Could switching from white to brown be a mistake for those with Type 2 Diabetes?

It was last Friday and I was doing my usual Friday morning GP clinic and a chap with type 2 Diabetes came in. His HbA1c (blood glucose) was getting worse. In fact it had increased by 10mmol/mol in 6 months. 

He felt exasperated. ‘’I’m doing everything I can doc but the weight isn’t budging and my blood sugars are getting worse.’’

A common story. 

I’ve cut out all sugar, I don’t eat many carbs, I don’t know what else to do. 

I smiled to myself, because I’ve helped people in this situation many times before and know that there’s always a way through. It’s often the case that when people say they’re ‘low carb’ they might not be as low as they think. Or they may not truly understand what a carb is.

Next he said:
‘’I’ve even switched to brown rice and pasta’’

Aha!! And this is when I realised, I had work to do. And this is what I want to share with you today. 

Because if we’re talking about the effect of food on blood sugar then the brown alternative is not much better than the white.  

And it is sometimes worse

If you want to eat more fibre then brilliant, go for it. If you’re aim is to lower the blood sugar then there’s very little point…

And if you don’t believe me then look at this:

 

When I started researching this topic I did not expect to find what I did.. because if you’ve studied the image above you will see that sometimes the brown equivalent is worse than the white?! 

How can this be?! 

Make sure you’re reading labels, the number of carbohydrates (the food that is essentially glucose..or sugar) is clearly labelled. If you have Prediabetes or type 2 Diabetes then your pancreas is struggling to process these, so to give your pancreas a helping hand please cut them down.

You are much better considering a food switch. I cannot emphasise enough how these switches can impact your blood sugars for the better (and increase fibre at the same time) 

I’ve created a visual to remind you of the switches, print it off and make it work in your life. Changes you make now are going to make an even bigger difference 10 years down the line than today (but you will see an immediate change). Trust me on this, you do not want the complications that type 2 Diabetes can bring.  

Click here to download

Dr Nerys Frater