Anyone who counts carbs is familiar with the unit of measurement called “grams.” But can you recognize a “gram of carb” or “gram of sugar” really? When it’s hidden somewhere deep in the food we’re currently consuming? Well, as it happens, a reader forwarded a creative take on visualizing just how much punch is packed in the food we eat (brace yourself!)
Although we can’t verify the scientific validity of these photos, I reckon they’re meant to represent the grams of pure sugar rather than carbohydrates. Of course, we D-folks know that both raise your BG, so clearly this wasn’t created by a PWD.
Just keep this in mind when you see kids walking around guzzling regular soda, or munching on candy bars that masquerade as “snacks”:
Each sugar cube is approximately 4.1 grams of sugar…
And watch how much better it gets now…
Still, doesn’t this just make you want to go brush your teeth?! Yuck… the mental imagery here is enough to kill my carb cravings for a while, anyway. Hey — that may be a good thing. Maybe every once in a while, we should force ourselves to “get cubed”!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by DiabetesMine, JCampbell. JCampbell said: DiabetesMine: Consider Yourself Cubed! http://bit.ly/dPys3g #diabetes [...]
How much sugar should a type 2 diabetic have per day?
I’m using this idea for a Science Fair Project for my 8th grade class.
I dunno, Amy. This post mostly made me want a Snickers! Hahaha.
(And it also made me wonder if sugar cubes would be a cheap way to treat a low…4g per cube, same as a glucose tablet.)
All –
I write this as a dietitian/diabetes educator: While the content of “Consider Yourself Cubed” is cute, it?s simply not accurate. Yes the way ?sugars? (note is it sugars, not sugar) are reported on the Nutrition Facts panel (per FDA regulations dating to 1994) is very confusing. The sugars on the Nutrition Facts label are both added sugars and naturally occurring sugars (note the plural). These sugars are defined by FDA as all mono and di-saccharides – that’s one and two unit sugars. Yes, unfortunately, as the ?cubed? writer suggests, a lot of people think this is all added sugars ? the white granulated stuff. It?s simply not.
Yes, all the ?sugars? are part of the total carbohydrate count on foods. When it comes to regular soda ? this cubed concept works b/c the sugars in regular soda are 100% added sugars, or high-fructose corn syrup. But, when it comes to an orange or strawberries, to insinuate that it?s the same ?sugar? is simply not correct. The “sugars” from fruit, or sucrose, provides energy, fiber, essential vitamins and minerals.
So is the concept that people with diabetes shouldn’t eat any carbohydrate? Hopefully not. The research simply doesn’t reflect that severely restricting carbohydrate is the path towards health or glycemic control. I encourage you to read my guest post on Diabetes Mine: http://www.diabetesmine.com/2009/05/carbohydrate-how-much-or-not-to-munch.html
Thanks,
Hope Warshaw, RD, CDE
What a great idea, it really gets the point across. When you compare fruits and vegetables to other things it’s amazing. I wonder what a burger would look like.
reminds me of eat this not that, they do comparisons to and sometimes it’s just crazy.The soda example really hits home!