February 27, 2004
Meal Planning, Food and Diet
Question from London, United Kingdom:
My partner is addicted to Coca-Cola and refuses to drink anything else. I am not worried about his calcium intake as he eats several bowlfuls of cereal with lower fat milk every day as a snack. He used to drink water at meal times at home, but now I am having difficulty convincing him to drink anything other than Diet Coke. I would like to introduce some vitamin C into his diet, but last time we tried it his blood sugar levels rose too quickly. This was after consuming diluted cranberry juice. I would like to ask his diabetic consultant, but would appreciate another opinion, first, on how to introduce a more healthy drink solution into his diet. He does eat a lot of fruit per day but I just wish he would drink something else than that fizzy junk!
Answer:
Even though fruit juice contains a lot of vitamins and minerals, especially Vitamin C, they do have quite a few carbohydrates in them also. Diluting the juice is a good option. Another option is to try some of the artificially sweetened juices that are starting to surface in the marketplace. A good one that I recommend, which is sweetened with Splenda, is called Tropicana Light and Healthy. It has one-third less sugar than regular orange juice. Other juices sweetened with aspartame or Splenda are also recommended. Be careful with the over consumption of even diet sodas because most contain caffeine. Caffeine is a diuretic which can lead to dehydration and higher blood sugars. Consult with your registered dietitian if you have further questions.
JMS
