With New Years right around the corner, I would be remiss not to bring up alcohol. We may not have our usual New Year's celebrations this year. You may still want to toast the New Year. You definitely can, but let's talk about the type and amount.
These two topics of drink type and amount can drastically effect your blood sugar. Two and a half years ago, I was newly diagnosed with diabetes. My doctor told me not to drink alcohol. That lasted all of six months. My very first foray back to enjoying adult beverages included not only too much alcohol but also the wrong type.
A girlfriend brought in Disaronno to enjoy, while cooking a holiday meal. She started pouring shots of this sweet liqueur. What would one hurt? Three shots later, I followed it up tasting every sweet brought for that celebration. By 2am, I was hugging a toilette, sick for a half day, and lucky it wasn't worse.
I definitely over drank! I didn't know what my body's alcohol tolerance was anymore. I wasn't aware of how much I could or couldn't drink. I also didn't know the effects of different alcohols.
One friend of mine, Teddy, is diabetic. He loves his beer. He can't see very well. He squints, says he can see, and pops open another beer. When he doesn't drink beer, his eyesight gets better. The high carbohydrate levels in beer are just as bad as the sugar in Disaronno or white wine in the short term. In the long term, beer has carbohydrates that don't just increase blood sugar. It raises glucose levels for a longer time.
Over time, I learned the value of a nice red wine. A five ounce serving has 1 gram of sugar and 4 grams of carbohydrates. It has several other potential health benefits as well:
- blood pressure control.
- heart health.
- cancer risk reduction.
- reduced risk of dementia.
- lower risk of diabetes.
Source: "Are There Health Benefits to Drinking Red Wine?"
WebMD 09/29/20
I notice my blood sugar decreases after a glass or two. So join me in toasting to a Healthy & Happy New Year! Please comment, like, share, and come back next week for more recipes, ideas, and tips..
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice, but a compilation of research from medical sites. Make sure to see your doctor and have up to date lab work.
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