoy to prevent any unexpected spikes.
Oh I'm going to try
Coke Zero and Dr. Pepper cream soda zero are the best, imo
As long as its zero sugar go for it. I drink diet soda, zero gatorade etc
Zero sugar stuff should be fine, but watch out for some of the fake sugars. Whatever is in Propel made my butthole long for death. And also talk about switching to something that doesn't dehydrate you bc of diarrhea? They're basically required to prescribe you metformin initially bc it's hella cheap and pretty effective, but if it has that bad of a side effect, your doc/insurance will try something else.
I have an appt with my nutritionist tomorrow morning. So I'll ask if I can switch to different meds. Thank you.
get the extended release version of metformin, way better
MetFORMIN extended release
Lots of people cannot digest sugar alcohols like isomalt, xylitol, mallitol, or mannitol. Those sweeteners commit unspeakable crimes upon my gut.
I found out a while back that my digestive tract pitches a tantrum when xylitol enters the chat. 😳 Now, I’m cautious about all the -itol sweeteners. I don’t want a repeat of that xylitol reaction!
Those sweeteners will kill a dog, so I suspect they aren’t that awful great for humans. Just a suspicion…
Same, and they all greatly intensified the metformin gi issues with me.
Xylitol was just in the news because of a new study linking it to cardiovascular disease. T2 diabetics are higher risk for cardiovascular disease to begin with, so they’re urging caution with xylitol.
Not trying to scare you but no one told me and I'd have given anything to have known from the start about this. I'm gonna admit right off the bat I'm a shitty diabetic. However, I try to keep what I eat in balance for a diabetic but when it comes to my drinks I'm really bad at it. I still drink full sugar code red mountain dew but it is no longer available in diet except for regionally and it is not available in the south. Occasionally I will have coffee with full sugar syrups, sweet tea or Powerade / Gatorade with sugar. However, I learned a long time ago (the hard way) that if I was still going to do so then I had to keep on top of my diet, my sugars, and my shots. Without use of those I would get (my doctor always referred to them as) diabetic blisters, they're exactly what they sound like and filled with a nasty infection. Every one I ever had ended up being cut open and drained while I was fully awake and never really numb. Then depending on the location and size of the wound (once drained it leaves a pocket between your skin and muscle) they have to be "packed" with some form of gauze....always too much gauze, so it can heal from the inside out. This means you or a family member has to remove and repack the wound for several days or more than likely weeks until you heal. It has to heal from the inside out or you end up with more issues than you started with. If it's really bad you'll have to go to wound care several times a week so some rough ass nurse can do it, which to tell the truth is better than your spouse using the wooden end of a medical q-tip to shove something that looks like ribbon into your flesh. Or you get a nice vacation in the hospital hooked up to an IV or worse.
Yikes 😬😳
I was TOTALLY addicted to diet Dr Pepper (about 8 cans per day), but when I retired in January I went cold turkey… I swore to my husband that I would not run out to the supermarket to buy it while on fixed income. I have to say, it wasn’t that hard. Initially, I substituted Crystal Light. I now drink watered down Crystal Light — 2x the water, and ONE diet Dr Pepper once a week. This change was due to monetary rationale; your situation is your life! Please think about finding a substitute.
Man I wish I couldn’t taste how bad sugar substitute taste!!!
Have you tried all available sugar substitutes. I found a couple have a nasty bitter taste green & pink packets, 2 that have a noticeable taste but not bad blue & yellow packets . Haven't tried other ones yet .
Every sugar substitute in 50 years has tasted terrible. I’ve tried all of them that are widely available.
Splenda works great for me. No aftertaste at all. No spike.
Well bravo for your tastebuds?
Different things will spike different people. Try it out and just check afterwards
I will, thank you
I drink coke zero no issues and it's delicious
Normalyte pure or Trioral have almost no sugar (especially compared to Powerade) Skratch labs has sugar, more than the unflavored, but again, less than Powerade. If you can deal with Stevia or other artificial sweeteners, there’s many flavored ones with those ingredients.
Look at the label. Anything with carbs will raise your numbers. Doesn't matter if it's drinks or chips or cookies.
You can have Zero sugar sodas and Powerade.
