Until quite recently, most diabetics were told to avoid, to minimize, even to fear foods rich in sugar. Sugar was the enemy, the source of high blood glucose, so sweets were avoided as a matter of life and death. This belief was strong, but when it was tested, it was found to be false.
Sugar is absorbed no faster than is any other carbohydrate.
This breakthrough, endorsed by both the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association, has meant a broadening of the diabetic diet and a lessening of restrictions. Now, what matters is the total volume of carbohydrate consumed, and sugar is counted as a carbohydrate. Imagine you want that cookie, or that piece of pie. You already know, from your meal plan, how much carbohydrate you can eat. It's like balancing your checkbook.