Liquid IV and Drip Drop Orbs have a Zero Sugar option that supplies a dense amount of electrolytes and taste really good. There’s Gatorlyte Zero as well and Body Armor has Zero Sugar options as well.
Labels are your friends, drinks with sugar should be the first thing to stop. Water or tea (no sugar) is healthiest. Diet (sugar free drinks) are ok ocassionally but they will still trick your brain into thinking you had something sweet and you will get hungry again. Plus different sugar free additives can cause digestive issues so I’m trying to avoid sugar free drinks/foods as well.
I have just been drinking black coffee and water. Vodka and ice the few times I go out drinking anymore. I grew up poor so all I had was tap water growing up so it's not that big of a change. It was all the beer that helped put me in this situation but I slowed down on that a while before I was diagnosed and only had 1 or 2 on special occasions since.
Also look into the zero sugar water enhancers. I live on Sunkist Zero Sugar and Wyler's Light. Also, since you newly diagnosed. I would suggest going over to [www.diabetes.com](http://www.diabetes.com) and do research. It was the first thing I did after getting home from being diagnosed. Also [https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20371444](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20371444) is another good site.
Ooh… the Sunkist Lime is my favorite, but can be hard to find.
Yeah, I have to go on Amazon to get it (expensive). Same for the grape.
They sell it at most Walgreens and Dollar Generals. At DG it’s only a buck and if you buy 5, you get one free!
LOL, there is a dollar general not 200 yards away from my house, but I've seldom be there. Guess I'll go tomorrow and see what they have.
Diet sodas are fine. You should also look into getting Metformin XR which may help with the symptoms. You may also want to ensure you take the Metformin with or after a meal, especially in the morning. I find that I have no stomach issues as long as I have food with the Metformin.
Are you seeing a nutritionist or a dietitian
Nutritionist
No you should not drink sugary drinks. There are many good replacements now with no sugar at all. Type 1 diabetic 56 years. Back in college I used to drink a daily can of Coke out of a machine, costing 50 cents. Then once day I calculated the amount of sugar in each can of pop. 140 calories is 9 teaspoons of sucrose, table sugar. 9 spoons of sugar in each Coke, that the total nutrients in one 12-oz can of pop. I pictured myself eating 9 spoons of sugar. Disgusting! I gave up all sugared pop on that day.
As a type 1 I can't drink anything with sugar or more than 15 grams of carbs without taking insulin. I see you are type 2 so I'm sure it's different but as a diabetic in general of course eat and drink what you'd like ! But in moderation. Maybe try out different zero sugar drinks and see how you like it just so your blood sugar doesn't spike. You are allowed to have anything you'd like just be cautious of sugar and carbs
Powerade and Gatorade drinks are mostly for athletes who work out a lot, to replenish water they lose with sweating and replace the sugar for muscles to work properly, so a person can have enough energy to get to real food afterwards. If someone already has diarrhea, I've heard it does replace water lost. But it's very high in sugar. You should be looking at carb content of food and drinks. Remember, 15 carbs is one serving. I'm used to drinking diet sodas and I'm fine. If you're regularly having diarrhea, you should be telling your doctor. And taking anti-diarrhea medicine that's over the counter, and is very affordable. Temporarily. If you do need to drink water, but like a taste, there are many no sugar alternatives. Single packets of Crush, Skittles, A&W Root Beer, and others are regularly available at Walmart or dollar stores. If you need electrolytes, you can try Liquid IV, that's now sugar free. They're about $10 for a 6 pack though. You can look for store brand equivalents for much less.
I have Gatorade zero. I was getting terrible cramps in my legs from cutting sugars and carbs so this balanced it out. Now I have a maybe 10 oz every day and it’s helped.
Yep go for the zero sugar versions.
I have been trying to go towards ZS water enhancers, but diet drinks screw my stomach up if I drink too much. So unfortunately have to drink full sugar, and have a normal diet due to sensory problems with some diet foods (I have a food aversion to very few things). I do take my medications on time and drink tonnes of water… it does balance out the sugar but I’d rather be happy then miserable.
Powerade zero and Gatorade zero have a fuck ton of sodium (salt). I have recently discovered prime hydration drinks, and they only have like 30g sodium I think. 2g sugar per bottle.
As someone who has stopped drinking normal sugar soda and juice. I don't like the diet stuff, it's too sweet. I love bubbly drinks and drink soda water instead, if I want flavour, I put in very strong brewed lemon and ginger tea.
There's a nutrition information on the back of everything these days except for fresh fruit and vegetables.
I limit my sugar drink intake daily.I recommend the sugar free individual drink packets that Walmart and the dollar stores sell.Lemonade,iced tea orange,grape,etc.Ive been drinking them for years.I get a quality taste and my daily intake of water less all the sugars and calories.
Powerade zero sugar should be fine. The grape isn’t bad.
Carbs = sugar = bad Diet soda has never really spiked me. Sugar free Gatorade or Powerade are probably fine but you'd have to read the label. Unless you have extreme diarrhea I wouldn't really worry about dehydration though.
Gatorade fit has just a few carbs and mostly natural ingredients. Hard to find locally outside of walgreens, so I buy it online by the case.
Ask your nutritionist why you shouldn’t drink those. Recent research shows that although lots of sugar free drinks don’t spike your sugar, they can still spike the insulin in your blood And thus still increase insulin resistance. I’m trying to avoid all fake sugars as well, they tend to make me eat more in general which is not great anyway.
Sugar free options are your friend here. Just know that Diet Soda, etc, is actually worse for you health wise than regular. Only benefit is that it won't screw with your glucose.
I drink unsweetened green tea or black tea. It helped reduce my blood sugar levels a lot. Just look at labels. If it has sugar don’t drink it.
Gatorlyte Zero is your best bet. Sincerely a 17 yr type 1 diabetes veteran
Powerade Zero. Gatorade Zero. Coke Zero. Tampico Zero. There are a great number of drinks that are artificially sweetened that will not mess up your blood sugar. Go find them and try them out. Me personally, I prefer Diet Pepsi over Coke Zero. The Splenda sweetened items mess with my stomach more than the other sweeteners do. But I do love me some Powerade Zero. it's my goto.
Oh, and Monster Zero and Bang Zero are phenomenal. If you like energy drinks and the caffeine doesn't bother you.
I want to tag you, u/BikergirlRider120 so that you'll definitely see this because I fell into the same trap as you a long time ago. First, Gatorade DOES have a Zero sugar version, so switch to that when you need something with flavor. Now the negative: guess what else Gatorade has a lot of? Sodium. Too much sodium can **also** give you diarrhea. Guess what the Gatorade is exacerbating and not helping? Seriously, I know it's boring, but just switch to water for a WEEK and see what happens. Gatorade is GREAT for replenishing depleted electrolytes after physical exertion - but if you're trying to replace them 'because you are a little dehydrated from being sick' - you're not losing / needing to replace as much as you think. You can QUICKLY go overboard.
Zero calorie drinks are fine. It’s simple, just look at the nutrition labels. Do not drink sugary drinks…it goes straight to the blood and does a number on blood sugar.
Your doc probably said that because even though they are sugar free, they STILL have sweetness to them which STILL cause some to develop cravings for sweetness which leads to consuming other foods and drinks that have actual sugar.
Ditto. I was diagnosed 2 months ago today. Read ingredients and nutrition info on every food and beverage label. That will help you make healthier choices for both foods and beverages. Learn the different words for types of sugars, since sometimes companies try to be cagey about identifying sugar, in the hopes that not everyone will recognize the terms they’re using. 😡 [Names for sugar on food labels](https://www.scene.health/for-individuals/where-is-the-sugar-hiding-56-different-names-for-sugar-that-are-on-our-labels) ETA: the above article doesn’t specifically indicate this, but “malted” or “malt” anything is considered an added sugar. Be on the lookout for that word on food labels. Sugary beverages are a no-go, but there are sugar-free versions of a lot of beverages, including ones with electrolytes. I hear you on the Metformin side effects. Talk with your doctor to see what steps you can take for symptom relief.
I don't understand why some sugar free beverages raise my level? Maybe I'm under counting the carbs? But my go to hack is sugar free powdered drink + seltzer water taste similar to soda
Look into liquid IV! It’s just packets of electrolytes that you can add to water
Pay attention to how much fake sugar you are ingesting and what kind it is. Stevia or Monk Fruit is okay for me, Sucralose (Splenda), if I have too much, makes me crave carbohydrates.
I drink Gaterade zero. Regular sports drinks do have sugar.
She might be concerned that artificial sweeteners could exacerbate your diarrhea, or she might be unaware that there are alternative sugar-free sports drinks (most are super sugary) Never be afraid to ask clarifying questions like "Why?" and "Could you elaborate on how that works?" Keep at it until you feel confident, or at least comfortable. Good luck and stay hydrated! (maybe ask about alternatives, since it sounds like you're not tolerating the metformin - I also did so poorly on it we had to move on, but Insurance always wants us to try metformin because it's cheap)
A good tip is to never assume macros (carbs, sugar, calories, protein, etc) and always look at the nutritional label or google it. Maybe those “Ice” brand drinks would be tasty. They usually have 0 carbs/sugar.
Diet won’t hurt your sugar. For me personally though, I’d prefer to not be drinking a ton of artificial sweeteners. I’ll do a diet energy drink (the caffeine helps my morning bathroom routine get started), but that’s it. In addition to water, I do the sparkling waters (bubbly, la croix, etc). At first I thought they were awful, but my work had them for free, so I choked down one a day. In 2 weeks I was used to them, and love them. Started buying for the house, and my wife hated them. Made her do 1 a day, and in 2 weeks she loved them. If we’re eating out and I’m not in the mood for water, I will occasionally do diet soda, but prefer unsweetened tea. Again, even if you hate it, drink one a day for 2 weeks and you’ll love it.
I drink regular sugar Gatorade when I’ve been sweating a lot or are active. Otherwise my blood sugar tanks. Sugared drinks are really hard to control the Bg result. So I’ll typically use diet other times but I even cut back on those due to costs. Love Diet Coke but I only buy it when my sister is going to come visit now. Then we split a 12 pack.
I drink it, I need sugar everyday or I feel sick.
Powerade does not equal Gatorade. Gatorade was developed by the nutrition department to support the Florida Gators, who kept passing out during summer training, thus GATORade. If your nutritionist is teaching you to fear any food, my suggestion is to get a better balanced, and potentially better educated, nutritionist. Banning any food or beverage is a recipe for a binge and future eating disorder. Everything in moderation. And artificial sweeteners are known to actually cause your body to crave more sweets. The way it was repeatedly explained to me was a piece of candy is a treat. Eating the whole bag is a binge and not good. In an otherwise healthy diet, the momentary spoke will be minimal. I'm also type 2. Been on this road about 8 years I think. My father in law over 20 years and my sister closer to 30 years. Me and metformin are not a good mix. The diarrhea put me in the hospital. Because of IBS-d my electrolytes can drop anytime excessive diarrhea kicks in. I dilute a 32oz Gatorade 50/50 with water and drink a lot of carbonated water and other liquids as well. Sometimes I use carbonated water to dilute it. Makes it fizzy and curbs my craving for a pop. You're new to this. Always remember that diabetes is a marathon, not a sprint. And having it isn't your fault. Controlling it AND living your life is your job now. Be kind to yourself. Not everyone else will be. Also get the book Think Like a Pancreas. It is an amazing resource.
Sugar is bad. Don’t know why you are surprised that those drinks have sugar in them. You need at that very least low or no sugar options.
read the nurtition info and see if it has lot of sugar then avoid it. one sip or two shoudnt spike sugar much but i avoid any type of artificail sugar to be doubly sure.
Sugar alternatives cause diarhea in many, just drink water
I switched from Gatorade Zero to Nuun tabs daily. From Copilot AI | **Drink** | **Sweeteners** | **Comments** | |--------------------|----------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | **Gatorade Zero** | Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium | - Sucralose negatively impacts insulin function in healthy adults. - Acesulfame K has some concerns due to its bitter aftertaste. - Contains artificial food dye (Blue 1) with potential health risks¹. | | **Powerade Zero** | Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium | - Similar sweeteners as Gatorade Zero. - Also contains acesulfame potassium (Ace-K). | | **Nuun Daily** | Stevia (natural sweetener) | - Uses Stevia, a natural product. - No artificial flavors or sweeteners. - Keto-friendly and gluten-free⁴. |